News

InstallShield Announces 2000 Package

• By Scott Bekker
• 09/22/1999

InstallShield Professional 6.0 includes new features for reducing development cycles and taking advantage of customer resources. InstallShield Objects allows developers to drop objects from third parties without the need to write or change scripts. Regularly updated objects will be available from the InstallShield support Web site. Event-based Script enables a standard framework for all setup projects, requiring less scripting. Active Dependency Manager automatically identifies missing static and dynamic file dependencies for a project and offers developers the option to add or skip files. And Script Transfer provides a simple path for migrating InstallShield 5.x Professional scripts for use as InstallShield 6.0 projects. Some transfers require additional scripting.

Other new features help developers gain control over the installation. Robust Error Handling enables authors to catch, modify or customize error handling at run-time, with new technology to script error conditions. The Add/Remove Program Applet allows developers to add reinstall and uninstall to applications and a new Modify functionality allows developers to enable users to install and uninstall individual installation components. Two Run-time Dialog Designs supports dialog box styles for Windows 2000 and Windows 95 versions from version 5.0.

ISWI 1.02 streamlines the installation authoring process using wizards and advanced tools such as a Graphic Dialog Editor and SKU Management capability. These give developers access to a wide range of setup tools while using the Windows Installer service. As all installs using Windows Installer technology, setup packages created using ISWI will also run on Windows 9.x and Windows NT 4.0.

For a limited time, there will be a $200 manufacturers rebate for a new box and $100 for the upgrade. -- Brian Ploskina