Define Sequences & Actions

Everything that occurs in your setup is initiated in a sequence. A sequence is a series of built-in Windows Installer actions, custom actions, and dialogs that you can modify, reorder, and conditionally execute to control what happens in your setup and when. When you start a new setup project, it includes default actions and dialogs for each supported sequence.

One of the most powerful aids you have in controlling your setup is the ability to author custom actions. Custom actions are procedures that you write to extend the canned functionality of Windows Installer. You can launch an EXE, call a function in a DLL, and run JScript and VBScript code. Insert custom actions into your setup's sequences as you would a built-in action or a dialog.

Unique to InstallShield is an InstallScript custom action. InstallScript is the same powerful setup-creation programming language that you may be familiar with from InstallShield Professional. It includes hundreds of built-in functions that you can call to show dialog boxes, manipulate files, and interact with the operating system.

Notice that most of the dialogs in the setup are not listed in the Sequences view. Another way to show a dialog or start a custom action is by modifying a dialog's control event.