He sure is worked up!
For a start, he says he dont have the stuff for data pump, then says he
deploys CS applications using SQL Links. If he does in fact use SQL links,
then he must have the enterprise version and that means the datapump
stuff...but thats an aside anyway.
I use Wise 7 with no problems at all doing exactly what he wants to do. It
took me about a day to get to grips with Wise, and to get a BDE script
working correctly. He is correct the standard Delphi IS BDE stuff can not be
relied on, and also the standard Wise script is not perfect iether. Once you
have the BDE Script done for Wise, it is there for all time. Then you just
include your own BDE.wse in and add the rest of the files (normally less
than an hours work) and deploy with confidence. You need to test your BDE
incolude thoroughly at least once on all platforms.
Has he not heard of Ghost ???
I do not believe it is a part of the license with Borland that we can only
use the IS with Dephi to deploy.
Tony.
-----Original Message-----
From: Julien Thomas <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: Multiple recipients of list delphi <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: Thursday, 11 November 1999 2:12 PM
Subject: [DUG]: Distributing Delphi Applications
>Help!
>A question I came across on another Delphi list that I have been discussing
>with the author. I apologize for the intensity of the following question.
>This guy is quite worked up by his problem. But does anyone have any ideas
>on how to fix it?
>
>
>
>
>[>] It would appear that you have not yet tried to get one of your
programs
>to work on ANOTHER system which does NOT have Delphi on it - or anywhere
>near it.
>
>Having created your Application with Delphi4 (and I understand Delphi5) you
>cannot simply copy the resultant .EXE file to another machine. It won't
>work!! Because (for starters) it will probably be looking for a DBE (Data
>Base Engine)- without which it CANNOT work. (I understand that with
Delphi5
>the situation is not the same.) If you are using your development yourself
>(on the development machine) you won't (shouldn't) have a problem. Because
>the DBE (amongst other things) was installed when you installed Delphi4.
>
>But if you plan to sell your software or develop it on a contract basis (as
>many developers do) your user (3rd party) machine will obviously NOT have
>Delphi4 installed on it. Nor (strictly speaking) does your Application NEED
>everything that you have in your Delphi 4 installation.
>
>The problem arises in deciding WHAT has to go onto your 3rd party machine.
>WHAT changes to make to the registry and .DLL files, etc on that system. A
>complex business too big to go into here.
>
>Supposedly to spare us mere systems analysists/programmers this problem
>Inprise benevolently include Installshield Express in the Delphi4 CD-ROM.
(I
>am led believe this also applies to Delphi5) IT is expected to put you in
a
>position to create a set of disketts - whilst IT includes all the right
>files and magic - so that you simply use "Add/Remove Programs" from Windows
>"Setup" to "distribute" your marvelous software to that system.
>
>In fact you have to (are obliged to - in terms of your user-agreement with
>Inprise) "distribute" to a 3rd party machine in this manner. The problem
>being that MY Delphi4 package had an Installshield Express version on it
>which was looking for "datapump" files - which do not even come with
>Delphi4!! Leaving my version about as useful as a saddle fitted to a cow!!
>(Data pump files apparently come with Delphi4 ENTERPRISE.)
>
>In the meantime Inprise and Installshield then (individually or
>collectively) set about remedying the problem with 2 "patches". But after
>having downloaded these I STILL cannot create a working .IWZ (Installshield
>File) which will create the diskettes I need to SUCCESSFULLY distribute my
>application to a 3rd party machine.
>
>And - worse - evidently Inprise cannot EITHER. Not even from a complete
>simple working project which I sent them. They claim they CAN - but
>strangely (and probably significantly) CANNOT or WILL not PROVE it. By
>simply sending me an IWZ file that WORKS on MY system and produces the
>required result ON MY CLIENT'S system. Equally strangely Installsheild
>themselves remain silent about this to the point of ignoring all my e-mail
>on it - looking for help.
>
>Meanwhile you might like to take the following into account - as sent to me
>by another systems analyst.
>
>"Installshield is a nightmare to setup, and maintain, because if you add a
>file to your setup etc, you always have to remember to add it to
>installshield.
>
>The other real time-wasting thing is that to truly test the final setup,
you
>really need a virgin machine with nothing on it except windows, so you can
>be sure you've included everything (thus simulating a client).
>
>You can't use your own machine with 100% confidence unless you really know
>what you are doing, since you already have everything necessary and it
won't
>reflect if you didn't include everything in Installshield. This has to be
>tested on Windows 95, Windows 98, and NT. This means re-configuring a
>machine each time with a blank operating system.
>
>We have a dedicated person and machine for this process - since you know
how
>long it takes just to install Windows every time - with Windows NT - this
is
>a 1.5 hour process. And if you run your test, which is unsuccessful
>because you left out a file or something, the whole process must be started
>all over again.
>
>You also can't rely on UnInstallshield - it still leaves things lying
around
>in terms of DLLs, and registry entries if it doesn't successfully complete
>the installation - and I don't trust it anyway because some of the files we
>distribute are common .DLL files shared with other companies products, so
>Installshield sometimes thinks it best to leave these .DLLs there when
>uninstalling for safety sake, which doesn't help your "virgin" machine
>scenario. Because you therefore can't use the same "virgin" machine twice
>for your test!!
>
>And our stuff is helluva complex, because we don't work with Paradox, but
>Interbase, Oracle and MS SQL server via SQL Links, which means a whole lot
>more stuff to contend with.
>
>So all in all, yes, Installshield and the whole setup process for any
>product is a VERY LARGE PAIN IN THE ASS!"
>
>If you are more fortunate - please let me know!! And HOW you did it!!
>
>---------------------------------------------------------------------------
> New Zealand Delphi Users group - Delphi List - [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Website: http://www.delphi.org.nz
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New Zealand Delphi Users group - Delphi List - [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Website: http://www.delphi.org.nz
