I want to create a general framework for the installation. In that I want 1) XML OR ini file - contains the list of features, components, files 2) installshield Merge module or master setup 3) script which read that file and add the features or components or files to ism The ieda is that development team will update the XML and then the packaging engineer will run the script to add that data (fetures\components\files i.e. binaris\selfreg etc.)in package.
Is it possible? If anyone implemented this, please let me know how to do that.
You can write a program that parses an INI or XML file and then uses the InstallShield automation interface to add components and file links to the project. There's a related sample script in your InstallShield distribution in Samples\WindowsInstaller\Automation Interface Files\Add Files and Components.
You can use dynamic file linking in the InstallShield project, instructing developers to place required files somewhere the build process can find them. (Dynamic file linking requires some care for future minor upgrades and patches, but it's an option.)
You can use InstallShield Collaboration, which can be added to Visual Studio as a plugin, where developers can specify files in a DIM, which you then plug in to your InstallShield project. The help library has more information.
