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Tip 14:  Check out these setup building tools

(modified: 13 Jan 2001)

Tip 15:  Innosetup, the freeware Setup builder!

(modified: 13 Jan 2001)

Date added/modified: 13 Jan 2001

Please check out the following setup related tools. I, myself, haven't used them as I came to know of them only recently, as part of the feedback on these tips pages.

• Youseful Installation Components

  If you were to write your own Delphi setup program, you will find components here to help you. Even a component to install BDE is present. I was under the impression that I must use only an Inprise certified install programs for BDE which limits the choice to InstallShield only. But, as Bill White of Youseful Installation Components points out, they (Inprise) no longer have that restriction. It was there only for Delphi 2. If that's true, it's a good news indeed! It's always good to have more choices in a product line, both in price and support costs. But, don't take my word for it. Please check up the BDE installation issue directly with Inprise if you are not sure.

• Richey's INF-Tool

  If you don't want to write your Setup tool in Delphi but want a compact setup creator, you might check out this tool. However, I didn't find a mention of BDE installation issues on this page. Still, it seems to be a good bargain for distributing your non-database programs in a compact setup file.

Date added/modified: 13 Jan 2001

Yes, amazing but true! This is a high quality FREEWARE script-based product, and I have used it to build Setups for some programs for which my own code didn't have enough features. The only thing it doesn't support is installing BDE and other such database specific stuff.

Before you go to download it, let me mention that I liked it so much that I asked its developer, Jordan Russell, why he doesn't make it a shareware as I would like to pay for it. I am sure many other developers wrote similar messages to Jordan. Hence, he is now accepting donations for Innosetup to support its future development. So, if you like this software and use it in commercial applications, like I did, it would be a nice idea to give donations. The product will become better and better as Jordan has already proved by his timely updates. As soon as he gets to know of a bug, he tries to update it ASAP.

Check it out at Jordan Russell's web site at:

http://www.jrsoftware.org/

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