To change the contents of an INI file within the PackDesigner Visual Designer mode:
1.Users have to browse the packaging projects directory tree, select the parent folder, and load the list of INI files inside that folder to the directory content display area. From the list of INI files:
•Left-click a file to load its contents into the file content area on the right-hand side of the INI files view, and use the Edit the INI file... button above the actual file content listing
•Left-click a file and hit Alt + Enter on the keyboard
•Right-click a file and select Properties from the context menu
2.Either way, the INI file properties dialog is displayed, showing the listing of sections with their subordinated key / value pairs.
To change the INI file contents, users can either manually edit the current content, or replace it with new content loaded from an external INI file resource.
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Note: Inside RayPack packaging projects, INI file contents are not stored in a single file, but as several rows within an Installer database table. RayPack applies MSI standard rules on INI file contents, which may very likely not be meet by the original content structure of an imported INI file. Therefore, it is a symptom of auto-correction and auto-validation, that the displayed content of an INI file after its import into RayPack is different from the content of the original file. The same re-organisation is applied when changes to an INI file are saved, which may lead to differences in the displayed content structure between two editing sessions. However, these variations exist due to the appliance of MSI standard rule sets. |
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Tip: If the structure of the INI file content is of vital importance for the target application, which may be the case for older applications, it is recommended to upload the original INI file resource as a standard file resource via files and folders, and simply manage the required changes and dynamics via the INI file control mechanisms. |
Loading Content From an External INI File
1.Loading new content from an external source is initiated by using the Load... button from the lower left corner of the INI FILE PROPERTIES dialog.
2.A windows system browser is displayed, allowing users to browse for INI files.
3.As soon as the desired source file is opened, RayPack imports the content.
Invalid lines, such as comments, are automatically removed whilst the import is executed. If the newly imported content is deemed to be invalid, a warning is shown below the content listing box as soon as the import is done.
Auto-validation and Auto-correction for INI File Contents
No matter how the content got into the INI FILE PROPERTIES content input field, users may try to save the newly defined content by either hitting the OK or the Apply button at the lower right corner of the INI FILE PROPERTIES dialog. Please note that using Apply attempts to save the changes and keep the current dialog open, whilst OK closes the dialog after successful saving.
On save, RayPack analyzes the content and marks lines that cannot be parsed as valid INI file content for packaging projects. Error messages regarding invalid content are displayed below the content editor area.
The auto-correction feature removes comments and not required empty lines from INI file content. Additionally, if a key is entered with an empty value, RayPack automatically translates the empty value into a placeholder ("[~]"), which is valid towards MSI standard requirements for INI file contents. if any auto-correction has been applied to the given content, RayPack shows a notification message when the OK or Apply button is used. Therefore, the dialog for content manipulation is not closed automatically if the save functionality could not be completed without errors or auto-corrections.
As long as there are invalid items present in the content area, the changes to the INI file content are not saved. Users have to either solve the named issues, or cancel the content edition in general.
Please note that hints regarding applied auto-correction measures are displayed as info boxes with yellow background. Any changes to the INI file content have been saved and the input containing the INI file content is updated to match the current state of the INI file according to the resembling content of the Installer database. Error messages are displayed with a red background color. If an error message is displayed, the changes could not be saved, and the database content is not updated yet.