InstallShield 2013 LE set installation directory to Program Files (x86) or Program Files based on MSBuild Platform

1
votes

We are developing an InstallShield 2013 LE installer using Visual Studio 2013 Ultimate.

We are already familiar with manual modifications of the .isl file and .isproj file. We know how to do property and path variable overrides from the .isproj file, as well as analyze the Directory, File, PathVariable, and other tables in the .isl file.

In InstallShield 2013 LE, you can choose to install to "Program Files (x86)" or "Program Files" in the Files view of the ISLE editor before build time. The problem we are facing is as follows: we need to make the choice between installing to "Program Files (x86)" and "Program Files" at build time. if the MSBuild Platform property is x86, we need to install to "Program Files (x86)". If the MSBuild Platform property is x64, we need to install to "Program Files".

Can this be done? Are we missing something obvious? This seems like something that should be standard in a basic installer.

We are currently playing around with using property override to override a custom made CustomProgramFilesFolder property.

So far we haven't gotten this to work...not sure what we are doing wrong.

1
msbuildinstallshield

1 Answers

0
votes

InstallShield LE (Limited Edition) is the "free" version of InstallShield that is very limited. The type of things you are talking about are available in InstallShield Professional where you have access to such things as Product Configurations and the Automation Interface.

Another possibility is to factor all of your component authoring out into merge modules using Windows Installer XML and keep your InstallShield LE projects as very thin veneers with 1 .ISE wired as 32bit and 1 .ISE wired as 64bit. Or just go all WiX.

But you really are trying to use a pocket knife as a chainsaw.