Installer Class

Definition

Provides the foundation for custom installations.

public ref class Installer : System::ComponentModel::Component
public class Installer : System.ComponentModel.Component
type Installer = class
    inherit Component
Public Class Installer
Inherits Component
Inheritance
Derived

Examples

The following example demonstrates the use of the Installer class. It creates a class which inherits from Installer. When Commit is about to complete, Committing event occurs and a message is displayed. To use the Installer class, you must reference the System.Configuration.Install assembly in your project.

#using <System.dll>
#using <System.Configuration.Install.dll>

using namespace System;
using namespace System::Collections;
using namespace System::ComponentModel;
using namespace System::Configuration::Install;

// Set 'RunInstaller' attribute to true.

[RunInstaller(true)]
ref class MyInstallerClass: public Installer
{
private:

   // Event handler for 'Committing' event.
   void MyInstaller_Committing( Object^ sender, InstallEventArgs^ e )
   {
      Console::WriteLine( "" );
      Console::WriteLine( "Committing Event occurred." );
      Console::WriteLine( "" );
   }


   // Event handler for 'Committed' event.
   void MyInstaller_Committed( Object^ sender, InstallEventArgs^ e )
   {
      Console::WriteLine( "" );
      Console::WriteLine( "Committed Event occurred." );
      Console::WriteLine( "" );
   }


public:
   MyInstallerClass()
   {
      
      // Attach the 'Committed' event.
      this->Committed += gcnew InstallEventHandler( this, &MyInstallerClass::MyInstaller_Committed );
      
      // Attach the 'Committing' event.
      this->Committing += gcnew InstallEventHandler( this, &MyInstallerClass::MyInstaller_Committing );
   }


   // Override the 'Install' method.
   virtual void Install( IDictionary^ savedState ) override
   {
      Installer::Install( savedState );
   }


   // Override the 'Commit' method.
   virtual void Commit( IDictionary^ savedState ) override
   {
      Installer::Commit( savedState );
   }


   // Override the 'Rollback' method.
   virtual void Rollback( IDictionary^ savedState ) override
   {
      Installer::Rollback( savedState );
   }

};

int main()
{
   Console::WriteLine( "Usage : installutil.exe Installer.exe " );
}
using System;
using System.Collections;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Configuration.Install;

// Set 'RunInstaller' attribute to true.
[RunInstaller(true)]
public class MyInstallerClass: Installer
{
   public MyInstallerClass() :base()
   {
      // Attach the 'Committed' event.
      this.Committed += new InstallEventHandler(MyInstaller_Committed);
      // Attach the 'Committing' event.
      this.Committing += new InstallEventHandler(MyInstaller_Committing);
   }
   // Event handler for 'Committing' event.
   private void MyInstaller_Committing(object sender, InstallEventArgs e)
   {
      Console.WriteLine("");
      Console.WriteLine("Committing Event occurred.");
      Console.WriteLine("");
   }
   // Event handler for 'Committed' event.
   private void MyInstaller_Committed(object sender, InstallEventArgs e)
   {
      Console.WriteLine("");
      Console.WriteLine("Committed Event occurred.");
      Console.WriteLine("");
   }
   // Override the 'Install' method.
   public override void Install(IDictionary savedState)
   {
      base.Install(savedState);
   }
   // Override the 'Commit' method.
   public override void Commit(IDictionary savedState)
   {
      base.Commit(savedState);
   }
   // Override the 'Rollback' method.
   public override void Rollback(IDictionary savedState)
   {
      base.Rollback(savedState);
   }
   public static void Main()
   {
      Console.WriteLine("Usage : installutil.exe Installer.exe ");
   }
}
Imports System.Collections
Imports System.ComponentModel
Imports System.Configuration.Install

' Set 'RunInstaller' attribute to true.
<RunInstaller(True)> _
Public Class MyInstallerClass
   Inherits Installer

   Public Sub New()
       MyBase.New()
      ' Attach the 'Committed' event.
      AddHandler Me.Committed, AddressOf MyInstaller_Committed
      ' Attach the 'Committing' event.
      AddHandler Me.Committing, AddressOf MyInstaller_Committing
   End Sub

   ' Event handler for 'Committing' event.
   Private Sub MyInstaller_Committing(ByVal sender As Object, _
                                      ByVal e As InstallEventArgs)
      Console.WriteLine("")
      Console.WriteLine("Committing Event occurred.")
      Console.WriteLine("")
   End Sub

   ' Event handler for 'Committed' event.
   Private Sub MyInstaller_Committed(ByVal sender As Object, _
                                     ByVal e As InstallEventArgs)
      Console.WriteLine("")
      Console.WriteLine("Committed Event occurred.")
      Console.WriteLine("")
   End Sub

   ' Override the 'Install' method.
   Public Overrides Sub Install(ByVal savedState As IDictionary)
      MyBase.Install(savedState)
   End Sub

   ' Override the 'Commit' method.
   Public Overrides Sub Commit(ByVal savedState As IDictionary)
      MyBase.Commit(savedState)
   End Sub

   ' Override the 'Rollback' method.
   Public Overrides Sub Rollback(ByVal savedState As IDictionary)
      MyBase.Rollback(savedState)
   End Sub
   Public Shared Sub Main()
      Console.WriteLine("Usage : installutil.exe Installer.exe ")
   End Sub
End Class

Remarks

This is the base class for all custom installers in the .NET Framework. Installers are components that help install applications on a computer.

