------------------------------------------------------------ dBASE Plus Runtime Engine and BDE Installer README_Runtime.English.TXT Updated 03/16/2010 The Runtime Engine Installer is intended for Web Servers, or any machine where you need to run dBASE Plus Runtime applications and the dBASE Plus full product is NOT installed. It is meant for high-volume upgrades and distribution to ISPs. It may also be incorporated into an Inno Setup deployment for a dBASE PLUS applicaton you wish to distribute. It includes the runtime 'Virtual Machine' and the Borland Database Engine (BDE) for dBASE PLUS. Use the Core Product Upgrade for normal installations. Single and multi-language versions are available as follows: PlusRuntime-bNNNN.exe - multi-language PlusRuntime-bNNNN_en.exe - English PlusRuntime-bNNNN_de.exe - German PlusRuntime-bNNNN_es.exe - Spanish PlusRuntime-bNNNN_it.exe - Italian PlusRuntime-bNNNN_ja.exe - Japanese The NNNN represents the dBASE Plus build number. Note that the Plusrun.exe file (and the BDE) installed by all six versions are identical. The difference is that each language-specific install contains just the language resources for the one language as indicated. (The separation is to reduce file size.) When you run the PlusRuntime-bNNNN_XX.exe install program, the dBASE Plus Runtime Engine files are installed as follows: PLUSrun.exe PLUSr_XX.dll ('XX' is the language, as above) Resource.dll (needed by some applications) The 'RuntimePath' Registry Key [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\dBASE\PLUS\series1] "RuntimePath"="c:\\Program Files\\dBASE\\PLUS\\Runtime" will be set to the install folder location. In addition to the above three files, a full BDE Install is performed. If the Runtime Engine and the BDE are already installed, then the default target folder for the installs will match the currently installed location. Newer product will overwrite older, but not vice versa. If the BDE is an older version, it will be updated. Also, a BDE 'merge' will be performed with your existing config file, carrying forward your existing BDE configuration settings. ================================== Parameters as follows: -s Optional. Suppresses progress display for Unpacking the PlusRuntime-bNNNN_XX.exe package. Must be in this (first) position. -a Required if using any of the additional paramters. Tells PlusRuntime-bNNNN_XX.exe that arguments for the setup engine will follow. Runtime= dBASE Plus Runtime Engine files to be installed into the folder specified BDE= BDE to be installed into the folder specified Silent Suppress user input dialogs. Progress bars remain. If the paths are invalid, dialogs will appear. -sr Suppresses the "Installshield Wizard is preparing ..." progress box, and in turn, uses setup.iss (script) to run. Since the script is really empty, the Runtime and BDE path parameters will be used (and must be correct). ================================== Examples: PlusRuntime-b2119_en -a Runtime=d:\dBASEPLUS\Runtime BDE=d:\dBASEPLUS\bde Silent means run with no dialogs, install the Runtime in d:\dBASEPLUS\Runtime and install the BDE in d:\dBASEPLUS\bde You may shorten each key word to just one letter. You may use either uppercase or lowercase letters. In other words, the following is equal to the previous (verbose) version: PlusRuntime-b2119_en -a s r=d:\dBASEPLUS\Runtime b=d:\dBASEPLUS\bde Finally, to suppress the InstallShield dialogs, add two more parameters. These two must be placed in the correct position on the command line, like this: PlusRuntime-b2119_en -s -a r=d:\dBASEPLUS\Runtime b=d:\dBASEPLUS\bde s -sr Or, you may prefer the verbose equivalent: PlusRuntime-b2119_en -s -a Runtime=d:\dBASEPLUS\Runtime BDE=d:\dBASEPLUS\bde Silent -sr ================================== Notes: Folder names containing spaces must be enclosed in double quotes. Also, it is recommended that you ensure that your target folder(s) exist. If the folder(s) do not exist (or are invalid) then, InstallShield dialogs will appear. In these InstallShield dialogs, the user may opt to Create a non-existant folder. If the user opts NOT to create the named folder, then the user will be allowed to browse the machine and to freely name or create a new folder(s). === 03/16/2010 - dBASE Plus 2.62, b2119 (or later) Runtime Engine Notes === Applications created with dBASE Plus 2.62 b2119 or later, contain these updates: Modified command line processing logic for the -C switch to check for leading and trailing double quotes in order to support long path names and embedded spaces in the specified .ini file path when launching plus.exe or plusrun.exe new error message: Error #404 "Unbalanced quotes in path for .ini file" This error will be triggered if a leading double quote is detected after the -C switch but no trailing double quote is found. === 03/25/2008 - dBASE Plus 2.6.1.4, b2075 (or later) Runtime Engine Notes === Applications created with dBASE Plus 2.6.1.4, b2075 or later, contain updates that allow the applications to be code signed. New executables built with dBASE Plus 2.6.1.4, b2075 or later, contain some additional information that allows them to be loaded successfully with the new dBASE Plus 2.6.1.4, b2075, runtime engine whether or not they are signed with a digital signature. The new dBASE runtime checks a dBASE built .exe for the new data. If found, it will be loaded using the digital signature safe way. If not found, it will be loaded the old way, which will not support digital signatures. Therefore, the dBASE Plus 2.6.1.4, b2075, runtime engine is backward compatible with executables built with prior versions of dBASE Plus. In addition, an executable built with dBASE Plus 2.6.1.4, b2075, will work with older dBASE Plus runtime engines unless it requires features available only in the newer runtime engine. === 05/17/2006 - dBASE Plus 2.6, b1899 (or later) Runtime Engine Notes === Applications created with dBASE Plus 2.6, b1899 or later, contain additional information about the application that is not recognized by older versions of the dBASE Plus runtime engine. As a result, new applications created with dBASE Plus 2.6 or later will not run with prior versions of the runtime engine. However, the new dBASE Plus 2.6 (or later) runtime engine can recognize and run applications created with earlier versions of dBASE Plus, so they will run without having to be recompiled and rebuilt. This allows the application developer to deploy the new runtime engine without having to update all of the dBASE Plus applications at the same time. Once the new runtime engine is in place, the older applications can be updated as needed to take advantage of dBASE Plus 2.6 enhancements and to distribute the developer's updated products.