communication Runtime install

kegley182

How do you install the Communication runtime as part of the install package of one's customized application's install package? ...

 

 

Note that the instructions indicate the following generalitys... but this is in no way enough information.... 

 

Specifically... using a standard  VS2005 deployment project... how do you do it?

 

ABBControllerAPI.msm

A PC SDK application cannot execute without the PC SDK assemblies it references. For your convenience, the ABBControllerAPI merge module contains the PC SDK assemblies. Add it to your install program to have them installed in the Global Assembly Cache (GAC).The GAC is automatically installed with the .NET runtime. It enables a PC to share assemblies across numerous applications. If the customer?_Ts PC has Robot Studio Online of the same release as the PS SDK used to create the application the PC SDK dlls your application needs should be in the GAC already. NOTE!If you want to create an msi file (or a setup.exe) of the msm file, you can include the ABBControllerAPI.msm file in a Visual Studio SetUp Project. NOTE!Before, ABBControllerAPI.msm worked only with InstallShield. This problem has now been resolved.

Ingela

Hello,
 
Yes, the information provided on this issue is very general, I agree. In principle, User's Guide deals with what is specific for the RAB product, and usually we try not to duplicate information that is provided by Microsoft (or elsewhere).
 
Nevertheless,  when taking a closer at the topic you mention I agree with you that User's Guide could be a bit more helpful...

The PC DK dlls should always be included in your installation. Create a VS 2005 Setup project and add your own application components and installation logics. Then add the merge module that contains the PC SDK assemblies  (ABBControllerAPI.msm) to the project (right click the project in the solution explorer and select Add - >Merge Module. The dlls of the merge module will now be installed along with your PC SDK application as if they belonged to your application. 

As for RobotCommunicationRuntime, which also needs to exist on the customer's PC,  the procedure is different. ALL files in the RobotCommunicationRuntime folder are necessary, not only the msi-file. The simplest way of deploying RobotCommunicationRuntime is copying the RobotCommunicationRuntime folder and distribute it along with your own installation on a CD/DVD, for example, and to instruct the end-user to manually run the Setup.exe.

There are of course more elegant ways of doing it, depending on what tools you are using to create the installation program and what the requirements for the distribution are. Eg.  I believe you can create a  "Custom Action" in your VS Setup project to have the setup.exe of RobotCommunicationRuntime launched when the first installation is ready. And some some installation tools enable you to have RobotCommunicationRuntime installed first as a "Setup Prerequisite". Web site links and CD/DVD browsers can also be used.

I hope you will figure out a way that suits you.  It would be interesting to hear from you how you decided to do it in the end.