DataBlade Developers Kit User's Guide Using BladePack

To package your DataBlade module, you add content to a BladePack project, assign components, customize the installation procedure, and build the package.

Important: You cannot use all BladePack options when you create an installation package for UNIX. You can only use the options mentioned in this section.

For information on packaging DataBlade modules for InstallShield 3.1, see Packaging for InstallShield 3.1 Installations. For information on packaging DataBlade modules for InstallShield 5.1, see Packaging for InstallShield 5.1 Installations.

1. Open a project file in one of the following ways:
• To open the project.prd file for a project created with BladeSmith, choose Project Open or launch BladePack from the BladeSmith Tools menu while the project is open.
• For other projects, BladePack, choose Project New to create a new BladePack project.
2. Define the content of your product, including files, directories, and registry changes.
3. Define and assign installation components.
4. Define optional customizations.
5. Build the installation package.
6. Transfer files from the build area to installation media.

You can add these objects to your product in BladePack:

• Files and directories to install

For a DataBlade module, the minimum you need is the project.bld or project.jar file and the SQL script files. These files are automatically added to the Files to Install folder when you open a project.prd file.

In addition, consider adding documentation, help, applications, and other files to support your DataBlade module.

• Files and directories to delete

If you are packaging an upgrade, you might need to specify files or directories to delete in the old installation.

1. Choose Edit Insert object, where object is File to Install, File to Delete, Directory to Install, or Directory to Delete.

The object appears on the Files/Directories page.

2. Specify the properties of the object on the Details and other pages in the item view.

The following sections describe the properties of the objects on the Files/Directories page.

The following table lists properties you define when you add files and directories to install or delete.

If you have files that are operating-system-specific, put them in a directory structure that is the same except for one directory, which is named for the operating system. When you add the file to your BladePack project, replace the directory named for the operating system with %OS%.

For example, if you compile your C or C++ DataBlade module on Sun Solaris and Windows NT, you have two project.bld files, one in each of these directories:

• project/src/c/Solaris-sparc
• project\src\c\WinNT-i386

Add the project/src/c/Solaris-sparc/project.bld file to the Files to Install folder and then replace Solaris-sparc with %OS%. When you build the BladePack project for Sun Solaris and Windows NT, BladePack adds the appropriate project.bld file to each project.

For a Java DataBlade module, you have only one version of the project.jar file, which is in the project/src/java directory.

For UNIX, the only option in the list for the Directory on target machine field is __home. This is the directory the installer chooses during the installation process. By default this directory is $INFORMIXDIR.

For the DataBlade module files (project.bld or project.jar and the SQL scripts), you should specify the extend/project directory as the target directory under the $INFORMIXDIR directory.

BladePack allows you to organize your product installation package into three layers: component, subcomponent, and shared component. To see the component hierarchy for your product, click the Components tab in the project view.

Organizing an installation package into a component structure allows you to define Typical, Compact, and Custom installations. You specify whether each component or subcomponent is included in the Typical and Compact installations, and whether it is initially selected when users choose the Custom installation.

Use a shared component for those portions of your product that are shared by more than one component. A shared component is always installed with the subcomponent with which it is associated.

During a Custom installation, users can choose to install any components or subcomponents. When you mark a component Custom, the component is initially selected. The user can choose to include or exclude any components, except shared components, from the installation.

In most cases, the component level is sufficient to create Typical, Compact, and Custom installation options. For example, suppose you have created the following components (and no subcomponents) in your installation package and marked them as shown:

• DataBlade module. Typical, Compact, Custom.
• Help. Typical.
• Examples. Typical.
• Debugging Support. Custom.

In this scheme, users install the DataBlade module, help files, and examples if they choose the Typical installation. If they choose the Compact installation, they install the DataBlade module only. If they choose the Custom installation, the DataBlade module and debugging support are preselected. They can choose to add help and examples.

1. Choose Edit Insert Component.
2. Complete the properties on the Component Details page in the item view.

1. Select the component to which you want the subcomponent to be subordinate.
2. Choose Edit Insert Subcomponent.
3. Complete the properties on the Component Details page in the item view.

