Understanding XML Documents - A Comprehensive Guide

Table of Contents

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XML Files Page

The XML File functionality allows you to achieve the following installation tasks:

Create an XML file from scratch.
Update an existing XML file on the target machine.
Dynamically alter the contents of an XML file, part of your installation package.
Create, update XML elements at run-time.
Remove XML elements at uninstall.
Create, update, remove XML attributes at install, uninstall or both.
Use Windows Installer formatted references (properties, files, folders) in element text and attribute value. This will allow you to have run-time configurable entries in the XML file.
Configurable installation error policy.
Support for UTF-8, UTF-16, ASCII and ISO-8859-1 (Latin-1) encodings.
Support for XML element and attribute localization .

The XML file updates feature works on all Windows platforms, starting from Windows 95, and has no additional third party software/library dependencies.

The XML file support can be used for configuring XML files that are part of the installation package or that are already present on the target system. This feature is very useful if you are deploying an application which requires user specific information, like username or password. The information must be collected during install and must be store in the same XML file installed by the package. Another case scenario is when an application is upgraded and one or more XML files must be updated as well, without the need to delete and copy their newer version.

Update files that are part of the installation package

In this case you have an XML file that you want to install and then update it, all done in the same install package. This is possible because a regular XML file is installed on the target machine before the XML changes are applied. In order to achieve this behaviour, first add the XML file as a “regular file”. Then, simply add the same XML file in the Windows Installer format and by using the XML Editor modify the elements that you want to create, update or remove.

Update files that are present on the target machine

In this case the XML file is present on the target machine. Simply add the XML file to the Advanced Installer project using the_Windows Installer_ format. Then use the XML Editor editor to modify the elements that you want to update. An XML element can be created if not present, updated if already present, or deleted if it exists. It is not necessary to keep in the imported XML file all the elements that won’t be updated.

When the XML Files are used to configure a file from the installation package, use the “New XML File” option to create a new XML update with the same name and installation directory.

Click here

Creating new XML Files

Use the [New XML File ] toolbar button or the “New XML File” tree/list context menu item.

Editing an existing XML File

Use the[Properties… ] toolbar button, the “Properties…” list context menu item, press theEnter key while an XML file is selected in the “Files” panel or double click on an XML file.

XML files can be renamed, moved or removed just like regular Files .

Testing an XML File Operation

It is possible to test a previously defined XML File operation.

Topics

Edit XML Dialog
Edit XML file settings
XML Diff
External Diff for XML files

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Understanding XML Documents - A Comprehensive Guide