[Obsolete] Portable Application Template 2.3 released

@Rochey

I thought you might be interested to know that I found a bug in v3.2 of the NSIS registry plugin. It's exactly what you mentioned - the short name HKCU is saved as just that in the REG file instead of being expanded to HKEY_CURRENT_USER.

HKLM does not seem to be affected. Check the Winamp forums to download v3.1 which does not have this problem.

EDIT -

bug fixed in v3.3 available at winamp forums.

Found a bug in the 2.1 template (by accident).

The 'newadvsplash::wait' call is never made, so the plugin DLL is left in the temp directory after launcher exit (if a splash screen is used). Should probably add in the Clean function -

!ifdef SPLASHIMAGE
StrCmp "$SPLASHSCREEN" "enabled" 0 CleanEnd
newadvsplash::wait
!endif
CleanEnd:

The app I had the splash problem with (TextPad4) was compiled using Portable application template version 1.8, so I had to fit your example code in, AND NOW it works correctly!!

Thanks

New to using this template and making portable. I had previously used v2.0 for the one that I am trying to make a porta app, but with my software upgrade and using v2.1 I am receiving an error message.

Thank you for any help.

Error Message at end of compile:
---------------------------------------
MakeNSIS v2.30 - Copyright 1995-2007 Contributors
See the file COPYING for license details.
Credits can be found in the Users Manual.

Processing config:
Processing plugin dlls: "C:\Program Files\NSIS\Plugins\*.dll"
- AdvSplash::show
- Banner::destroy
- Banner::getWindow
- Banner::show
- BgImage::AddImage
- BgImage::AddText
- BgImage::Clear
- BgImage::Destroy
- BgImage::Redraw
- BgImage::SetBg
- BgImage::SetReturn
- BgImage::Sound
- Dialer::AttemptConnect
- Dialer::AutodialHangup
- Dialer::AutodialOnline
- Dialer::AutodialUnattended
- Dialer::GetConnectedState
- Dialogs::Author
- Dialogs::Folder
- Dialogs::InputBox
- Dialogs::InputRegCode
- Dialogs::Open
- Dialogs::Save
- Dialogs::Ver
- FindProcDLL::FindProc
- InstallOptions::dialog
- InstallOptions::initDialog
- InstallOptions::show
- LangDLL::LangDialog
- Math::Script
- NSISdl::download
- NSISdl::download_quiet
- Splash::show
- StartMenu::Init
- StartMenu::Select
- StartMenu::Show
- System::Alloc
- System::Call
- System::Copy
- System::Free
- System::Get
- System::Int64Op
- System::Store
- TypeLib::GetLibVersion
- TypeLib::Register
- TypeLib::UnRegister
- UserInfo::GetAccountType
- UserInfo::GetName
- UserInfo::GetOriginalAccountType
- VPatch::vpatchfile
- newadvsplash::hwnd
- newadvsplash::play
- newadvsplash::show
- newadvsplash::stop
- newadvsplash::wait
- nsDialogs::Create
- nsDialogs::CreateControl
- nsDialogs::CreateItem
- nsDialogs::GetUserData
- nsDialogs::OnBack
- nsDialogs::OnChange
- nsDialogs::OnClick
- nsDialogs::OnNotify
- nsDialogs::SelectFileDialog
- nsDialogs::SelectFolderDialog
- nsDialogs::SetRTL
- nsDialogs::SetUserData
- nsDialogs::Show
- nsExec::Exec
- nsExec::ExecToLog
- nsExec::ExecToStack
- registry::_Close
- registry::_CopyKey
- registry::_CopyValue
- registry::_CreateKey
- registry::_DeleteKey
- registry::_DeleteKeyEmpty
- registry::_DeleteValue
- registry::_Find
- registry::_HexToStr
- registry::_KeyExists
- registry::_MoveKey
- registry::_MoveValue
- registry::_Open
- registry::_Read
- registry::_ReadExtra
- registry::_RestoreKey
- registry::_SaveKey
- registry::_StrToHex
- registry::_Unload
- registry::_Write
- registry::_WriteExtra