1. Select the subcomponent to which you want the shared component to be subordinate.
2. Choose Edit Insert Shared Component.
3. With the shared component still selected, choose Edit Copy.
4. Select another component to which you want to add the shared component.
5. Choose Edit Paste.

The following table lists the properties of components and subcomponents you define when you create them.

Shared components have one property: an identifier that is assigned by BladePack. You can edit the identifier; it can be an alphanumeric string up to 128 characters. Make sure it is unique among shared components. If you change an identifier, be sure to update it for every instance of that shared component.

You must assign every item on the Files/Directories and Customization pages to a component, subcomponent, or shared component. If you try to build the project with unassigned items, the build fails and you receive an error message telling you which item is not assigned to a component.

Initially, all files and directories that appear on the Files/Directories page are listed under the Unassigned Files and Directories folder on the Components page. Custom extensions are not shown on the Components page.

To assign an item to a component, use one of these methods:

• On the Components page, drag an item out of the Unassigned Files and Directories folder into the folder of the correct component. This process is not valid for custom extensions.
• On the Details page for the item in the item view, select a component from the Install when customer selects this component list. You must have already defined the component.

Custom extensions for the installation program are optional. Your customization options depend on your operating system.

For UNIX installation packages, you can add custom programs to call from the installation program and README files.

In addition to adding the custom programs in their respective folders, you must also add the file containing the custom extension to the Support Files folder. However, if you have more than one program in a file, you need only add that file to the Support Files folder once.

1. Choose Edit Insert Custom Program.
2. Complete the Details page in the item view.
3. Choose Edit Insert Support File.
4. Type the path and filename of the file containing the custom routine, dialog box, or program or click Browse to select the file from the Open dialog box.

The following table lists the properties of custom programs you specify when you add them to your installation project.

1. Choose Edit Insert Readme File.
2. Type the path and filename or click Browse to select the file from the Open dialog box.

When the content and organization of your installation package are complete, build and test it.

To build, choose Build Build Installation. The Build Installation wizard is launched and prompts you for the following information:

• Installation type: interactive or file tree

See Installation Type, next, for more information.

• Platform for which to build the installation package

Choose one from the list. Build a separate package for every platform.

• The target directory in which to build the installation

This can be any directory. By default it is the project/install directory.

• List of BladePack project.prd files to include in the installation package

You can bundle more than one project in a single installation.

Warning: If the combined length of the path and filename of any file is longer than 255 characters, the build fails. This is due to a Windows limitation. To solve this problem, you can select a shorter staging directory.

BladePack creates a directory structure in the target directory and copies files into the tree. When you build an interactive installation for a UNIX platform, BladePack includes install and uninstall shell scripts.

When you build a file tree installation, BladePack creates the file tree specified in the project in the target directory. A file tree build is useful for debugging the BladePack project.

After you successfully build an interactive installation, the target directory contains the subdirectories described in the following table.

To ensure that customers can install DataBlade modules and other Informix products using common instructions, the product you distribute must conform to the Informix DataBlade module installation standard. BladePack creates an interactive installation that ensures a consistent user interface.

Important: If you create a UNIX .tar file, rename the cdrom directory to the name of your product before you copy the directory to media or the release area. For example, for the Circle DataBlade module, rename the cdrom directory to circle. (Do not include the version number in the directory name.)

Copy the renamed directory and its contents to the media or into the archive file. This makes it possible to distribute multiple products with their own installations on a CD-ROM or tape.

For example, to install the Circle DataBlade module from CD-ROM, the installer mounts the CD-ROM, changes to the circle subdirectory, and executes the install script.

To install the Circle DataBlade module from a file named circle3.6.tar, retrieved through a local network or the Internet, the installer extracts the file into a temporary directory, changes to the circle subdirectory, and executes install. When the installation has finished, the circle subdirectory can be removed.

Tip: BladePack does not compress .tar files. If you want to distribute your DataBlade module as a compressed file, you must compress it yourself.