NSIS Quick Setup Script Generator

Author: Red Wine (talk, contrib)

Links

Download

• NSIS Quick Setup Script Generator Nsisqssg.zip (74 KB) the current release.
• Help in html format Nqssghlp.zip (85 KB)

Discussion

• Winamp Forums thread.
  This is the place to post your comments and suggestions. Also bugs reporting goes here.

Introduction

NSIS Quick Setup Script Generator is a wizard interface Windows application aiming to guide NSIS installers developers through the preparation and creation of their software installation.

The preparation of the script is fully customisable, allowing developers to set up and modify the desired preferences. It takes just three plain steps to prepare and create a full working and ready for distribution installation.

Moreover, developers have the ability to save the generated script on their local system, keep it either for reference, or for further elaboration with their preferred editor.

NSIS Quick Setup Script Generator is a win32 application, edited completely using the power of Nullsoft Scriptable Install System.

Requirements

NSIS Quick Setup Script Generator is fully tested on MS Windows XP pro sp2, and MS Windows 98 SE, though, it must be compatible with all windows versions supported by NSIS.

This application is indented to creating and compiling NSIS scripts so the obvious requirement is a current and active NSIS installation on the system where it's going to be used.

Furthermore there is not any special requirement nor complicated rules of usage.

Features

NSIS Quick Setup Script Generator does not require from the user to write even a single line of code, though, allows experienced developers to edit the generated script by the way they like, and recompile it adding personalised code and new features.

Even if you have not any knowledge on NSIS scripting lang, or you are a developer who is getting bothered to write all the needed code and you just want to make the final customisations and improvements, you can get started with NSIS Quick Setup Script Generator and get your distribution ready in a snap.

All you have to do before you proceed, is to have all your software related files intact, stored in a separate folder on your local system.
Additional files that must be installed in special folders e.g. Application Data directory, should reside in their respectively separate folders as well.

Then just follow the three simple, straight forward plain steps, and you are done.

ScreenShots

Step one: Specify application info and installation's general preferences

Step two: Specify the output directory and application's files

Step three: Specify the Start Menu folder and compiler preferences

Versions History

Currently version 1 09.18.2006 final

• Changes since version 1 05.17.2006
  • Bug Fixed. Application could not produce the output on certain machines where NSIS is not installed on default (C:\Program Files\NSIS) directory.
• Version 1 05.17.2006 final is out.
  • Parts of code rewritten, focused to application's stability and speed.
• Changes since beta 8
  • Added ability to save/load project settings.
    
  • When application is first time launched, creates some INI into the current dir, and offers option either to save the complete project just when the generate button is pressed, or to save the current state if the cancel button is pressed on every one page of the three steps.
    
  • Also a recent 5 projects list is created and the user has the ability either to browse for an existing project, or select a recent one from the recent projects droplist.

• Changes since beta 7
  • Main exe <Application's Main Executable> now is optional field. This means that either your app has not an executable, or for some reason you do not wish to point to that file, now you're able to bypass this field. In this case, there is not ability for creating shortcuts though.
  • Add files <Application's Files Directory> remains unchanged. There is not need for changes on this field since actually it is optional. You may combine it or not with the above field according to your preferences. If you have only one exe for distribution, and you want a normal installation for this, (create shortcuts etc), then point to that file on the above field and browse for the dir where that file resides on this field.
  • Check generated script for details on how to take advantage of the new features.

Credits

• A big thanks goes to Instructor for his precious bunch of macros & functions, and bugs reporting on Win98/Me.
• Also to Iceman_K author of EclipseNSIS, for his help on testing and reporting bugs and improvements as well.
• Also to kichik NSIS developer for his continuous advices to keep backwards compatibility, to add the load/save project feature, to clean and re-write the code, finally, to improve this application.

License

This software is provided 'as-is', without any express or implied warranty. In no event will the author be held liable for any damages arising from the use of this software.

Permission is granted to anyone to use this software for any purpose, including commercial applications, and to alter it and redistribute it freely, subject to the following restrictions:

• The origin of this software must not be misrepresented;
  you must not claim that you wrote the original software.
  If you use this software in a product, an acknowledgment
  in the product documentation would be appreciated but is not required.
• Altered versions must be plainly marked as such,
  and must not be misrepresented as being the original software.
• This notice may not be removed or altered from any distribution.