!define: "MUI_INSERT_NSISCONF"=""

Changing directory to: "C:\Temp\ScottradeElite"

Processing script file: "C:\Temp\ScottradeElite\ApplicationPortableTemplate.nsi"
!define: "AUTHOR"="Scottrader"
!define: "APP"="ScottradeELITE"
!define: "VER"="1.0.0.0"
!define: "EXE"="Scottrader.exe"
!define: "EXEPARMS"=""
Usage: !define ([/date|/utcdate] symbol [value]) | (/math symbol val1 OP val2)
OP=(+ - * / % & | ^)
Error in script "C:\Temp\ScottradeElite\ApplicationPortableTemplate.nsi" on line 36 -- aborting creation process

Settings from ApplicationPortableTemplate.nsi
--------------------------------------------------

; ----- Basic informations
!define AUTHOR "Scottrader" ; your name
!define APP "ScottradeELITE" ; insert application name, e.g. "TestApp"
!define VER "1.0.0.0" ; insert version of launcher
!define EXE "Scottrader.exe" ; insert program exe name, e.g. "testapp.exe"
!define EXEPARMS "" ; insert some default Parameters

; ----- Application specific stuff
; insert regkeys to use separated by "||", comment out, when not used,
; e.g. HKCU\Software
!define REGKEYS "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Scottrader" ""
; If a file "Registry.reg" within the data directory is found then it is read
; and all parent registry keys are processed as if they'd have been set within
; REGKEYS
; !define USEREGKEYSFILE "TRUE"
; delete alle defined registry keys before own ones are applied (during Init)
!define DELETEREGKEYS "TRUE"
; insert settings files to use separated by "||" as stored on the host
; computer, e.g. "$WINDIR\TEST.INI", comment out, when not used
; !define SETTINGSFILES ""
; insert settings directories to use separated by "||" as stored on the host
; computer, e.g. "$PROFILE\TEST", comment out, when not used
; !define SETTINGSDIRS ""
; Require local administrator rights to run the launcher, necessary when
; writing to e.g. HKLM registry key. If not required comment out
; !define ADMINREQUIRED "TRUE"
; Redirect Userprofile folder, comment out when your application calls other
; programs, i.e. to disable automatic redirection. Default value "TRUE".
!define REDIRECTUSERPROFILE "TRUE"
; When "TRUE" a launcher is created that contains the sources and copies them
; into the appropriate folder if they do not exist yet.
!define INSTALLSOURCES "TRUE"
; define which GTK version should be used, e.g. 2.0
; !define USEGTKVERSION ""
; define which JAVA version should be used, e.g. 1.6.0.10
!define USEJAVAVERSION "1.6.0.10"
; ----- Normally no need to change anything here
; format of portable name (dirs and filenames)
!define PNAME "${App}Portable"
; comment this line out when default icon should be used
; !define ICON "${PNAME}.ico"
; comment this line out when no splashscreen image should be used
; !define SPLASHIMAGE "${PNAME}.jpg"
; could be changed when settings for multiple applications should be stored in
; one INI file
; !define INI "${PNAME}.ini"

First...loving the new version. Being able to avoid UAC elevation prompts is very cool in apps that 'play' properly.

Now for a challenge. If there is already a work around for this I appologize. I did try and search but didn't see a solution:

I have an application that writes to $Appdata the problem is that Microsoft in all their 'wisdom' has changed the name of the folder.

On XP, if you go to a command prompt and type: cd %adddata%
you will arrive at something like:
c:\documents and settings\username\Application Data

On Vista, if you do the same command you will arrive at something like:
c:\users\username\Appdata\Roaming

So, in my nsi file if I specify something like:
!define SETTINGSDIRS "$Appdata\Settings Folder"

Then put try launching on XP I will get all my settings put into
'Application Data\Settings Folder'

Moving to a Vista box the application is looking for settings in 'AppData\Roaming\Settings Folder' and doesn't find them so it creates 'AppData\Roaming\Settings Folder' and I have to put in all my configurations again. Not really a huge deal until I move back to XP and some config I managed to update is now not available because of the directory name mix up so round and round we go.

