Symbolic variables conversion
When InstallMate 9 opens a Tarma QuickInstall 2.x project, it converts all Tarma QuickInstall 2 symbolic references to their InstallMate 9 counterparts. For example, <ProgramFiles> is converted to <ProgramFilesFolder>, <AppFolder> to <INSTALLDIR>, and <AppTitle> to <ProductName>.
For registry values, environment variables, and INI file values, the following additional rules are applied during conversion:
- If a data value is marked Do not expand <variables>, then no conversion takes place. The original Tarma QuickInstall 2 expression is copied as-is, enclosed in backticks (` and `). These backticks are the InstallMate 9 convention to indicate "no expansion".
- If a data value is marked Convert to SFN (8.3), then the converted symbolic expression is wrapped in a <$sfn(...)> function call. This is the InstallMate 9 function that converts its argument to SFN (8.3) format.
Examples
The following table shows some examples of symbolic conversions that may take place when InstallMate opens a Tarma QuickInstall 2 project.
| Tarma QuickInstall 2 | InstallMate 9 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| <WebSite> | <WebSite> | No conversion; InstallMate 9 symbol is the same as Tarma QuickInstall 2. |
| <AppFolder> | <INSTALLDIR> | Straight one-on-one replacement of obsolete symbol name. |
| <AppFolder> Do not expand <variables> |
`<AppFolder>` | Not converted, but placed between backticks to prevent symbol expansion. |
| <AppFolder> Convert to SFN (8.3) |
<$sfn(<INSTALLDIR>)> | The Tarma QuickInstall 2 symbol name is replaced by its InstallMate 9 equivalent, and the resulting expression is wrapped in a <$sfn(...)> call for installation-time conversion to SFN (8.3) format. |
| <AppFolder> Do not expand <variables> Convert to SFN (8.3) |
<$sfn(`<AppFolder>`)> | The original expression is placed between backticks to prevent symbol expansion, and the result is wrapped in a <$sfn(...)> call for installation-time conversion to SFN (8.3) format. However, because '<' and '>' characters are not allowed in path names, this conversion will fail at installation time. |
List of Tarma QuickInstall 2 symbolic variables and their InstallMate 9 equivalents
Folders that are marked * in the Notes column are converted to their All Users equivalent when you open a Tarma QuickInstall 2 project in InstallMate 9. This applies to profile-dependent folders and is done because a straight conversion would result in a Current User installation, which is usually not desired.
| Tarma QuickInstall 2 | InstallMate 9 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| AppData | AppDataFolder | |
| AppDir | INSTALLDIR | Alias for main installation folder |
| AppFolder | INSTALLDIR | Alias for main installation folder |
| AppTitle | ProductName | |
| AppVersion | ProductVersion | |
| BuildDate | same | No longer saved in Setup database by default |
| BuildExe | (obsolete) | No longer supported |
| BuildFolder | same | No longer saved in Setup database by default |
| BuildLog | (obsolete) | No longer supported |
| BuildTarget | same | No longer saved in Setup database by default |
| BuildTargetBase | (obsolete) | No longer supported |
| BuildTime | same | No longer saved in Setup database by default |
| Common_AppData | CommonAppDataFolder | |
| Common_Desktop | CommonDesktopFolder | |
| Common_Profile | CommonProfileFolder | |
| Common_Programs | CommonProgramMenuFolder | |
| Common_SendTo | (obsolete) | Common/All Users SendTo folder is not supported by Windows |
| Common_StartMenu | CommonStartMenuFolder | |
| Common_Startup | CommonStartupFolder | |
| Common_Templates | CommonTemplateFolder | |
| CommonFiles | CommonFilesFolder | |
| CommonSystem | CommonSystemFolder | Alias for <CommonFilesFolder>\System |
| Company | Publisher | |
| ComputerName | same | |
| ComSpec | same | |
| Copyright | same | |
| DAODir | DAOFolder | Alias for <CommonFilesFolder>\Microsoft Shared\DAO |
| Desktop | DesktopFolder | Converted to CommonDesktopFolder* |
| DevicePath | same | |
| Drivers | DriversFolder | |
| DriversDir | DriversFolder | |
| same | ||
| ExtraSize | same | |
| Favorites | FavoritesFolder | Always Current User folder |
| Fonts | FontsFolder | |
| FontsDir | FontsFolder | |
| HelpDir | HelpFolder | |
| HKCR | same | |
| HKCU | same | |
| HKLM | same | |
| HKU | same | |
| InfDir | InfFolder | |
| InstallDir | INSTALLDIR | |
| InstallLocation | same | |
| InstallLocationPrev | (obsolete) | Replaced by custom action |
| KeyFile | (obsolete) | Replaced by custom action |
| KeyFolder | (obsolete) | Replaced by custom action |
| KeyPaths | (obsolete) | Replaced by custom action |
| LangID | UserLanguageID | |
| MSOffice | same | |
| MSOfficeDir10 | same | |
| MSOfficeDir11 | same | |
| MSOfficeDir8 | same | |
| MSOfficeDir9 | same | |
| MSShared | MSSharedFolder | |
| OfficeDir | OfficeFolder | |
| Personal | PersonalFolder | Always Current User folder |
| Profile | ProfileFolder | Current User profile base folder |
| Profiles | ProfilesFolder | |
| ProgGroup | (obsolete) | Replaced by actual name |
| ProgGroupDir | ProgramGroupFolder | Converted to CommonProgramGroupFolder* |
| ProgramFiles | ProgramFilesFolder | |
| Programs | ProgramMenuFolder | Converted to CommonProgramMenuFolder* |
| RegOrganization | same | |
| RegOwner | same | |
| SendTo | SendToFolder | Always Current User folder |
| SetupDir | SourceDir | Alias for folder containing installation source files (including the original Setup.exe) |
| ShellFoldersCU | same | |
| ShellFoldersLM | same | |
| SpecialBuild | same | No longer saved in Setup database by default |
| StartMenu | StartMenuFolder | Converted to CommonStartMenuFolder* |
| Startup | StartupFolder | Converted to CommonStartupFolder* |
| SystemIni | same | |
| Telephone | same | |
| TempDir | TempFolder | |
| Uninstall | UninstallKey | |
| UninstallPrev | (obsolete) | Replaced by custom action |
| UninstallRegPath | same | |
| UninstallRegPathPrev | (obsolete) | Replaced by custom action |
| UninstallTitle | same | |
| User_AppData | AppDataFolder | |
| User_Cookies | CookiesFolder | |
| User_Desktop | DesktopFolder | |
| User_Favorites | FavoritesFolder | |
| User_History | HistoryFolder | |
| User_NetHood | NetHoodFolder | |
| User_Profile | ProfileFolder | |
| User_Programs | ProgramMenuFolder | |
| User_Recent | RecentFolder | |
| User_SendTo | SendToFolder | |
| User_StartMenu | StartMenuFolder | |
| User_Startup | StartupFolder | |
| User_Templates | TemplateFolder | |
| WebSite | same | |
| WinCurVer | same | |
| WinCurVerNT | same | |
| WinDir | WindowsFolder | |
| WinDrive | WindowsVolume | |
| WinIni | same | |
| WinSys16Dir | System16Folder | |
| WinSysDir | SystemFolder | |
| XCopy | same |