|
1 <html> |
|
2 <head> |
|
3 <title>ExperienceUI Documentation Content Frame</title> |
|
4 <link rel=stylesheet href=style.css type=text/css> |
|
5 </head> |
|
6 |
|
7 <body bgcolor="#FFFFFF" style="background-color:#FFFFFF;margin:0px;padding:0px"> |
|
8 |
|
9 <table border=0 width=100% height=100%> |
|
10 |
|
11 <tr> |
|
12 |
|
13 <td valign=top style=margin:10px;padding:10px> |
|
14 |
|
15 <h1>The ExperienceUI's Patching System</h1> |
|
16 |
|
17 <p style=margin-left:0.2in><font face=Verdana style=font-size:8pt color=#000000> |
|
18 Like all computer programs, the ExperienceUI has its bugs. Since version 1.02, however, the ExperienceUI has included a patching |
|
19 system that can update any file that is related to the ExperienceUI or any NSIS component. The patch files are simply ZIP archives |
|
20 with a special file, CONTENT.DAT, that tells where everything goes. This method of distributing updates allows for very small files; |
|
21 files that do not require a setup program, just a shell extension in the Registry. The patching system also allows installation of |
|
22 new components, such as extra features or skins. There is even a separate format made just for skins!<br> |
|
23 <br> |
|
24 Installing a patch or skin is very easy. All you have to do is click on the file in Windows Explorer, and the installer handles the rest. |
|
25 You can also write your own patches or skins. See the next section for more information. |
|
26 </font></p> |
|
27 |
|
28 <a name=write id=write></a> |
|
29 <h1>Writing patch files</h1> |
|
30 |
|
31 <p style=margin-left:0.2in><font face=Verdana style=font-size:8pt color=#000000> |
|
32 Writing an ExperienceUI patch or skin is very simple. If you have WinZip® or even Windows 98/ME/XP's integrated ZIP features and a |
|
33 basic text editor, you have the tools required to build a patch or skin for the ExperienceUI. Here's how:<br> |
|
34 <br> |
|
35 <ol type=1> |
|
36 <li><b>Gather up your files.</b><br> |
|
37 <br> |
|
38 Make a new ZIP file, and put all of the files you want to install into the archive's root directory.<br><br></li> |
|
39 <li><b>Create a CONTENT.DAT information file.</b><br> |
|
40 <br> |
|
41 Create a new text file, call it CONTENT.DAT, and open it in Notepad, WordPad, emacs, or any other text editor.<br><br></li> |
|
42 <li><b>List your patch's files.</b><br> |
|
43 <br> |
|
44 Type [EUI-Patch] or [EUI-Skin] (including the brackets) at the top of your file. Hit enter.<br><br> |
|
45 Now type <b>NumFiles=#</b> and replace # with the number of files in your patch, <b>not</b> including CONTENT.DAT.<br><br> |
|
46 Make a few more new lines, and then type <b>File1=<filename></b> and replace <filename> with the first file |
|
47 in your patch/skin. Hit Enter.<br><br> |
|
48 Type in <b>File1 Path=MyPath</b> for the folder to extract the file to. If you are extracting the file to the ExperienceUI's |
|
49 installation root directory, create this field, but leave it blank. Hit Enter one more time.<br> |
|
50 If you're writing a patch, type <b>File1 Desc=My Description String</b> and replace My Description String with a description |
|
51 of the file. This key does not apply to skins.<br><br> |
|
52 Now, add one more <b>File1</b>/<b>File1 Path</b>/<b>File1 Desc</b> section to the install script file (aka CONTENT.DAT) for |
|
53 each file in your patch/skin, each time replacing the 1 with a number one higher than the previous file entry.<br> |
|
54 <br> |
|
55 When you're done, the file should look somewhat like this:<br> |
|
56 <br> |
|
57 <code> |
|
58 [EUI-Patch]<br> |
|
59 NumFiles=3<br> |
|
60 <br> |
|
61 File1=XPUI.NSH<br> |
|
62 File1 Path=<br> |
|
63 File1 Desc=ExperienceUI main script<br> |
|
64 <br> |
|
65 File2=English.NSH<br> |
|
66 File2 Path=Language Files<br> |
|
67 File2 Desc=English Language string table<br> |
|
68 <br> |
|
69 File3=Plus.bmp<br> |
|
70 File3 Path=Readme\Images<br> |
|
71 File3 Desc=Documentation section expand button, mouse out<br><br> |
|
72 </code></li> |
|
73 |
|
74 <li><b>Add the CONTENT.DAT file to your ZIP archive.</b><br> |
|
75 <br> |
|
76 This next step should be a little easier. Fire up your zip utility, and |
|
77 add the CONTENT.DAT file you just created to the ZIP file.<br><br></li> |
|
78 |
|
79 <li><b>Rename the file.</b><br> |
|
80 <br> |
|
81 Open up Command Prompt, usually done by going to Start > Run, typing CMD, and pressing Enter, and change to the |
|
82 directory where your ZIP file is. Type in the command <b>REN <file>.zip |
|
83 <file>.eup</b> for a patch or <b>REN <file>.zip <file>.eus</b> for a skin.<br> |
|
84 <br> |
|
85 <b>That's it! To test your skin/patch, just double-click it. After testing it, you'll be ready to distribute it over |
|
86 the Web. |
|
87 </ol> |
|
88 </font></p> |
|
89 |
|
90 </td> |
|
91 |
|
92 </tr> |
|
93 |
|
94 <tr> |
|
95 |
|
96 <td valign=bottom style=margin:0px;padding:0px> |
|
97 |
|
98 <p class=footer>Copyright © 2004-2006 Dan Fuhry. All rights except those explicitly given in the <a href=license_agreement.htm style=color:#A0A0D0 onmouseover="this.style.color='#A0A0A0'" onmouseout="this.style.color='#A0A0D0'">license agreement</a> reserved.</p> |
|
99 |
|
100 </td> |
|
101 |
|
102 </tr> |
|
103 |
|
104 </table> |
|
105 |
|
106 </body> |
|
107 |
|
108 </html> |