Anyone have an idea?

Why I get this error? I'm a newbie with NSIS...

Usage: StrCpy $(user_var: output) str [maxlen] [startoffset]
Error in script "C:\Documents and Settings\Douglas\Desktop\NSISPortable.nsi" on line 647 -- aborting creation process

Hmmm, reg file looks good. This is the same program you were having problems with before isn't it. I'll check something out and get back to you.

I can't believe I didn't see it earlier...forest for the trees man.

The first line of the RegFileToStack function NEEDS TO BE (drum roll)

ClearErrors

Dum dum dummy. The second time the function is called from the CleanReg section the error flag is already set from the first run, so it exits without doing anything, leaving the stack empty and YOU without a reg file. I WIN!!!

Hi Klonk,

Thanks for all the hard work with these templates, they're very much appreciated.

I have set up a NSIS 2.33 environment for myself to be used with your portable apps build template version 2.3. Whilst doing that I discovered that your script would now fail when building w/ SPLASHIMAGE. It seems like 'newsadvsplash::wait' now needs to be expressed as 'newsadvsplash::stop /WAIT' with the latest newsadvsplash plugin.

The announcement about this can found in this post:

http://forums.winamp.com/showthread.php?postid=2274626#post2274626

I think also it would be helpful to include the URLs to where to find and download the required plugins in the REQUIREMENTS section of your template. For Your convenience, and others, I'll provide them here:

http://nsis.sourceforge.net/NewAdvSplash_plug-in
http://nsis.sourceforge.net/Registry_plug-in
http://nsis.sourceforge.net/Find_Process_By_Name
http://nsis.sourceforge.net/Dialogs_plug-in

And, of course, NSIS itself:

http://nsis.sourceforge.net/

Hope this helps someone else.

BTW, please post the link here to the new thread, once You've spawned it.

Hi again,

is there a way in which I can specify/reference an icon that doesn't reside in it's own .ico file? For example in order to pass the application's generic icon on to the ApplicationPortable.exe launcher, e.g. via 'iconfilename[,index]', similar to when referencing an embedded icon from an exe, dll, ico, bmp when working with autorun.inf.

An example, for the Autorun key "icon", can be found here:

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb776823.aspx
Autorun.inf Entries

Thanks!

Just a very minor detail.

At the beginning of the template, v2.3, it says:

; If a file "Registry.reg" within the data directory is found then it is read
; and all parent registry keys are processed as if they'd have been set within
; REGKEYS

I'm probably misreading/interpreting this, but shouldn't it say "...all child registry keys..." [to the one(s) specified in REGKEYS] instead of "...all parent registry keys..."?

Regards!

Hi Klonk,

I just stumbled on a major problem with the current incarnation of the Portable Application Template, i.e. 2.3. "Command line arguments", specified in EXEPARMS, are handed over to the launched application as ONE string token instead of being split into several individual tokens.

The problem is due to $R0 being quoted in this statement (on Line 659):

ExecWait '"$PROGRAMDIR\$PROGRAMEXE" "$R0"' ; run program

Removing the quotes remedies that problem, and the statement will change into:

ExecWait '"$PROGRAMDIR\$PROGRAMEXE" $R0' ; run program

After introducing that change, if one needs to specify one or more arguments - containing spaces - to the application to be launched, this is how it's done:

!define EXEPARMS "arg1 $\"arg2 contains blanks$\" arg3"

or

!define EXEPARMS 'arg1 $\"arg2 contains blanks$\" arg3'

or

!define EXEPARMS `arg1 $\"arg2 contains blanks$\" arg3`

You can try this out for yourself with this batch file:

