Writing an Uninstaller

[Former Member]

Hi

Do I need additional software besides VS.NET 2003?

Is there a sample around?

TIA

Phil

[former_member185703 · Accepted solution]

Hi Philipp,

I adapted the installer sample (UI..\14....) to implement the "uninstaller" functionality.

Here's the code that installs some Add-on (ConCom1.exe). When you specify "Uninstall" as an additional commandline parameter for the (Un)Installer, the sample runs in "uninstall mode".

HTH,

Frank

Private strDll As String ' The path of "AddOnInstallAPI.dll"

Private strDest As String ' Installation target path

Private bFileCreated As Boolean ' True if the file was created

*******************************************************

' This function extracts a file into the path specified

Private Sub ExtractFile(ByVal path As String, ByVal filename As String)

Dim AddonExeFile As IO.FileStream

Dim thisExe As System.Reflection.Assembly

thisExe = System.Reflection.Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly()

Dim file As System.IO.Stream

file = thisExe.GetManifestResourceStream("AddOnInstaller." & filename)

' Create a tmp file first, after file is extracted change to exe

AddonExeFile = IO.File.Create(path & "\" & filename & ".tmp")

Dim buffer() As Byte

ReDim buffer(file.Length)

file.Read(buffer, 0, file.Length)

AddonExeFile.Write(buffer, 0, file.Length)

AddonExeFile.Close()

' Change file extension to exe

IO.File.Move(path & "\" & filename & ".tmp", path & "\" & filename)

' After renaming the file name the

End Sub

*******************************************************

' Install..............

Private Sub Install()

Environment.CurrentDirectory = strDll ' For Dll function calls will work

If Not (IO.Directory.Exists(strDest)) Then

IO.Directory.CreateDirectory(strDest) ' Create installation folder

End If

FileWatcher.Path = strDest

FileWatcher.EnableRaisingEvents = True

DeleteFile(strDest, "AddOnInstaller.exe") ' Remove existing (old) installer...

ExtractFile(strDest, "ConCom1.exe") ' Extract add-on to installation folder

ExtractFile(strDest, "ConCom.bmp") ' Extract add-on to installation folder

ExtractFile(strDest, "Interop.Messenger.dll") ' Extract add-on to installation folder

ExtractFile(strDest, "Interop.SAPbouiCOM.dll") ' Extract add-on to installation folder

ExtractFile(strDest, "Interop.SHDocVw.dll") ' Extract add-on to installation folder

While bFileCreated = False

Application.DoEvents()

'Don't continue running until the file is copied...

End While

EndInstall() ' Inform SBO the installation ended

MessageBox.Show("Finished Installing", "Installation ended", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Information)

Windows.Forms.Application.Exit() ' Exit the installer

End Sub

*******************************************************

' This function deletes a file from the path specified

Private Sub DeleteFile(ByVal path As String, ByVal filename As String)

Dim file As System.IO.Stream

Try

IO.File.Delete(path & "\" & filename)

Catch ex As Exception

MessageBox.Show(ex.ToString)

End Try

End Sub

*******************************************************

' Delete existing files...

Private Sub UnInstall()

DeleteFile(strDest, "ConCom1.exe")

DeleteFile(strDest, "ConCom.bmp")

DeleteFile(strDest, "Interop.Messenger.dll")

DeleteFile(strDest, "Interop.SAPbouiCOM.dll")

DeleteFile(strDest, "Interop.SHDocVw.dll")

MessageBox.Show(Nothing, "Finished UnInstalling", "Deinstallation ended")

Windows.Forms.Application.Exit() ' Exit the installer

End Sub

*******************************************************

' the installer is a application that has a window... => ...Load gets called when it starts

Private Sub frmInstall_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load

' The command line parameters, separated by '|' will be broken to this array

Dim strCmdLineElements(2) As String

Dim strCmdLine As String ' The whole command line

Dim NumOfParams As Integer 'The number of parameters in the command line (should be 2)

Dim strInstOrUninst As String

NumOfParams = Environment.GetCommandLineArgs.Length

Try

strCmdLine = Environment.GetCommandLineArgs.GetValue(1)

strCmdLineElements = strCmdLine.Split("|")

strInstOrUninst = strCmdLineElements.GetValue(0)

If strInstOrUninst = "Uninstall" Then

strDest = Application.StartupPath

UnInstall()

Else

If NumOfParams = 2 Then

' Get Install destination Folder

strDest = strCmdLineElements.GetValue(0)

' Get the "AddOnInstallAPI.dll" path

strDll = strCmdLineElements.GetValue(1)

strDll = strDll.Remove((strDll.Length - 19), 19) ' Only the path is needed

Install()

Else

MessageBox.Show("This installer must be run from Sap Business One", _

"Incorrect installation", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Exclamation)

End If

End If

Catch ex As Exception

MessageBox.Show(ex.ToString)

End Try

Windows.Forms.Application.Exit()

End Sub

[Former Member]

Ok

Now everything works. I found a hint in another thread. I use the terminateserver - event now for exiting the addon.

With the runonce entry + .bat-file everything now gets uninstalled.

Thanks Frank

[Former Member]

Thanks Frank

It gets clearer now

I have some troubles with the aet_ShutDown - Event. It only get called when in debugging mode. Thats the reason why the thread keeps running after closing SBO...

any suggestions?

TIA

Phil

[Former Member]

Hi Frank

Thanks for the snippet. But I cant't delete my main file (.exe) because it's still running??? (it shows up in the task bar).

And the installer file (it's in the same path as the other files) itself can't be deleted as well i think (i didn't get this far)

And i don't get a "Uninstall" Argument from the commandline. Have I to declare it with the Ard - tool?

TIA

Phil

[former_member185703]

Hi Philipp,

The uninstall process is started when you log on to a database of the SAP Business One "environment" the next time. The Add-On exe won't run at this time...

Right, currently you cannot delete the (un-)installer file from inside the (un-)installer! I cannot promise anything to you, but I hope we will get rid of this shortcoming. In the meantime you could help yourself the classical Windows way: Add some program or batch to Windows registry's "RunOnce" section - so that your Add-On will be 100% uninstalled at least after the next reboot.

AddOnRegDataGen.exe has an edittext field where the "Unistall" Argument has to be put into.

HTH,

Frank