Setup Factory Avis

Great product.

I use this for Embarcadero C++ Builder projects by using the Setup Factory menu option "Tools | Scan File dependencies". I didn't give it 5 starts just because of the manual work that has to be done setting up each project.

Their dependency scanner picks up most of the files, but I then have to manually (1) add any *.de, *.fr and *.ja file from the appropriate Embarcadero Redist folder for each *.bpl file, (2) remove files sourced from operating system directories (unless I know I specifically want that file, because it is a third party component that happens to be stored there) and (3) add the files: cc32c270.dll, cc32c270mt.dll, cc3270.dll and cc32270mt.dll, if any one of those files are detected by the dependency scanner. All in all, it is not too bad, but a bear to figure out the first time I had to add any of these files. I pretty much have it down to a science now.

Simply the best Install-Maker I've ever seen, I'm evaluating the product and I can tell that it suits all my expectations. I recommend it without any hesitation.

I've evaluated serveral install tools and this has the best combination of robust features and ease of use, irrespective of price. It could stand to improve the end-user GUI (what *my* customers will see).

The most intuitive setup program I have ever used (and I've used quite a few), and much more advanced than the simple user interface would at first suggest. My only niggle with the product is that it doesn't send your app a WM_CLOSE or similar on an uninstall/reinstall, so your app exe will still be in use and the uninstall will fail to remove the exe file. Many setup programs provide this functionality for you if you specify a Mutex. That said, there are ways around this, e.g. you could add extra code to your app for a command line switch to call from the uninstall that would exit the app etc. Support was good, and it's not overpriced like the big name setup programs. Documentation/Help is ok too, but like I said this program is very easy to use, and the only time I found myself looking at the docs was for the names of internal script constants. Conclusion: If you don't want to spend hours learning how to use a (Windows platform) setup program, but you do want advanced functionality, then I can heartily recommend this product. That said I would wait until version 6 comes out on 19/11/2001.