Self-Installer

Hello, I want to make a program that installs it self to a given directory, yet I don't know how to do it....I need a program that erases itself, where ever it is, and copies itself to the directory it was given, such as:

Code:

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#include <iostream>

using namespace std;

char address[80];

int main()
{
    cout<<"Where do you wish to install this program? : "<<endl;
    cin.getline(address,80,'\n');

    return 0;
}

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Program output:

Code:

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Where do you wish to install this program? :
C:\Program Files\

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Yet I don't know how to get there, can someone help me?? Please....

generally you use an installer system for this rather then coding it in your application. Google for installshield ($$$) or inno setup (free).

also if you have visual studio.net you can create a setup project (which might need .net runtime, but I'm not sure)

Be prepaired to spend a few days learning how to use one to these install programs... I've never done it myself, but my company sent a programmer to a seminar to learn the Wise Installer. (Like InstallShield, it's too expensive for hobby use.) I was surprised that he actually had to take a class to learn something "simple" like that!

Not really what I wanted....Hmm..... Um let me put it this way.....

Code:

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#include <iostream>
//Here I would include any necessary IO library....
//Possibly <fstream.h> or <io.h>

using namespace std;

int main()
{
    /* { Do Program Stuff Here : } */

    if(  /* IF Backup does not already exists in My Documents */ )
      {
          CreateBackUp("C:\My Documents");
          cout<<"Program was back-uped in My Documents";
      }

      else
        {
              //Continue with program
        }

        return 0;
}

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Code:

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Program was back-uped in My Documents

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I just want to make a program that backs-ups itself on My Documents, I don't want to make the user putting the address...it always annoys me.... so instead, I Put it somewhere and tell him where it is....I always put my backup stuff in My Documents....

Can someone help me....?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by toonlover

I just want to make a program that backs-ups itself on My Documents, I don't want to make the user putting the address...it always annoys me.... so instead, I Put it somewhere and tell him where it is....I always put my backup stuff in My Documents....

Can someone help me....?

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first nothing is guarenteed to annoy users more then a program telling them where it's going to copy it's file. Not everyone backs up to my documents.

second, why do you want to back up the program? I can understand backing up the users files, but it's not likely the exe will be overwritten.

However, if you're determined to do this, look into CopyFile on msdn.

A tool I'd recommend is the Nullsoft Scriptable Install System aka NSIS.

Quote:

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NSIS allows you to create stable, quick and user friendly installers that are capable of installing, uninstalling, setting system settings, extracting files and more. With the NSIS scripting language you can implement any custom logic you want.

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