Survey Results

Fred Johanns13-Mar-07 2:34

13-Mar-07 2:34

I've tried WiX- what a nightmare, I've heard horror stories about InstallShield and Wise about scripting, and speaking of scripting, nSIS come close to usable but still requires a huge learning curve. Those that don't require the learning curve are still not easy to use- I think a lot of programmers take on these because they like a challenge to say "look what I did!", but I'd rather be writing the code for my application that is actually going to be used more than a one time installer!

We spent a lot of time researching an installation package that wouldn't require us to learn another programming language; one that was intuitive (shouldn't the best software be anyway?). If you are seriously in the market for an install provider, check out www.advancedinstaller.com. I defy you to find an installer that's easier to use.

Also, I think there are 2 types of situations when it comes to determining installation packages: a lot of you work in corporate IT departments, which is such a wonderfully (usually homogeneous) environment I can't even begin to explain it. The other, my case, is when you work for an ISV and need to deal with hundreds of different system configurations across multiple operation systems (fun, really.). Combine that, in our case, with a client AND a server install, and you've got a situation that could get widely out of control in a short time (not to mention a SQL database that needs constant updating and a requirement for a "smart client" so the app can keep itself up to date).

In the end, I guess I had enough to worry about without trying to maintain install scripts or wasting valuable programming time learning a complicated MSI generator. If you want ease of use, and, IMHO, the best ROI for your buck, definitely check out AI.

-Fred

Email:
fred[at]eastpointsystems.com

And has any one ever tried...

Alberto Bar-Noy12-Mar-07 0:56

Alberto Bar-Noy

12-Mar-07 0:56

Bitrock installer?

Now this is simple, after using WISE, Installshields since version 2.0(I know I know I am a mazochist), Visual Studio and some other weird contraptions...

Alberto Bar-Noy
VP R&D
http://www.newreign.com

Why not XCopy?

Neeraj Saluja9-Mar-07 21:26

Neeraj Saluja

9-Mar-07 21:26

I am happier with XCopy only. Reason being
- Easy to use,
- Easy to explain the usage to Testing/Installing Team
- Quite Independent

Simple ways to achieve big tasks.

Thanks,NS

Re: Why not XCopy?

loizzi10-Mar-07 21:04

loizzi

10-Mar-07 21:04

Hi,

XCopy is only applicable for simple tasks. If more functionality like registry editing or patching of existent application versions is needed, you have lost. You also not able to update running system services.

Bye

Frank Loizzi

InstallAware

Dana Holt9-Mar-07 5:45

Dana Holt

9-Mar-07 5:45

If you need to build MSI based installers I think InstallAware is the best solution out there right now.

I am surprised so few people use it.

Re: InstallAware

G-Man11-Mar-07 15:44

G-Man

11-Mar-07 15:44

I also use it, and I am very happy with it.

Clickonce

Daniel Vaughan9-Mar-07 1:10

Daniel Vaughan

9-Mar-07 1:10

It would have been nice to see how many people were using ClickOnce.

I used Installshield about two years ago. I didn't have fun with it. I found the integration with VS to be clumsy.

Daniel Vaughan
Zen Diaphragm

Would you recommend something you've not used?

Roger Stoltz8-Mar-07 21:13

Roger Stoltz

8-Mar-07 21:13

I've used three of the installers in the list: InstallShield, NullSoft and Wise.
If I have to recommend any installer package it would be one of those I've used and I expect other people to act the same way, otherwise their recommendation mean nothing.

This is, in my opinion, also the reason why so many recommend InstallShield; they simply haven't used any other. Unfortunately the survey result doesn't say anything about this oter than InstallShield being the most frequently used installer.

"It's supposed to be hard, otherwise anybody could do it!" - selfquote
"High speed never compensates for wrong direction!" - unknown

Would the people who recommended InstallShield please step up? [modified]

peterchen7-Mar-07 23:18

peterchen

7-Mar-07 23:18

there's something we must settle...

Developers, Developers, Developers, Developers, Developers, Developers, Velopers, Develprs, Developers!
We are a big screwed up dysfunctional psychotic happy family - some more screwed up, others more happy, but everybody's psychotic joint venture definition of CP
Linkify!|Fold With Us!

Re: Would the people who recommended InstallShield please step up?

Prakash Nadar8-Mar-07 0:42

Prakash Nadar

8-Mar-07 0:42

is pizza being served? Roll eyes | :rolleyes:

-Prakash

Re: Would the people who recommended InstallShield please step up?

peterchen8-Mar-07 1:08

peterchen

8-Mar-07 1:08

Yes, something is going to be served

pizza... rotary debugger... debug... I'll debug the hell out of you! Might as well call it pizza, then! :wheresthefirespittingiconwhenyouneedone?:

Re: Would the people who recommended InstallShield please step up?

Prakash Nadar8-Mar-07 4:48

Prakash Nadar

8-Mar-07 4:48

peterchen wrote:
pizza... rotary debugger... debug... I'll debug the hell out of you! Might as well call it pizza, then! :wheresthefirespittingiconwhenyouneedone?:

Doesn't sound very tempting, I am out.

-Prakash

Re: Would the people who recommended InstallShield please step up?

peterchen8-Mar-07 8:12

peterchen

8-Mar-07 8:12

Re: Would the people who recommended InstallShield please step up?

kgdump11-Mar-07 1:56

kgdump

11-Mar-07 1:56

Obviously the people who recommend Installshield don't want to be know. Installshield sucks.......

Pantaray QSetup Installation Suite

melmitts7077-Mar-07 15:10

melmitts707

7-Mar-07 15:10

I recently started using this and am very satisfied at this point. Seems to do what I need to do...

