Summary

Synopsis

This article focuses on using VBScript custom actions to get or set the value of a property.

Discussion

The Windows Installer Service provides a comprehensive array of properties that can be used with the setup for various purposes. Different properties can be used in different modes in the setup to perform different operations. Because there is no built-in support to access properties in Express, you can make use of VBScript custom actions to work around the limitation. The following code demonstrates setting and getting the value of a property via VBScript.

Setting a Property

Sub SetAProperty_fun
  Session.Property("PROPERTYNAME")="property value"
  MsgBox Session.Property("PROPERTYNAME")
End Sub

Getting a Property

Sub GetAProperty_fun
  dim szStringVal
  szStringVal = Session.Property("PROPERTYNAME")
  MsgBox Session.Property("PROPERTYNAME")
End Sub

Note: In the above examples, PROPERTYNAME can be replaced by any Windows Installer property or a property created in the System Hardware Requirements section in Express 4.0 and higher IDE.

To include the above VBScript code in your Express project, follow these steps:

1. Create a blank text file and call it setproperty.vbs.

2. Open the setproperty.vbs file in Notepad and copy both the codes above in it.

3. Create a VBScript custom action in your Express project that points to setproperty.vbs by following these steps:
   1. Select the Custom Actions view.

   2. Right-click on Custom Actions in the center panel and choose New VBScript and set the following attributes:
      • File Name: Browse to the setproperty.vbs file on your system.

      • Function Name: SetAProperty_fun (if you want to set a property) or GetAProperty_fun (if you want to get the value of a property).

      • Invoke: Select when you want this VBScript to run. You can invoke this at any point in the setup. If you are setting a property, it is usually a good idea to invoke it anywhere before After Custom Setup Type Dialog. This ensures that your property is set before the setup starts installing files.

   3. Select the Objects/Merge Modules or Redistributable gallery under Specify Application Data in the Express IDE and check the VBScriptRunTime Merge Module. This merge module installs VBScript run-time files, which are needed to run a VBScript custom action.

4. Rebuild your release and run the setup.

Additional Information

To acquire a list of all Windows Installer properties available, see the Windows Installer Help topic Property Reference.