There are several steps you must follow to use an Installer:

  • Inherit the Installer class.

  • Override the Install, Commit, Rollback, and Uninstall methods.

  • Add the RunInstallerAttribute to your derived class and set it to true.

  • Put your derived class in the assembly with your application to install.

  • Invoke the installers. For example, use the InstallUtil.exe to invoke the installers.

The Installers property contains a collection of installers. If this instance of Installer is part of an installer collection, the Parent property is set to the Installer instance that contains the collection. For an example of the use of the Installers collection, see the AssemblyInstaller class.

The Install, Commit, Rollback, and Uninstall methods of the Installer class go through the collection of installers stored in the Installers property, and invokes the corresponding method of each installer.

The Install, Commit, Rollback, and Uninstall methods are not always called on the same Installer instance. For example, one Installer instance might be used while installing and committing an application, and then the reference to that instance is released. Later, uninstalling the application creates a reference to a new Installer instance, meaning that the Uninstall method is called by a different instance of Installer. For this reason, in your derived class, do not save the state of a computer in an installer. Instead, use an IDictionary that is preserved across calls and passed into your Install, Commit, Rollback, and Uninstall methods.

Two situations illustrate the need to save information in the state-saver IDictionary. First, suppose that your installer sets a registry key. It should save the key's original value in the IDictionary. If the installation is rolled back, the original value can be restored. Second, suppose the installer replaces an existing file. Save the existing file in a temporary directory and the location of the new location of the file in the IDictionary. If the installation is rolled back, the newer file is deleted and replaced by the original from the temporary location.

The Installer.Context property contains information about the installation. For example, information about the location of the log file for the installation, the location of the file to save information required by the Uninstall method, and the command line that was entered when the installation executable was run.

Constructors

Installer()

Initializes a new instance of the Installer class.

Properties

CanRaiseEvents

Gets a value indicating whether the component can raise an event.

(Inherited from Component)
Container

Gets the IContainer that contains the Component.

(Inherited from Component)
Context

Gets or sets information about the current installation.

DesignMode

Gets a value that indicates whether the Component is currently in design mode.

(Inherited from Component)
Events

Gets the list of event handlers that are attached to this Component.

(Inherited from Component)
HelpText

Gets the help text for all the installers in the installer collection.

Installers

Gets the collection of installers that this installer contains.

Parent

Gets or sets the installer containing the collection that this installer belongs to.

Site

Gets or sets the ISite of the Component.

(Inherited from Component)

Methods

Commit(IDictionary)

When overridden in a derived class, completes the install transaction.

CreateObjRef(Type)

Creates an object that contains all the relevant information required to generate a proxy used to communicate with a remote object.

(Inherited from MarshalByRefObject)
Dispose()

Releases all resources used by the Component.

(Inherited from Component)
Dispose(Boolean)

Releases the unmanaged resources used by the Component and optionally releases the managed resources.

(Inherited from Component)
Equals(Object)

Determines whether the specified object is equal to the current object.

(Inherited from Object)
GetHashCode()

Serves as the default hash function.

(Inherited from Object)
GetLifetimeService()
Obsolete.

Retrieves the current lifetime service object that controls the lifetime policy for this instance.

(Inherited from MarshalByRefObject)
GetService(Type)

Returns an object that represents a service provided by the Component or by its Container.

(Inherited from Component)
GetType()

Gets the Type of the current instance.

(Inherited from Object)
InitializeLifetimeService()
Obsolete.

Obtains a lifetime service object to control the lifetime policy for this instance.

(Inherited from MarshalByRefObject)
Install(IDictionary)

When overridden in a derived class, performs the installation.

MemberwiseClone()

Creates a shallow copy of the current Object.

(Inherited from Object)
MemberwiseClone(Boolean)

Creates a shallow copy of the current MarshalByRefObject object.

(Inherited from MarshalByRefObject)
OnAfterInstall(IDictionary)

Raises the AfterInstall event.

OnAfterRollback(IDictionary)

Raises the AfterRollback event.

OnAfterUninstall(IDictionary)

Raises the AfterUninstall event.

OnBeforeInstall(IDictionary)

Raises the BeforeInstall event.

OnBeforeRollback(IDictionary)

Raises the BeforeRollback event.

OnBeforeUninstall(IDictionary)

Raises the BeforeUninstall event.

OnCommitted(IDictionary)

Raises the Committed event.

OnCommitting(IDictionary)

Raises the Committing event.

Rollback(IDictionary)

When overridden in a derived class, restores the pre-installation state of the computer.

ToString()

Returns a String containing the name of the Component, if any. This method should not be overridden.

(Inherited from Component)
Uninstall(IDictionary)

When overridden in a derived class, removes an installation.

Events

AfterInstall

Occurs after the Install(IDictionary) methods of all the installers in the Installers property have run.

AfterRollback

Occurs after the installations of all the installers in the Installers property are rolled back.

AfterUninstall

Occurs after all the installers in the Installers property perform their uninstallation operations.

BeforeInstall

Occurs before the Install(IDictionary) method of each installer in the installer collection has run.

BeforeRollback

Occurs before the installers in the Installers property are rolled back.

BeforeUninstall

Occurs before the installers in the Installers property perform their uninstall operations.

Committed

Occurs after all the installers in the Installers property have committed their installations.

Committing

Occurs before the installers in the Installers property commit their installations.

Disposed

Occurs when the component is disposed by a call to the Dispose() method.

(Inherited from Component)

Applies to

See also