Finishing Package Manager

Package Manager is virtually feature complete, although I stress that this is pretty much like for like when compared to the previous version known as 'Applications'.

We have now added the ability to import LNK files - a feature that did already exist, but the code has been re-written. More importantly, you can now import a REG file directly. This means if you have a Registry Fragment file with 100's of settings, you can now import the whole lot with one click. This will hopefully make creating packages a lot more easier.

We have added two new fields into the Package Manager. Each package can now have a version number stored separately and also a description. These will help maintain a good Package repository, but will also be used in future EISNet releases.

As another change to Packages, the definition between an MSI package and a command line package has been completely removed. Each package contains a Package file, regardless of it's type. EISNet is now more intelligent on how it handles each one.

The final addition is the Arguments field. This has been added so each package can have specific arguments attached to it when it launches. This may include arguments for MSI files also. So if you want a silent MSI install, you specify /Q or /QB. This was previously only possible by setting the package as a command line, and then use the MSIExec.exe tool to launch the installation.

Below is a screenshot of the Package Properties window which has changed since my last post.

Package properties