Deploying applications, components, and supporting files
Regardless of the type of application you are deploying, you must
include any supporting files such as dynamic libraries, resources like BMP
and ICO files, online Help files, and initialization files. Each
application type requires a different set of supporting files. The
PowerBuilder runtime files, such as pbvm170.dll and pbdwe170.dll, and
PowerBuilder database interfaces such as pbsnc170.dll and pbo10170.dll,
can be freely distributed with your application with no licensing
fee.
Planning for deployment
Packaging an Application for
Deployment helps you make decisions about deploying a PowerBuilder
executable application, such as whether to use dynamic libraries, Pcode or
machine code, and resource files. It also provides a checklist to make
sure you install all the required pieces.
If you are deploying a Web application or a transaction server
component, you will find the information about PowerBuilder dynamic
libraries (PBDs) and PowerBuilder resource files (PBRs) in that chapter
helpful. You should also read the documentation for specific types of
applications, components, or plug-ins.
Finding information in this
chapter
This chapter is intended to help you write installation programs
using a third-party software package that creates installation
configurations. It tells you which files each computer needs, where you
can find the files, where they should be installed, and what registry
settings need to be made. PowerBuilder also provides a tool, described in
PowerBuilder Runtime
Packager, to help you package the files your application
needs.
Use the following table to locate information about the specific
files you need to deploy with your application.
|
Scenario |
See these sections |
|---|---|
|
All PowerBuilder client applications |
|
|
PowerBuilder client application accessing data on a |
|
|
PowerBuilder clients for EJBs, SOAP Web services, and |
|
|
PowerBuilder clients that save data in PDF or XSL-FO |
Installed and deployment
paths
The Installed path listed after some of the tables in this chapter
is the location where files are installed when you install PowerBuilder
and select the default installation location. When you build an
installation program for your application, you can copy files from this
location to your staging area.
The Deployment path tells you where these files can be installed on
the computer on which you install your application or component.
App Path registry
key
Some tables are followed by a list of the Registry entries your
installation program needs to make so that your application or component
can find the files it needs. When an application runs on Windows, it looks
for supporting files in these locations and in this order:
-
The directory where the executable file is installed.
-
The Windows system and Windows directories (for example, in
C:WINDOWSsystem32, C:WINDOWSsystem, and C:WINDOWS). -
In an application path that can be specified in the
registry. -
In the system path.
You do not need to specify an application path, but it is
recommended.
Specifying an application
path
To specify the path the application uses to locate supporting files,
your installation program should create an App Path key for your
application in this registry location:
|
1 |
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionApp Paths |
Set the data value of the (Default) string value to the directory
where the application is installed and create a new string value called
Path that specifies the location of shared files. The following example
shows a typical registry entry for an application called myapp.exe that
uses SQL Anywhere. The registry key is enclosed in square brackets and is
followed by string values for the key in the format “Name”=”Value”:
|
1 2 3 |
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionApp Pathsmyapp.exe] "Default"="C:Program Filesmyappsmyapp.exe" "Path"="C:Program Filesmyapps;C:Program FilesAppeonSharedPowerBuilder;C:Program FilesSQL Anywhere 16Bin32;" |
About REG files
Registry update files that have a .REG extension can be used to
import information into the registry. The format used in registry key
examples in this chapter is similar to the format used in registry
update files, but these examples are not intended to be used as update
files. The path names in data value strings in registry update files
typically use a pair of backslashes instead of a single backslash, and
the “Default” string value is represented by the at sign (@).
Use the examples to help determine which registry keys your
installation program should add or update.
Deploying ActiveX
controls
If your application uses ActiveX controls, OLE controls, or OCX
controls, you must:
-
Deploy the control files with your application
-
Make sure each control is registered
-
Make sure required files are in the target computer’s system
directory
If your application uses a control that is not self registering,
your setup program needs to register it manually on each user’s computer.
To find out whether a control is self registering, see the documentation
provided with the control. Depending on the development and deployment
platforms and the controls you are deploying, you might need to copy
additional DLLs or license files to the Windows system directories on the
target computer.