Windows Installer Editor Reference
106
Defining an Installation Project
Adding Meta Data to the Software Manager Database
¾
Requires a repository connection.
For an .MSI or .WSI, you can add to the Software Manager database the meta data that
appears on the Product Details page. This lets you add package information to the
Software Manager database early in the development or repackaging process. It also
eliminates the need to enter the meta data manually in Software Manager and ensures
that every package in the database has meta data that meets your corporate standards.
To add meta data to the Software Manager database
1. Select Installation Expert > Product Details page.
2. Enter the Application and Package names. These fields appear in an .MSI or .WSI
only.
See
Product Details Page
on page 102.
3. Select File menu > Save to save the installation.
If this is the first time you have saved the installation, the Save As dialog box
appears. (In Visual Studio: the Save File As dialog box appears.) Enter a name for
the file and click Save.
4. If a package with the same application and package name is already in the Software
Manager database, a warning message appears. Click OK and change either the
application or package name to create a new package in Software Manager.
When you save the installation, its meta data is added to the Software Manager
database and the Repository ID field is populated.
What happens when you add meta data to the Software Manager
database?
z
The meta data appears in Software Manager on the Package pane and the Package
Attributes dialog box.
This only adds the package’s meta data to the Software Manager database. It does
not import the package’s resources.
z
The package is assigned a status of New in Software Manager. You cannot change to
or from this status manually. A New package is changed to Under Development only
when you use the Import Wizard to import its resource information.
z
The package is assigned a repository ID in the form of a GUID. If you make a copy
of the installation and change the copies application or package name, it is assigned
a new repository ID.
z
The Application and Package fields on the Product Details page are unavailable.
You can edit them on the Package Attributes dialog box in Software Manager.
If you open an installation file that is a copy of the package in the Software Manager
database, the Application and Package fields are populated and enabled. Change
one or both of these fields before saving the installation to avoid overwriting the
package in the database.
z
If you edit meta data on the Product Details page, the meta data in the Software
Manager database is updated when you save the installation. If you edit meta data
in Software Manager, your edits appear on the Product Details page the next time
you open the installation.