Inno Setup -- Free Installer

An installer is a professional way to deliver software applications to a customer.  Inno Setup is a free tool suite for creating installers for Windows.  I have used it and I recommend it.  There are two downloads:  isetup-5.5.1.exe is the basic installer tool, Inno Setup, which I recommend.  The other download is ispack-5.5.1.exe,  the Inno Setup QuickStart Pack. 

Launch Inno Setup and it will ask you questions and then take your answers and create the dot iss installation scripts that are used to create the installer.

Say you have already created an installer.  You change your code, build a new executable, and need a new installer.  You simply run the previously created dot iss script(s) to make a new installer.  If I remember correctly, you do File > Open to open the top level dot iss script.  Then you do Build > Compile to build the new installer.

InstallShield scripts end in dot iss, which explains the dot iss notation.  The glory of the wizards is that you do not need to understand InstallShield scripts in order to create them because the tool writes them for you.

Try the tool now.  Write a HelloWorld.vbs file, use Inno Setup to create an installer for it, run the installer, and then use the desktop shortcut to launch the HelloWorld.vbs program.  Then use Start > Programs > HelloWorld to launch it from the Start Menu.  You will be pleased at how simple this is.

Robert

UltraEdit -- COTS Tool

I have used UltraEdit as a file editor on Windows machines and have been very happy with it.  I usually use Notepad++ because that is free.

Robert

Beyond Compare -- COTS Tool

Beyond Compare is a COTS tool for finding differences between files and directories.  It is reasonably priced and is an excellent tool.  I usually use Kdiff3 because that is free.

Robert

COTS = Commercial Off-the-Shelf