ini files...

Hi!

I have developped an activex control that I want to display in a web page. This activex control can load some plugins (dll) so I have to compile it with the MD option. My problem is that my control need the redistribution package of VS2008 C++ to be installed first. I don't know much about ini files and I was wondering:

1/ do you know where I can learn what I can do with ini files? I was looking on internet some tutorials but I couldn't find any.
2/ Is it possible through an ini file to start the execution of vcredist_x86.exe when loading the control on a web page?
3/ Is it possible through the ini file to check whether the redistribution package is already installed or not?

One way is to add in the cab file all necessary dll, so I can avoid to launch the redistribution package. But in this case, my plugin dll for the activex control must be inside the same directory which is unfortunately not always the case.

Thanks for your time.
Help would be appreciated.

A ini file is just a text file with settings in it, nothing more, nothing less.

I don't see the connection with the ini file, but if you create a setup project to install your activeX, you can set up a pre-requisite for the VS2008 redistributable package.

In my understanding, ini files can generate actions like file copy, create new keys in registry, check if some dll are present or not (with hook). So, there are a lot of things that can be done through ini files and I was wondering if ini files could start an executable file (.exe).

Quote:

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Originally Posted by madric

In my understanding, ini files can generate actions like file copy, create new keys in registry, check if some dll are present or not (with hook). So, there are a lot of things that can be done through ini files and I was wondering if ini files could start an executable file (.exe).

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I never seen or herd of that before.

INIs are just text files with a .ini extension.

like Skizmo said,they are text files which have an apps or few apps configurations in it to be readed.

Why don't you try DOS batch files?

They can Copy Files,Create new Keys in registry,Check if any file exists,and they can start a .exe, and any other extension.

They can do that and many more,and you can create it with just putting the code in a text file and changing its extension to ".bat".

Look in google for Batch File Commands and you'll see all the commands.
http://www.google.com.pr/search?hl=e...con+Google&lr=


Have fun.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by madric

In my understanding, ini files can generate actions like file copy, create new keys in registry, check if some dll are present or not (with hook).

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I'll just get to the point - your understanding is incorrect. The ini file is just another format to persist data to the hard drive. In today's times, it's also an obsolete format. The type of functionality that you are describing is the job of a setup (or installer) program. That program may read settings from sort of file to tell it what sort of tasks to perform and that file may be in an ini file format or some other format.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Arjay

I'll just get to the point - your understanding is incorrect. The ini file is just another format to persist data to the hard drive. In today's times, it's also an obsolete format. The type of functionality that you are describing is the job of a setup (or installer) program. That program may read settings from sort of file to tell it what sort of tasks to perform and that file may be in an ini file format or some other format.

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Yep,They where for 16bit versions of windows.
That's why the registry was created,to replace INIs.

ok,
You all agree that I was misandestanding... so I must be!
Anyway, what I am trying to do is simple:

I have an activex control that have dependency dlls. I attached this activex control in a web page using this method:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/libr...74(VS.85).aspx

In this site, there is the explaination of an ini file that is used to check whether some dlls are present or not on the system. If not, it will download them from a site and run a self extracting exectutable file.
All the setup scenario is described in this ini file. So I imagined that an ini file works in a similar way than a batch file. Anyway...

My problem is that when I test a lot by reloading several times the page containing the activex control, some of my file included in the package are not always in the same directory (a CONFLICT.x folder is created in the "Downloaded Program files" folder. This creates a mess since the my dlls are not all in the same folder. So I thought that if I can add the self extracting "vcredist_x86.exe" file in my CAB file and find a way to run it, it should be ok.

Thanks anyway for you time.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AntiBNI

Yep,They where for 16bit versions of windows.
That's why the registry was created,to replace INIs.

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16 bits windows has nothing to do with it, and they are not replaced by the registry. You now have 2 choices. And personally I think that you need to avoid using the registry.

ini files are not used anymore.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by madric

I have an activex control that have dependency dlls. I attached this activex control in a web page using this method:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/libr...74(VS.85).aspx

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That site refers to an INF file, not an INI file. The INF file is an ini styled file that tells the cabinet installer file what to do (like I mentioned earlier). Read more about this process in the link included in the article: Cabinet Software Development Kit.

wow, I am so sorry. I was talking about inf files and not ini files. I have to apologize, I should have been more careful. Thanks for the link and sorry again for the others, I have no excuse...

Don't worry about it. Good luck.