tinytone
22nd September 2008 02:52 UTC

Passing variable name to File
I'm trying to pass a string to a function and have files added to the install package based on that string. For example,

Push "MyFileName.txt"
Call MyFunction

Function MyFunction

Exch $0  

File $0   ; Add the file named "MyFileName.txt" to the install package
...
Do some other things
...

FunctionEnd

The install build croaks on the "File $0" line saying that file $0 is not found. I'm assuming that File doesn't replace the $0 with the string that I passed through the stack.

Is there any way to get File to work in this fashion? Or, do I have to hardcode all of the filenames for File?

Thanks.
-Tony

Anders
22nd September 2008 03:02 UTC

um, functions are used at run time on the end users computer, how would you expect your file to get there?

macros run at compile time...

tinytone
22nd September 2008 03:50 UTC

Originally posted by Anders
um, functions are used at run time on the end users computer, how would you expect your file to get there?

macros run at compile time...

Ok, but the point still remains that the File command doesn't seem to allow variables to be passed.

For example, let's do it without a function.

Var MyFileName

StrCpy $MyFileName "MyFileName.txt"

File $MyFileName

Why can't something like this work?

-Tony

Anders
22nd September 2008 04:02 UTC

StrCpy is also runtime, the stuff starting with ! is compile time. File is special, its "both" runtime and compiletime

tinytone
22nd September 2008 04:12 UTC

Ok. The macro method worked for it. Thanks for the suggestion:

!macro MyMacro FILE_NAME

  File "${FILE_NAME}"   
  ...
Do other things
...
  
!macroend

then

   !insertmacro MyMacro "myfilename.txt"

-Tony