A DIY Installer Builder

• Build your own installer using Microsoft Visual Studio 2019
• The configuration of the installer is a JSON file

Script File

• setup-en-x86.json or setup-en-x64.json

{
  "product_name": "Setup Demo",
  "product_version": "1.0.0.1",
  "publisher": "Straight",
  "language": "en",
  "platform": "x86",
  "install_name": "%product_name%(%Language%%platform%)",
  "install_folder": "%SystemDrive%/%install_name%",
  "on_init": [
    {
      "type": "check_running",
      "target": "%install_folder%/wordpad.exe"
    },
    {
      "type": "check_running",
      "target": "%install_folder%/Uninstaller.exe"
    }
  ],
  "on_install": [
    {
      "type": "shortcut",
      "name": "%install_name%",
      "link": "%SystemDrive%/Users/Public/Desktop/%install_name%.lnk",
      "target": "%install_folder%/wordpad.exe",
      "icon": "%install_folder%/icon/Installer.ico",
      "startin": "%install_folder%"
    },
    {
      "type": "shortcut",
      "name": "%install_name%",
      "link": "%ProgramData%/Microsoft/Windows/Start Menu/Programs/%install_name%/%install_name%.lnk",
      "target": "%install_folder%/wordpad.exe",
      "icon": "%install_folder%/icon/Installer.ico",
      "startin": "%install_folder%"
    },
    {
      "type": "shortcut",
      "name": "Uninstall %install_name%",
      "link": "%ProgramData%/Microsoft/Windows/Start Menu/Programs/%install_name%/Uninstaller.lnk",
      "target": "%install_folder%/Uninstaller.exe",
      "icon": "%install_folder%/icon/Uninstaller.ico",
      "startin": "%install_folder%"
    },
    {
      "type": "regadd",
      "platform": "os",
      "parent": "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE",
      "key": "SOFTWARE/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Uninstall/%install_name%",
      "DisplayName": "%install_name%",
      "DisplayVersion": "%product_version%",
      "InstallLocation": "%install_folder%",
      "UninstallString": "%install_folder%/Uninstaller.exe",
      "DisplayIcon": "%install_folder%/Uninstaller.exe,0",
      "Publisher": "%publisher%"
    },
    {
      "type": "execute",
      "command": "%install_folder%/prerequisite/VC_redist_2019_x86.exe",
      "parameters": "",
	  "visible": "true"
    }
  ],
  "on_uninstall": [
    {
      "type": "execute",
      "command": "cmd.exe /c",
      "parameters": "del /Q '%SystemDrive%/Users/Public/Desktop/%install_name%.lnk'"
    },
    {
      "type": "execute",
      "command": "cmd.exe /c",
      "parameters": "del /Q '%ProgramData%/Microsoft/Windows/Start Menu/Programs/%install_name%/%install_name%.lnk'"
    },
    {
      "type": "execute",
      "command": "cmd.exe /c",
      "parameters": "del /Q '%ProgramData%/Microsoft/Windows/Start Menu/Programs/%install_name%/Uninstaller.lnk'"
    },
    {
      "type": "execute",
      "command": "cmd.exe /c",
      "parameters": "rmdir '%ProgramData%/Microsoft/Windows/Start Menu/Programs/%install_name%'"
    },
    {
      "type": "regdel",
      "platform": "os",
      "parent": "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE",
      "key": "SOFTWARE/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Uninstall/%install_name%"
    }
  ]
}

• Local variables in script files

  %product_name%               
  %product_version%
  %publisher%
  %language%                      // "en", "zh", ...
  %platform%                      // "x86" or "x64"
  %install_name%                  // for registry key
  %install_folder%                // default folder to install

• System variables in script files

  %systemdrive%                   // "C:", "D:", ...
  %systemroot%                    // %SystemDrive%\Windows\System32
  %windir%                        // %SystemDrive%\WINDOWS
  %programfiles%                  // %SystemDrive%\Program Files
  %programfiles(x86)%             // %SystemDrive%\Program Files (x86)
  %programdata%                   // %SystemDrive%\ProgramData

Batch File to Build the Installer

• build-setup-en-x86.bat or build-setup-en-x64.bat
• Installer is a x86 program even though your application is x64
• The idea is:
  • Copy everything what you want to install to the folder specified by INSTALL_SOURCE;
  • Copy the script file (.json) to the project folder of both Installer and Uninstaller;
  • Build Uninstaller and copy it to the folder specified by INSTALL_SOURCE;
  • Built the Installer as a compressing tool;
  • Using the above tool to compress the whole folder specified by INSTALL_SOURCE;
  • Copy the zip file to the Installer project folder as an embedded resource;
  • Re-build the Installer to get the final setup program.

REM set path of MSBuild.exe
REM SET MSBUILD="%programfiles(x86)%\Microsoft Visual Studio\2019\Community\MSBuild\Current\Bin\MSBuild.exe"
SET MSBUILD="D:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2019\Community\MSBuild\Current\Bin\MSBuild.exe"

REM set path of install source
SET COMPILE_SOURCE="C:\Program Files\Windows NT\Accessories"
SET INSTALL_SOURCE=.\setup-image\enx86
%systemroot%\System32\xcopy %COMPILE_SOURCE% %INSTALL_SOURCE%\ /s /e /h /y

copy /y /b .\setup-en-x86.json .\Installer\setup.json
copy /y /b .\setup-en-x86.json .\Uninstaller\setup.json

REM build library zlib.lib
%MSBUILD% .\zlib\zlib.vcxproj /t:Rebuild /p:Configuration=Release /p:Platform=x86
copy /y /b .\zlib\Release\zlib.lib .\Release\zlib.lib

REM build Uninstaller.exe
%MSBUILD% .\UnInstaller\UnInstaller.vcxproj /t:Rebuild /p:Configuration=Release /p:Platform=x86
REM copy Uninstaller.exe as an install source file
copy /y /b .\UnInstaller\Release\UnInstaller.exe %INSTALL_SOURCE%\UnInstaller.exe

REM build Installer.exe first to generate a compressor tool
%MSBUILD% .\Installer\Installer.vcxproj /t:Rebuild /p:Configuration=Release /p:Platform=x86

REM Installer.exe works like a compressor to pack install source folder to setup.zip 
REM setup.zip will be embedded as resource in the Installer project
.\Installer\Release\Installer.exe %INSTALL_SOURCE% .\Installer\setup.zip

REM rebuild Installer.exe again with the new setup.zip
%MSBUILD% .\Installer\Installer.vcxproj /t:Rebuild /p:Configuration=Release /p:Platform=x86

copy /y /b .\Installer\Release\Installer.exe .\setup-en-x86.exe

pause