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.