creating desktop shortcut during installation

[mzimmers]

Hi all -

I've been asked to modify my installer to create a desktop shortcut. I've done a little web searching, and the answer seems to lie in creating a javascript (or maybe two). The Qt Installer Framework Manual seems somewhat brief and incomplete, so I have a few questions:

• the docs refer to two kinds of scripts: controller scripting and component scripting. From the examples, it seems that I want to make a component script. Correct?
• also from the examples, the filename should be installscript.qs. Do I have to tell binarycreator to use this .qs? I don't see any hopeful options in the binarycreator help for this.
• I've seen examples use createOperations, and newOperation. Which is appropriate for my use?
• if I call console.log() from within my installscript, should I expect to see its output in the installationlog.txt file?

I'm sure I'll have some more questions, but this will get me started. Thanks...

[mzimmers]

BTT...anyone want to help? Thanks...

[J.Hilk]

hi @mzimmers

the InstallerFramework is not widely used, so help will be sparse :(

It is black magic for me too, but I can share my installerscript.qs that I use.

The script lives in the meta folder of the main packages and what it does is offers the user a checkbox to create a desktop icon

function Component()
{
    // constructor
    if (!systemInfo.productVersion.startsWith("7")){
        component.enabled = true;

        component.loaded.connect(this, Component.prototype.loaded);
    }else{
        component.enabled = false;
    }
}

Component.prototype.createOperations = function()
{
    try {
        // call the base create operations function
        component.createOperations();
    } catch (e) {
        console.log(e);
    }
	
    if (systemInfo.productType === "windows") {
            component.addOperation("CreateShortcut", "@TargetDir@/myApp.exe", "@StartMenuDir@/myApp.lnk",
        "workingDirectory=@TargetDir@");
            component.addOperation("CreateShortcut", "@TargetDir@/myApp.exe", "@HomeDir@/Desktop/myApp.lnk");
    }
}

inside the package.xml you'll have to add the script via

<Default>script</Default>

<Script>installscript.qs</Script>

I hope this helps!

[mzimmers]

@J-Hilk thanks for replying! This is very helpful. I think the main difference between yours and mine is the location -- I grabbed my script from an example that had it in the installer directory, not the meta sub-directory.

I notice, also that your OS check is:

    if (systemInfo.productType === "windows") {

whereas mine is:

        if (systemInfo.ProductType == "win") {

which I find odd, but since yours works, I'll go with the winner.

What does this line do?

    if (!systemInfo.productVersion.startsWith("7")){

Thanks again...

[J.Hilk]

@mzimmers said in creating desktop shortcut during installation:

if (!systemInfo.productVersion.startsWith("7")){

it checks if it's windows 7 or newer. I only support win 10 so I disable the component in the installer if I detect win7

[mzimmers]

@J-Hilk OK, thanks.

I borrowed from your script, moved mine to meta and rebuilt the installer -- no change. Am I possibly missing something like a binarycreator option to pick up scripts? Here's the line I use to create the installer:

C:\discovery_utility\installer>binarycreator.exe -c config\config.xml -p packages cd_discovery_installer.exe

EDIT: the installscript line was commented out in my package.xml file (no idea why). I removed the commenting, and got this at runtime:

Exception while loading the component script ":\\metadata\com.vendor.product\installscript.qs": Error: Function.prototype.connect: target is not a function on line number: 7

This is line 7:

        component.loaded.connect(this, Component.prototype.loaded);

But, this is definitely progress.

[J.Hilk]

@mzimmers mmh

I don't have more ideas.

Have you checked the short cut example in the docs ?

https://doc.qt.io/qtinstallerframework/qt-installer-framework-startmenu-example.html

[mzimmers]

Well, I got it to create the shortcut (unconditionally, but that's better than nothing). I just commented out that line 7 (above) and it worked.

I do wish someone with more knowledge would augment the docs on the installer, but I can close this out. Thanks for the help.