A Windows Package Management System / Articles / dracoblue.net

I am working on a package system, which is described in this post. It will be often updated.

Executables

pkg.exe

This comandline tool ist for all stuff about installing/uninstalling or upgrading. It has accesse to the database of installed software packages and can handle dependencies.

It is able to install package files and packages from web/file-archives.

Parameters

pkg action filename[|packagename]

actions:
- install installs the package
- uninstall removes all of this package, except the settings
- remove deletes everything of the package (also settings!)
- upgrade Upgrades a package
- info Prints general information about the package.

File-format

Package Index

There is an index file, containing all installed software. Its called database.xml.

Example:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
&lt;wnp>
&lt;packages>
&lt;installed>
&lt;package name="firefox" version="2.0.1" language="deDE" file="firefox-deDE-2.0.1.wnp" />

&lt;package name="azureus" version="1.5" language="enEN" file="azureus-enEN-1.5.wnp" />
&lt;/installed>
&lt;/packages>
&lt;/wnp>

Package .wnp

wi ndows
package is in general a zip-archive with predefined style.

It always contains the following things:

index.xml Contains important data about the package. Packagetypes:
- application Packages which have application type can be installed via the normal view.
- library Those packages are libraries needed for execution of applications, they are only visible in expert mode.
- addon Addons are additions to application and also not visible in normal view.
Example: ``` <wnp> <package name="azureus" version="1.5.0.6" language="enEN" type="application"> <detail name="description">Free Bittorrent client made by Aeltis</detail> <complies feature="DotTorrent_Handler" /> <requires feature="java" version="1.5-1.6" /> <instructions name="install" file="install.pii" /> <instructions name="remove" file="remove.pii" /> </package> </wnp> ```
instructions (directory) Instructions for install, remove, uninstall & upgrade
files (directory) Contains all files used by the installer. [em](Can be empty, must exist)[/em]

Lua-Functions

This part describes all functions a install/uninstall script can use. It is very useful to check if a package can be installed or to perform specific actions, needed to install the software.

Package

pkg.export (pkgfilename,exportedfilename) : true/false Extract a file to a specific filename
pkg.fileexists (pkgfilename) : true/false Check if a file exists in the archive.
pkg.fileconten t (pkgfilename) : string/nil Return the package file's content

Filesystem

fs.fileexists (filename) : true/false Check wether a file exists in the filesystem
fs.filecontent (filename) : string/nil Return a file's content
fs.filesetcontent (filename,content) : true/false Return a file's content
fs.delete (name) : true/false Deletes folders and clients, returns if it was possible.
fs.copy (source,target) : true/false Copys a source to a target location.
fs.chdir (dirname) Switches to this directory
fs.dir (): string Returns current directory
fs.setAttributes (filename,attr) Example:
- fs.setAttributes('example.txt',FILE_ATTRIBUTE_READONLY+FILE_ATTRIBUTE_HIDDEN)
Attrvalues:
- FILE_ATTRIBUTE_READONLY
- FILE_ATTRIBUTE_HIDDEN
- FILE_ATTRIBUTE_SYSTEM
- FILE_ATTRIBUTE_ARCHIVE
- FILE_ATTRIBUTE_NORMAL
- FILE_ATTRIBUTE_TEMPORARY
- FILE_ATTRIBUTE_OFFLINE
fs.fileinfo (filename,key) : string Possible Values for [em]Key[/em]
- CompanyName
- FileDescription
- FileVersion
- InternalName
- LegalCopyRight
- LegalTradeMarks
- OriginalFileName
- ProductName
- ProductVersion
- Comments
- SpecialBuild
- PrivateBuild
fs.fileversion (filename) : string Returns the version of the file. (Can be different from fs.fileinfo's data)
fs.extractfilepath (filename) : string Returns path to the file/folder.

Registry

reg.read (rootkey,type,key,var) : string/float/int Returns content of a registry key.
reg.write(rootkey,type,key,var,value) : true/false Sets a value of a registry key.types: 'INT','FLOAT,'STRING' rootkey: 'HKEY_CURRENT_USER','HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE','HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT','HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG','HKEY_USERS'

Operating System

os.sleep (seconds) Script will sleep for the amount of seconds
os.beep () Create an audio beep.
os.msg (message) Show a message as HintBox
os.build () : majorversion , minversion , build Return the versiondetails about the windows version
os.computer () : string Returns the computer's name
os.login () : string Return the loginname of the current user.
os.captureconsole (cmdline) : string Returns what was returned after [em]cmdline[/em] was executed.
pkg_dir Var which contains path to the pkg-directory, must be used to include the pkg-library.
print_r (element) Prints a php's print_r-alike information about an element.

Features

feature.add (featurename,version,lang) : Boolean Adds a new feature (version and lang are optional parameters) [em] Hint: Only available in detect\*.lua-Scripts[/em]
feature.delete (featurename,version,lang) : Boolean Removes a feature. [em] Hint: Only available in detect\*.lua-Scripts[/em]
feature.detail (featurename,key) Returns a detail about a feature
feature.setdetail (featurename,key,value) Sets a detail about a feature

Doc-Updates:

Added docs for feature-functions and some of the filesystem functions 15th March 2007
Added new functions 14th March 2007
New functions 5th March 2007
Update 21 Feb 2007
Initial Version 14th Feb 2007

dracoblue.net