InnoScript/Inno Setup handle Crystal Reports dependencies

Sunday 5 October 2008 @ 8:37 pm

For those of you who do VB development, there are several choices for creating an installation file. The main commercial tools are InstallShield and Wise, but there is also a free tool (donations accepted) called Inno Setup, by Jordan Russell.

For those of you that create VB applications incorporating Crystal Reports, you should check out Inno Setup. One of the main advantages (besides being free) is that you can use a great little script generator for Inno Setup called InnoScript by Randem Systems.  InnoScript isn’t free but is a great deal for $25.

InnoScript is designed for VB developers and generates complete Inno Setup scripts directly from the VB project file. Best if all, InnoScript now provides full and automatic support for Crystal Reports versions 8.5 thru 12(2008). Randem Systems even maintains an archive of the Crystal redistributable files. You can download the correct Merge Modules in an installable MSI format. To quote Will Fastie, a freelance IT management consultant:

“This is a brilliant piece of work that is available nowhere else, at least as far as I know. I’m using this system now. Flawless.”

And thanks to Will for pointing out these tools.









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