You've got to be kidding?

Jim Crafton7-Mar-07 5:41

Jim Crafton

7-Mar-07 5:41

24% of you would recommend InstallShield? C'mon, pull the other leg!
How on earth could this be?

¡El diablo está en mis pantalones! ¡Mire, mire!

Real Mentats use only 100% pure, unfooled around with Sapho Juice(tm)!

SELECT * FROM User WHERE Clue > 0
0 rows returned

Save an Orange - Use the VCF!
Techno Silliness

Re: You've got to be kidding?

Nathan Holt at EMOM7-Mar-07 6:08

Nathan Holt at EMOM

7-Mar-07 6:08

Jim Crafton wrote:
24% of you would recommend InstallShield? C'mon, pull the other leg!
How on earth could this be?

I think it is just getting the votes for "other" and for "no recomendation". I know I clicked it just because CP wouldn't let me vote without clicking one of the opeions, and InstallShield is the only one I've used.

Nathan Holt

Re: You've got to be kidding?

Raj Lal7-Mar-07 15:04

Raj Lal

7-Mar-07 15:04

Jim Crafton wrote:
recommend InstallShield? C'mon, pull the other leg!
How on earth could this be?

I have used installshield, when it was 6.0 version 4 years ago, i believe,
it was rock solid then and the c++ like scripting language which comes with installshield gave all the customization you needed.

Omit Needless Words - Strunk, William, Jr.

Vista? Soapbox Videogadget here

Re: You've got to be kidding?

Anna-Jayne Metcalfe7-Mar-07 21:06

Anna-Jayne Metcalfe

7-Mar-07 21:06

It's got far, far worse than then. Every company I've encountered has had major hassles with it.

Anna

Linting the day away Cool | :cool:

Anna's Place | Tears and Laughter

"If mushy peas are the food of the devil, the stotty cake is the frisbee of God"

Re: You've got to be kidding?

Raj Lal8-Mar-07 7:02

Raj Lal

8-Mar-07 7:02

Seems true

I have seen other products like that whose new versions are worse than the original ones
I wonder how difficult it would be, to reduce the quality of an existing product

Omit Needless Words - Strunk, William, Jr.

Vista? Soapbox Videogadget here

Re: You've got to be kidding?

peterchen7-Mar-07 23:34

peterchen

7-Mar-07 23:34

Quartz... wrote:
c++ like scripting language

Arrr.... let me just say: memories tend to make things look better after a while.

Declaration of a method:
prototype LaunchAppAndReallyWait(STRING, STRING, STRING, STRING);

No, you cannot have parameter names here.

Implementation of a method:
function LaunchAppAndReallyWait(app, param, msg, error)

No, you cannot have the types here.

So what people do is this:

<br />
prototype LaunchAppAndReallyWait(STRING /*app*/, STRING/*param*/, STRING /*msg*/, STRING /*error*/);<br />
function LaunchAppAndReallyWait(/*STRING*/ app, /*STRING*/ param, /*STRING*/ msg, /*STRING*/ error)<br />

What a productivity booster!

Re: You've got to be kidding?

Raj Lal8-Mar-07 6:59

Raj Lal

8-Mar-07 6:59

peterchen wrote:
let me just say: memories tend to make things look better after a while

what a wonderful way of saying it.

I think that time , it was better than the rest, it may have gone down i have to check the latest one
The ony other one which i used then was, the one which came with Visual Studio 6.0 which was very limited.

Well now you have ClickOnce and Orca what else you need

Omit Needless Words - Strunk, William, Jr.

Vista? Soapbox Videogadget here

Re: You've got to be kidding?

Anna-Jayne Metcalfe7-Mar-07 21:05

Anna-Jayne Metcalfe

7-Mar-07 21:05

I couldn't believe it either. Could it be a case of "never tried anything else" symdrome?

Anna

Linting the day away Cool | :cool:

Anna's Place | Tears and Laughter

"If mushy peas are the food of the devil, the stotty cake is the frisbee of God"

Re: You've got to be kidding?

Jim Crafton9-Mar-07 4:15

Jim Crafton

9-Mar-07 4:15

Possibly. I remember my personal experience with IS was so frustrating that I quickly started looking at alternatives. I just can't see how people would be happy with it. Happy enough to *recommend* it, no less!

Inno Setup

reach2dpg7-Mar-07 3:44

reach2dpg

7-Mar-07 3:44

Its free, light-weight, open-source installer and has lots of advanced features like changing registry entries. Installation passwords can also be set.

reach2dpg

Use Ctrl+Left/Right to switch messages, Ctrl+Up/Down to switch threads, Ctrl+Shift+Left/Right to switch pages.

Option	Votes	%
Ghost Installer	29	2.91
Inno Setup	223	22.39
InstallAware	20	2.01
InstallShield	361	36.24
Nullsoft Scriptable Install System	181	18.17
Setup Factory	29	2.91
Wise	74	7.43
Windows Installer XML (WiX)	112	11.24
Visual Studio	417	41.87
XCopy	143	14.36
Responses	996
Respondents were allowed to choose more than one answer; totals may not add up to 100%

Option	Votes	%
Ghost Installer	19	1.91
Inno Setup	176	17.67
InstallAware	12	1.20
InstallShield	255	25.60
Nullsoft Scriptable Install System	135	13.55
Setup Factory	16	1.61
Wise	52	5.22
Windows Installer XML (WiX)	74	7.43
Visual Studio	192	19.28
XCopy	65	6.53
Total	996	100%

Install creators: What do you use and what do you prefer? [Edit]