Ok, this is getting awfully long, so I'll try to split it down to

multiple posts.



Neil wrote:

> For items in general there are various ways to implement them. I expect

> we would prefer what is most easy to implement and at the same time is

> sufficiently useful and undstandable by the customer, and by `understandable'

> is frequenty meant that the method is standard or familiar.



There is a hynge in this, you will understand as I comment further on.

For the general impression, I would like you to think about comparing a

typical Linux install to a typical MS install.



> I click on `setup.exe'.



In this case "ICIinstall.exe"



> I get a medium size screen saying that the program is starting the

> installer.



This part is often truplicated. The trick is that a C program that you

will write will relocate the VB runtime modules (I don't want to use

that sh*tty MS InstallSheild).



> I get a blue full-screen for a background



This is as old as computing itself, but I doubt in the point of it.



> and a smaller screen asking for name and business.



There will probably need to be a point in this (requiring a computer ID

or something in place of the name), but writing it down to an ICI

database is as simple as it can get.



> I get a small screen asking for a install location with a default.

> I get a small screen asking if I want to do a default or custom install.



I will seperate the program to "Next" button style in no time.



> If I go to custom install I get a screen listing several option areas

> that I may check to install with many areas already checked.



Atho it could be ok to have some install presets, the ICI is a system

where the user simply needs to click out what he wants, no way to

automate that. =]



> I click the `install' and then I get a screen saying installing or copying

> files to disk with likely a progress bar and filenames flashing on the

> screen that are being copied.



Ok, ICI will never get huge enough to require a real progress indicator

in the MS sense; in MS installers, there is usualy only a progress

indicator for filecopy, while at the "Setup is upgrading your system"

you simply have to wait. This will not be too usefull, as most of the

ICI install will be setting configuration.



I will use the other method, which can also be spotted around, where you

got a progress bar (for all of the install progress) at the bottom of

the installer with a label above it saying in short what is the

installer doing + "...".



> After the files are copied a program may run asking for particulars

> about how the program should be run that we could say are program

> defaults, preferences, or configuration items.

> 

> A small directory like window may appear having related applications

> (icons).  The program may ask if an icon should be put on the desktop

> or elsewhere.



Definitely. This is all part of the after-filecopy install.



> -----------



A response on the above would be something for me to put in my priority

list as details.



> And so my suggestion for an install program is to start with the bare

> minimum and then add features according to customer usability--

> possibly a kind of advanced setup--and according to the time that

> can be applied to that aspect weighed against other development

> requirements.  The short of it is: always make it simple and easy,

> when that is possible, and get on to the remainder.



Indeed, there are some parts of an ordinary MS install that are useless

for an ICI installer, because it needs to have the basic level of

automation (for automatic setting configuration), that MS installs don't

have. While MS installs do not create anything other than icons, the ICI

installer has to create all the innitial setting databases for all

programs, aside the install details database.



See next post for continuing...



--



Don't feel bad about asking/telling me anything, I will always gladly

reply.



Digging for info? Try AI Meta Search:

Http://WWW.AIMetaSearch.Com



MesonAI -- If nobody else wants to do it, why shouldn't we?(TM)

Http://WWW.MesonAI.Com

