progoth
11th November 2004 16:52 UTC

Dynamic InstallDirRegKey
  I really can't figure this out, and it seems like it would be a simple straightforward thing...

I want to set the InstallDir dynamically, or something achieving that effect, but I can't figure out how to do it. If the program's never been installed, I want to read a different key and make that the default install directory...if it doesn't exist then I have a default place to put it. However, once PRODUCT_DIR_REGKEY has been set, I want all future installs to use that and not go through looking for the other key.

I thought the solution for this would be to create PRODUCT_DIR_REGKEY if it doesn't already exist in .onInit. However, apparently that key is read before .onInit is called, because it has no effect unless I quit the installer and run it again.

I hope I've made sense, I can clarify as needed.

Thanks

Afrow UK
11th November 2004 17:42 UTC

Rather than using InstallDirRegKey just do it all using Read/WriteRegStr

InstallDir "C:\myapp"

Function .onInit
 Push $R0
 ReadRegStr $R0 HKCU "Software\myapp1" "InstallDir"
  StrCmp $R0 "" 0 +3
 ReadRegStr $R0 HKCU "Software\myapp2" "Blah"
  StrCmp $R0 "" +2
  StrCpy $INSTDIR $R0
 Pop $R0
FunctionEnd

progoth
11th November 2004 17:52 UTC

Sorry, I didn't really mention that what I'm trying to do is set the default install location that is presented to the user during the install. I can't figure out how to do it dynamically at install time. As far as I know you can't change InstallDir or InstallDirRegKey at install time, so the only way I can think of to change the default install location is by changing the value of the key at PRODUCT_DIR_REGKEY. But that doesn't work, as the value is read BEFORE .onInit.

Dyflmez
24th January 2005 18:51 UTC

Ok. Why is it so hard to set the Install Dir?
Evey other install program out there can do it, so why can't NSIS?

This is my code, I keep getting the same error :

Usage: ReadRegStr $(user_var: output) rootkey subkey entry
root_key=(HKCR|HKLM|HKCU|HKU|HKCC|HKDD|HKPD)
Error in script "D:\Install Files\Essensuals\NSIS\WorkDir\DC_Map.nsi" on line 54 -- aborting creation process

Name "${PRODUCT_NAME} ${PRODUCT_VERSION}"

>OutFile "DCMap.exe"

>InstallDir "$InstalDir\\Mods\\DC_Final\\Archives\\BF1942\\levels"

>ShowInstDetails show

ShowUnInstDetails show



>Function .onInit

 !insertmacro MUI_LANGDLL_DISPLAY

  ReadRegStr $InstalDir HKLM "SOFTWARE\\EA GAMES\\Battlefield 1942" "GAMEDIR"

 StrCpy $INSTDIR "$InstalDir\\Mods\\DC_Final\\Archives\\BF1942\\levels"

>FunctionEnd 

>

Dkom
24th January 2005 19:52 UTC

Try this code

!define GAME_KEY "SOFTWARE\EA GAMES\Battlefield 1942"
Name "${PRODUCT_NAME} ${PRODUCT_VERSION}" 
OutFile "DCMap.exe" 
InstallDir "C:\\Games (or other default dir)\Mods\DC_Final\Archives\BF1942\levels" 
ShowInstDetails show 
ShowUnInstDetails show 

Function .onInit 
  !insertmacro MUI_LANGDLL_DISPLAY 
ClearErrors
  ReadRegStr $0 HKLM "${GAME_KEY}" "GAMEDIR" 
IfErrors +2
  StrCpy $INSTDIR "$0\Mods\DC_Final\Archives\BF1942\levels" 
FunctionEnd

Afrow UK
24th January 2005 21:01 UTC

Your code doesn't work because you are using an undefined variable: $InstalDir
You should use a ready-defined variable like $R0.

-Stu

Dkom
25th January 2005 16:17 UTC

2 Afrow UK (your post from 11-11-2004):

But if $R0 ends with exe name, how to trim last part of string until \.
For example if I read ReadRegStr $R0 HKCU "Software\myapp1" "InstallDir" - I get C:\SomeDir\SomeProg.exe
And when I read ReadRegStr $R0 HKCU "Software\myapp2" "Blah"
I get C:\AnotherDir\AnotherProg.exe
I don't now number of letters, so I can't use "StrCpy
user_var(destination) str [maxlen] [start_offset]"
How to convert this variables to C:\SomeDir\ and C:\AnotherDir\ ?

Dyflmez
25th January 2005 20:31 UTC

Dkom thanks man that worked.

superwan
25th January 2005 21:42 UTC

okay, I'm gonna try it for me...
that's what I too wanted to do...

but if somebody could explain why the installdirregkey does not change my instdir... :D

I'm sure I'm somewhere wrong, but don't know where...

Afrow UK
26th January 2005 10:59 UTC

Originally posted by Dkom
2 Afrow UK (your post from 11-11-2004):

But if $R0 ends with exe name, how to trim last part of string until \.
For example if I read ReadRegStr $R0 HKCU "Software\myapp1" "InstallDir" - I get C:\SomeDir\SomeProg.exe
And when I read ReadRegStr $R0 HKCU "Software\myapp2" "Blah"
I get C:\AnotherDir\AnotherProg.exe
I don't now number of letters, so I can't use "StrCpy
user_var(destination) str [maxlen] [start_offset]"
How to convert this variables to C:\SomeDir\ and C:\AnotherDir\ ?