Tarma QuickInstall - Knowledge Base

Installing Shortcuts

Shortcuts are a feature of Windows. In essence, they are small files, represented by an icon with a overlay, that act as symbolic links to other files stored elsewhere. Their main purpose is to give the customer convenient access to programs and documents that may be stored in not-so-convenient places, such as C:\Program Files\Whizbang Inc\Widget.exe.

Typically, shortcuts are installed in one or more of the following locations:

Occasionally, shortcuts are installed in other folders such as the Startup folder (represented by the <Startup> project variable in Tarma Installer).

The current topic describes how to create shortcuts with Tarma Installer. Its emphasis is on creating shortcuts to files that are part of your own application. For more information about creating shortcuts to arbitrary files, even if not installed with your own application, see Installing Shortcuts to External Files.

Guidelines for shortcut locations

Tarma Installer supports creation of shortcuts in any of the locations mentioned above. However, to avoid cluttering the customer's work environment, you should follow some guidelines when deciding where to install shortcuts.

In your application's program group?
Almost always - Shortcuts to your application's main executable (i.e., the program that the customer would regard as "the" application), to its documentation, to any related programs that you want the customer to access, and optionally to the uninstaller for your application (i.e., Tarma Installer's Setup program).
On the Programs menu?
Rarely - A shortcut to your application's main executable, but only if the customer will use it often (say, almost every day). The space on the Programs menu is limited; don't force your customer to wade through a long list of rarely used shortcuts.
On the Start menu?
Seldom, if ever - A shortcut to your application's main executable, but only if the customer will use it very often (say, several times a day). The space on the Start menu is limited; don't force your customer to wade through a long list of rarely used shortcuts.
On the Desktop?
Seldom, if ever - A shortcut to your application's main executable, but only if the customer will use it very often (say, several times a day). The Windows Desktop is the provenance of the customer; leave it to him to decide how to arrange his work environment.
Elsewhere?
Rarely - unless you have special requirements, for example, a program that must be run each time a user logs on. In that case, you could install a shortcut in the <Startup> folder.

Note - Tarma Installer allows you to redefine the value of the <Desktop>, <Programs>, and <StartMenu> project variables. Among other things, this makes it possible to specify installation of shortcuts for the current user rather than common to all users (which is the default). See Project - Shortcuts in the online help for a discussion of the pros and cons of common and current user shortcuts.

How to create a program group for your application

The preferred location for shortcuts is an application-specific program group. To define a program group for your application, act as follows.

  1. Select the Installation page by clicking on its bullet in the Navigation area.
  2. Make sure that the Program group box is checked.
  3. Fill in the Program group field with a name of your choosing. The recommended (and default) name is <AppTitle>, i.e., the title of your application.

How to define a shortcut for your application

To define a shortcut for your application, act as follows.

  1. Make sure that the target for the shortcut, i.e., the file or folder to which the new shortcut will refer, is already included in your Tarma Installer project. If necessary, consult Installing Files to see how to add installation files and folders to your project.

    Note - If the intended target of the shortcut is Tarma Installer's Setup program, you do not need to add the file. It is always present in the <AppFolder> installation folder.

  2. Select the Project - Shortcuts page by clicking on its bullet in the Navigation area.
  3. Right-click anywhere in the Shortcuts list to open its context menu.

  4. From the context menu that appears, choose one of the following options:

  5. Select the newly created shortcut to display its Shortcut settings pane, then adjust its settings as appropriate. Pay particular attention to the various Standard locations options, bearing in mind the guidelines set out above. If necessary, check the Install in box to install the shortcut in a non-standard location.
  6. Repeat steps 3-5 as required for further shortcuts.

Alternative procedure

Sometimes it is easier to create a shortcut starting from the other side - the target file or folder. To create a shortcut to a specific file or folder, acts as follows.

  1. Select the Project - Files page by clicking on its bullet in the Navigation area.
  2. Navigate to the installation file or folder that the new shortcut should refer to.
  3. Right-click on the desired installation file or folder, then choose Create Shortcut to File... or Create Shortcut to Folder... from the menu that appears.
  4. Fill in the fields on the Create Shortcut to File or Folder dialog that appears next and make sure that the Switch to shortcut view box is checked (you might want to clear it if you intend to add several shortcuts and want to stay on the Project - Files page). Click Create to create the shortcut.
  5. In the Shortcut settings pane of the newly created shortcut, then adjust its settings as appropriate. Pay particular attention to the various Standard locations options, bearing in mind the guidelines set out above. If necessary, check the Install in box to install the shortcut in a non-standard location.

Creating shortcuts for all users

By default, Tarma QuickInstall creates its shortcuts common to all users, so there is nothing you need to do. However, if you changed the defaults, you might have to change the values of the <Desktop>, <StartMenu> and <Programs> project variables back to their original "common" settings. To do so, go to the Advanced - Variables project page and change the following variables:

You can normally keep the value of the <ProgGroupDir> as-is, because it refers to the <Programs> variable and thus adapts itself to whatever you select for that variable. If necessary, set its Value (all or 9x) field to <Programs>\<ProgGroup> and make sure that its Value (NT) checkbox is cleared.

Note: Although Windows 9x systems often have a Common Start Menu folder, typically C:\Windows\All Users\Start Menu, Windows doesn't honor shortcuts that are placed in this folders or any subfolders (such as C:\Windows\All Users\Start Menu\Programs and C:\Windows\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup). As a result, and contrary to expectation, shortcuts to programs created in these folders do not appear on the Windows Start menu of any user.

In contrast, the Common Desktop folder behaves as expected on Windows 9x, and Tarma QuickInstall will use that folder (typically C:\Windows\All Users\Desktop), if it exists, to install desktop shortcuts. Note that none of this is a problem on Windows NT; these systems handle the Common Start Menu folder properly.

Creating shortcuts for the current user only

You can change the values of the <Desktop>, <StartMenu> and <Programs> project variables to the current user locations instead of the (default) common location. To do so, go to the Advanced - Variables project page and change the following variables:

You can normally keep the value of the <ProgGroupDir> as-is, because it refers to the <Programs> variable and thus adapts itself to whatever you select for that variable. If necessary, set its Value (all or 9x) field to <Programs>\<ProgGroup> and make sure that its Value (NT) checkbox is cleared.

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Tarma QuickInstall User's Manual - Topic last modified on 3/04/08 18:19
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