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Using command-line builds |
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One of the least advertised, but most useful Install Expert features is the ability to make builds from the command line.
For the past few
years, we at BEIKS have been using this feature to build the
vast majority of dictionary packages for Palm, Windows Mobile
and BlackBerry
devices. Indeed, if for every product you need to make a trial
and a full build, then a branded build for various distributors,
then a build for every target platform, then eventually a build
for every target language...phew, it's a lot! If you have already been through the hell of releasing a second build in similar conditions you must already be looking for means to automate the process. And rightfully so! While Install Expert does not currently include sample projects using automation, it is itself fully capable of becoming part of the automation chain - a feature, as mentioned earlier, which is heavily used and tested within BEIKS. |
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Java conduits |
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There are various pros and cons of using any tool, of course, and we do not tell you to cross Java for conduits (although that is what we have chosen to do). However, Install Expert is designed and targeted towards compact and optimized solutions, the Zen of the Palm computing platform. If you are to redistribute the whole JVM for a conduit that can be implemented in under 100 kB executable, then you probably don't care about the size of your installation anyway and might as well use the heavy artillery of installers, like Install Shield or Wise. We would be sorry to lose a customer, but we also believe that tools should be used according to their design capabilities. As of version 4, Install Expert definitely does not provide good and meaningful ways to install Java-based applications. |
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Read the CDK! |
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Although InstallExpert is meant to save you time and efforts, it is not meant to replace the knowledge of how conduits fit in a Palm OS based solutions. Reading and understanding the Conduit Development Kit is crucial to the success of your solution. Everything, from selecting unique database creator, to choosing the type of conduit (DLL or EXE, COM or simple API) to understanding the need and proper usage of the redistributable COM suite DLLs - all this plays the central role in implementing the best possible application that will sell well. InstallExpert should be just another tool in your arsenal, but the ability to use it is your power and responsibility. |