- - - - - - - - cut & past this - - - - - - - beg of - e.g. DebugArgs.bat
@echo off
rem
rem Let your Portable Application Template installer launch this batch file,
rem by setting '!define EXE "DebugArgs.bat"' in your .nsi file.
rem
echo Output from script %0%
echo.
echo Arguments:
echo.
echo arg1=%1%
echo arg2=%2%
echo arg3=%3%
echo arg4=%4%
echo arg5=%5%
echo arg6=%6%
echo arg7=%7%
echo arg8=%8%
echo arg9=%9%
echo.
echo.
pause
- - - - - - - - cut & past this - - - - - - - end of - e.g. DebugArgs.bat

Cheers

To "automagically" have support for multiple versions of the Java Runtime Environment would be very useful. But I'm not sure I manage to figure out how it's implemented, or supposed to work.

Irrespectively of the version of the JRE, if I for example have a portable JRE installed in /PortableApps/CommonFiles/Java[/bin], I can launch that version of Java explicitly by specifying e.g. (relative to App\$APP\):

!define EXE "..\..\..\CommonFiles\Java\bin\java.exe"

or (if I don't want to have a Console Window open)

!define EXE "..\..\..\CommonFiles\Java\bin\javaw.exe"

Of course, this defeats the "dynamic" lookup of the JRE executables.

Usually, one launches either the targeted JRE/bin/java[w][.exe] explicitly OR adds the bin directory of the desired java[w].exe to the PATH environment variable, after which one can just type 'java ...' or 'javaw ...' to launch Java.

Now, I've noticed, the Portable Application Template allows me to specify (well, rather recommend) a certain release of java via the USEJAVAVERSON variable, e.g. by setting it to "1.5.0_12". I'm not sure I understand the point hereby, since:

1). By doing this there is an environment variable (JAVA_HOME) being set [why? I don't know - JRE doesn't require this as it can be dynamically retrieved in Java via "System.getProperty('java.home');"], and the value of '$JAVA_HOME\bin' is added to the PATH environment variable (which does make sense - although there is still no need to introduce the variable JAVA_HOME).

2). even if I now have, the "dynamically" assigned, JRE in the path, I cannot launch java by specifying just 'java[.exe]' or 'javaw[.exe]' in the !define EXE statement. Trying to do this will lead to a pop-up message with the following content at the execution (not compilation) of the launcher:

+------------------------------------------------------------
| Application Portable - 0.0.0.0
+--------------------------------------
|
| ! java[.exe] was not found.
| Do you want to copy your local installation into your portable applications directory? (This could take some time)
|
| When you select "NO" this launcher will be terminated. In this case, please copy the necessary files yourself.
|
| [ Yes ] [ No ]
|
+--------------------------------------

Since this doesn't work, and I don't seem to be able to figure out how to take advantage of the "dynamic" JRE discovery by myself, I'd be very grateful if someone could enlighten me here.

Best regards!

BTW, asserting that the correct version of Java is used for your Java program is usually accomplished by starting it via e.g. 'java -version:1.6 ...', which will fail w/ a message like below if no jre1.6.x cannot be localized on the system:

X:\> java -version:1.6 [...optionally remaining args here]
Unable to locate JRE meeting specification "1.6"

This is how it could look like if it's found (and we, in addition, specify just the plain -version argument)

X:\> java -version:1.5 -version

java version "1.5.0_12"
Java(TM) 2 Runtime Environment, Standard Edition (build 1.5.0_12-b04)
Java HotSpot(TM) Client VM (build 1.5.0_12-b04, mixed mode)

Ok, so I ran the full test this time. This

Section
	!define PARMS 'arg1 "arg2 contains blanks" arg3'
	!define EXE "test.bat"
	Exec '"${EXE}" ${PARMS}'
SectionEnd

and this

Section
	!define PARMS 'arg1 $\"arg2 contains blanks$\" arg3'
	!define EXE "test.bat"
	Exec '"${EXE}" ${PARMS}'
SectionEnd

produce the exact same command window output. I think we're agreeing with eachother here, and arguing about it LOL.