------------------------------------------------------One BDE Installation to Rule Them ALL

------------------------------------------------------This folder contains all that is required to install the Borland Database Engine
including SQL Links.
The sequence of events is as follows:
1. The BDE Merge Module installs or Updates the BDE as usual.
2. After this process has been done a custom action is launched which uses
the BDESUPP.INI file to instruct it to perform a number of optional tasks
as follows:
i)

Move just the Config File to an alternative location.

ii)

Move the entire BDE to an alternative location

(including the cfg file if it is located in that folder).

iii)

Install BDE Admin Help Files that can be opened on Windows Vista
without the need for the "winhelp" subsystem to be present.

iv)

Install the bdeadmin manifest file.

v)

Install the 4GB Diskspace Patch for large hard drive.

vi)

Add default Aliases at install time.

vii)

Ensure that the Config File and not the registry is used to stor

e
all settings (required under Windows Vista).
viii)

Set a Default Net Dir which can be relative to the newly relocat

ed
BDE folder.
iX)

Update any of the System or other Native Driver Settings.

Important Notes:
1. The Borland Database Engine is NOT free. To use and distribute this installa
tion
routine you MUST comply with the licence restrictions as required by
Borland/Codegear/whoever they are called this week !!
2. The WindowsVersion value only applies to the BDE and Config File relocation

routines.
This allows you to specify that the relocation of the BDE occurs only on Win
dows XP
and newer for example. All other settings are updated regardless of the vers
ion
of Windows.
3. The "Extras" folder contains the various files that will be applied at insta
ll time.
If any updated versions of those files become available in the future then t
hey can
be safely replaced, but the filenames MUST remain the same.
4. Due to bugs in Installshield Express 3.54 right through to Installshield Exp
ress 12,
you cannot install this silently. You can however run it without requiring u
ser
input by using the command "setup /s /v/qr" quotes not neccessary.
5. Setup requests Administrator Privileges when running under Windows Vista
(and hopefully newer version of windows).
6. The New Help Files and the 4GB Diskspace patches require the relevant permis
sions to
store files in the Windows System Folder. A copy of bdeker32.dll is also pla
ced in
the BDE folder but it is unlikely to be used at runtime.
7. When adding the New Help Files, a control panel entry is created called
"Borland Database Help". I have noticed that the first time this is done und
er
Windows XP (other Windows versions not yet tested) if you go into the Contro
l Panel
without rebooting the machine, the Control Panel will crash.
8. When an Alias is specified, if it already exists then it is deleted and then
re-added
with your settings. In other words you always get what you asked for.
9. When running my application under a Windows Vista (Business) limited Account
, I have
noticed the first time it runs and the alias is created for the very first t
ime, the
BDE will sometimes freeze at that point. This is regardless of the setting t
elling the
BDE to use the CFG file and not the registry. Rebooting Vista and running th
e
application again resolves the problem.
The better solution I have found is to add the Alias with a dummy path at BD
E
installation time. When my application runs, all is good and there is no fre
eze,

Strange !
10. When moving the BDE to an alternative location, no attempt is made to remove
the
Borland Shared Folder and so it may remain on the target system as an empty
folder.
11. This installation routine is currently in Beta Test phase and is still being
tested
under Windows Vista.