Multi Install consists of an Editor and an Installer. The first step in creating a menu is to create a layout/compilation using the Multi Install editor - MIEdit.exe.
A layout consists of tree types of data groups: Global fields: These fields determine global stuff for the whole menu - like which programs fields to show, menu title etc. Category fields: Category name, description etc. Program fields: All the fields with information about the current program.
Getting ready
Default values
If are going to have many programs in your final creation, it is a good idea to make some default
values. Goto the menu Tools -> Options -> Default values.
I would like to open the installation target folder after installation, so I have now entered the script
Run Filename: "Explorer.exe"; Parameters: "{destdir}"; Flags: "nowait" in default program script.
Default treeview icons for categories can also save some time.
Every time I add a new program or category to the menu, default values will be used.
Globals
On the main screen in MIEdit I have entered the title of the cd/dvd menu "Open Source CD".
Information fields for programs are determined here via the Fields to show/hide.
I have renamed "Custom field 1" to "Type" and "Custom field 2" to "Website".
Hint: You can press F1 in any field to get help for current field!
Adding programs
Programs can be added to the menu without a category - but if you have more than 10 programs you will surely need some categories.
I start with adding a category named "Applications".
All programs should be in the same folder as MIEdit.exe or a sub folder. So I start with moving
my applications to a subfolder called "Applications". All my archives are compressed with
Winrar to save space.
To add actual programs the "New program" button can be used - but faster methods are available:
Import programs from files
Drag'n'drop files into the treeview
Both of the last two methods will bring up this window:
After importing the files, the main screen looks like this:
Notice that the default value for program script has been filled in automatically.
Now the program names have to be adjusted and description, screenshots and other
information will have to be added manually.
Subtitle Edit 1.7 is not available in a setup package with easy installation and uninstallation - but
MI can do that ;)
First I choose the installation Path "{pf}\Subtitle Edit", which will suggest "C:\Program Files\Subtitle Edit" during
installation if you use an English Windows.
In the program script window I add a shortcut to the Start Menu and one (optional) to the desktop.
Uninstallation is added easily by clicking on "Full uninstallation". This is the script window:
The "Set Uninstall: "Full" will make uninstall appear under "Control Panel" -> "Add remove programs".
To test the layout in MI Skinnable you can click on the preview coolbar icon:
Several other skins are available from the MI skin page.
When burning to disc the following files/folders should be added:
If you use a resource file, then the folders/files "Skin", "Pics", and "Icons", "UNACEv2.DLL", "bass.dll", "unrar.dll" are not needed (as they will zipped into the resource file).
Multi Install has lots of other features such as build-in ZIP, RAR, and ACE extraction, password protection/encryption, screen shots (gif, jpg, png, and bmp), NFO viewer, and MP3 play.
Multi Install is Open Source and can be compiled with Delphi 7 (5 and 6 with minor modifications).
Open source means that you may redistribute, MODIFY, and use it freely. Cool, eh?
