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Notes about NSIS (used by Joost's and Uwe's installers)
- Install NSIS, start at http://nsis.sourceforge.net/Main_Page
and follow the instructions of the ReadmePackage.txt
- NSIS' manual is installed together with NSIS, have a look at
its start menu entry.
1. Miscellanous notes and questions regarding NSIS
1.1 Difference between $XXX and ${XXX}
${XXX} inserts a compile-time definition (constant).
$XXX is a variable.
What's the difference between using ${FALSE} and $FALSE if 'FALSE' had been a variable?
Joost: These two are totally different: ${FALSE} is a compile-time definition, $FALSE is a run-time variable
1.2 What does ${StrStr} do?
What does ${StrStr} do?
Joost: It includes the StrStr function from the StrFunc header file.
Chr: I'm guessing it's from "StrFunc.nsh"?
1.3 Name of macros and functions?
Is it ok to have a macro with the same name as a function?
Yes.
1.4 Placement of macros and functions
More of a general question. Why not place the code of a function/macro pair next to each other?
Joost: Macros should be above the code that uses it (works on compile-time). Functions can be anywhere. But here it is possible to move it.
1.5 Continuing a string definition across a line
Example of breaking a string across a line:
;Debug info
!insertmacro MUI_HEADER_TEXT "Debugging LyX" "The events you have chosen \
are being logged."
Who is the line continuation treated here? What happens with the extra whie tspace?
Joost: I think the whitespace before the second line is ignored.
1.6 Variables
2. Notes about some specific NSIS instructions
2.1 Exch
It's really not that complicated.
exch - exchanges the two top elements on the stack with each other
exch $var - exchanges the content of $var with whatever is at the top of the stack.
exch <n> - exchanges the top element of the stack with then <n>+1:th element
of the stack, i.e. exch 1 does the same as exch.
2.2 The command SetDetailsPrint
SetDetailsPrint textonly
DetailPrint "Debug log:"
SetDetailsPrint listonly
These three commands sets aspects of the log window (textonly, listonly), and prefaces the log text with "Debug log:".
2.3 Label and statemen on the same line?
Is it possible to write a label and a statement on the same line? e.g. no_debug: Quit?
Joost: No.
2.4 Command line parameters
From the code:
!insertmacro GetParameters
;Command line parameters
Call GetParameters
Pop $Parameters
(maybe something more is needed to do the above?)
Q27. Will $Parameters be a single string with the entire command line? (No arrays I guess?)
Joost: Yes.
2.5 Calling Windows API
;Keep the log window outside the screen to ensure that there
;will be no flickering
Push "user32::SetWindowPos(i $HWNDPARENT, i 0, i -32000, i -32000, \
i 0, i 0, i ${SWP_NOSIZE})"
CallInstDLL "$EXEDIR\System.dll" Call
In the code above, with stuff like "i 0", the 'i' means integer. So it's an integer with the value 0.
Does NSIS parse the string during execution and invoke the function (System.dll) with the proper arguments?
Joost: Yes.
Category: Development, Windows, Windows Installer, NSIS
