MAKEMSI quickly and reliably creates MSI files in a non-programmatic way\Source CodeCommandsAbortIf

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The "AbortIf" Command

This command is used as a simple way to create a custom action 19 (or "LaunchCondition") which tests a "condition" and if true terminates Windows Installer with an error message.

For more complex conditions than Windows Installer can handle you could use the "VbsCa" command.

The macro takes these parameters:

• Condition (required)
  This is the condition which will terminate the install if true. Conditions can check for all sorts of details including the existance of environment variables. Conditions do not support "formatted strings" (real smart)...

  I have captured a large number of "sample properties" which could be used in any conditions. Note that the values of some properties may not be available at all times and in some cases are modified during processing.

• Message (required)
  This is the message to display if the condition is true.

• Seq (optional)
  If this parameter is not supplied then the test is performed via the "LaunchCondition" table.

  If the parameter is supplied then if its blank then a sequence number will be assigned otherwise the specified value will be used. This sequence number will typically be after some custom action code you may have invoked to set some property to indicate whether the install should proceed or not.

  The sequencing information (see some default sequencing) can be supplied in a number of formats:

  • An Integer
    If you supply a number such as "1001" then this is a literal numeric value which generally should not duplicate any other in the same table. I suggest you only use this format as a last resort!

  • A VBSCRIPT Expression
    If the value you supply starts with "@" then what follows is the name of a VBSCRIPT variable or expression which will evaluate to a sequence number.

  • A MAKEMSI Expression
    MAKEMSI has its own syntax which describes the characteristics of the desired sequence number but leaves the actual value up to MAKEMSI to determine.

    Basically you describe a range of valid values and whether you prefer the value to be chosen from the lower (default) or higher end.

    The range should be specified in the format "lower - higher". Either value can be omitted, be specified as an integer such as "1000" or the name of an action such as "InstallFiles". The default value for the lower end is "1" and for the higher "32767" and leading and trailing spaces for each are stripped. The minimum and maximum values can be returned as the range is inclusive.

    By default MAKEMSI will choose a number as close as possible to the lower end, if you wish it to be as high as possible then begin the specification string with "<".

    Some Examples:

    • InstallFiles-
    • -InstallFiles
    • <-InstallFiles
    • < 1000 - 2000
    • AppSearch - CostFinalize

    You should of course be aware of what your script does, for example if it moves a custom action that you have already sequenced other actions relative to then that would probably be "bad"!

• SeqTable (optional)
  This is the sequence table or tables you wish to use ("InstallExecuteSequence" table by default). The most common other table you might wish to use would be "InstallUISequence" table). Use space as a delimiter if more than one table. An empty list is invalid!

• Type (optional)
  Normally a type 19 is used. There might be some bits which might make sense being combined with it so I have allowed you to override it.

• Key (optional)
  This allows you to name the custom action. It has no effect if a "SEQ" number was not supplied.

EXAMPLE 1

We only want to install this product on Windows 2000, XP or above:

<$AbortIf Condition=^not VersionNT OR (VersionNT < 500)^ Message=^Can only be installed on Windows 2000, XP or greater.^>

The condition "not VersionNT" is checking to see if the "VersionNT" property exists (it won't for WIN95, WIN98 and WINME) and "VersionNT < 500" is checking if the NT version is less than "5.00" (correct value for WIN2000).

See the online documentation for a list of operating system related property values.

EXAMPLE 2

;--- Define the list of properties we require (3 in this case) --------------
#( ";"
   #define REQUIRED_MSIEXEC_PROPERTIES

   CENTRAL_SERVER
   LOCAL_SERVER
   SOME_OTHER_THIRD
#)

;--- Make sure they exist ---------------------------------------------------
#{ SET ^Property={;}<$REQUIRED_MSIEXEC_PROPERTIES>^
   #(
       ;--- Test for non-existance of property (INSTALL time only) ----------
       <$AbortIf
           Condition=^NOT <??SET_Property> and not Installed^
           Message=^The property "<??SET_Property>" must be
                   specified on the MSIEXEC command line
                   during installation.
                   The complete list is "<$REQUIRED_MSIEXEC_PROPERTIES>"!^
       >
   #)
#}

EXAMPLE 3 - Macro to Find "WSCRIPT.EXE"

;----------------------------------------------------------------------------
;--- Macro to find "WSCRIPT.EXE"
;--- MS stupidly places this file in logically different locations
;--- ("C:\windows" in WIN98). Also just to make it more difficult it is not
;--- possible to search by attribute, or search path and thus not possible
;--- to avoid possible incorrect matches in fixpack backup directories.
;--- All in all nearly a handful of reasons to swear at MS in one go....
;----------------------------------------------------------------------------
#(
    #define WSCRIPT.EXE

    ;--- Can't do this! Can find files in "$NtServicePackUninstall" type directories ---
    ;<$FileFind File="WSCRIPT.EXE" Property="WSCRIPT.EXE" PATH="[WindowsFolder]" Depth="1">   ;;Danger, Danger...

    ;--- Thanks MS... -------------------------------------------------------
    <$FileFind File="WSCRIPT.EXE" Property="WSCRIPT.EXE.WF" PATH="[WindowsFolder]" Depth="0" Default="">
    <$FileFind File="WSCRIPT.EXE" Property="WSCRIPT.EXE.SF" PATH="[SystemFolder]"  Depth="0" Default="">
    <$PropertyCa "WSCRIPT.EXE" Value="[WSCRIPT.EXE.WF]" Seq="AppSearch-" Condition="WSCRIPT.EXE.WF and (<$CONDITION_EXCEPT_UNINSTALL>)" SeqTable="InstallUISequence InstallExecuteSequence">
    <$PropertyCa "WSCRIPT.EXE" Value="[WSCRIPT.EXE.SF]" Seq="AppSearch-" Condition="WSCRIPT.EXE.SF and (<$CONDITION_EXCEPT_UNINSTALL>)" SeqTable="InstallUISequence InstallExecuteSequence">
    <$AbortIf
        Condition="not WSCRIPT.EXE and (<$CONDITION_EXCEPT_UNINSTALL>)"
          Message=^The file "WSCRIPT.EXE" was not found in the "[WindowsFolder]" or "[SystemFolder]" directories!^
         SeqTable="InstallUISequence InstallExecuteSequence"
              Seq="AppSearch-"
    >
#)

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