Error in macro registry::KeyExists

[hermiod]

I'm just getting started writing installer scripts and have hit a problem whereby I get the following error when performing a keyexists check using the registry plugin.

I've looked at all the samples I can find online and they all seem to match my code, I can't see why this is failing.

This is the error:

!insertmacro: registry::KeyExists
File: "Registry.dll"->"$PLUGINSDIR\Registry.dll" [compress] 8807/16384 bytes
Plugin Command: _KeyExists HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server Compact Edition\v3.5\ENU
Usage: Pop $(user_var: output)
Error in macro registry::KeyExists on macroline 2
Error in script "M:\MyProgs\VS\Projects\APTimeSheet\installscript.nsi" on line 53 -- aborting creation process

and here is the full script:

; Script generated by the HM NIS Edit Script Wizard.

; HM NIS Edit Wizard helper defines
!define PRODUCT_NAME "AFD Timesheet"
!define PRODUCT_VERSION "1.0"
!define PRODUCT_PUBLISHER "AFD"
!define PRODUCT_DIR_REGKEY "Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\AFDTimeSheet.exe"
!define PRODUCT_UNINST_KEY "Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\${PRODUCT_NAME}"
!define PRODUCT_UNINST_ROOT_KEY "HKLM"

; MUI 1.67 compatible ------
!include "MUI.nsh"

!include "Registry.nsh"

; MUI Settings
!define MUI_ABORTWARNING
!define MUI_ICON "APTimeSheet\icons\main.ico"
!define MUI_UNICON "${NSISDIR}\Contrib\Graphics\Icons\modern-uninstall.ico"

; Welcome page
!insertmacro MUI_PAGE_WELCOME
; Directory page
!insertmacro MUI_PAGE_DIRECTORY
; Instfiles page
!insertmacro MUI_PAGE_INSTFILES
; Finish page
!define MUI_FINISHPAGE_RUN "$INSTDIR\AFDTimeSheet.exe"
!insertmacro MUI_PAGE_FINISH

; Uninstaller pages
!insertmacro MUI_UNPAGE_INSTFILES

; Language files
!insertmacro MUI_LANGUAGE "English"

; MUI end ------

Name "${PRODUCT_NAME} ${PRODUCT_VERSION}"
OutFile "Setup.exe"
InstallDir "$PROGRAMFILES\AFD\Timesheet"
InstallDirRegKey HKLM "${PRODUCT_DIR_REGKEY}" ""
ShowInstDetails show
ShowUnInstDetails show

Section -SETTINGS
SetOutPath "$INSTDIR"
SetOverwrite ifnewer
SectionEnd

Section "SSCE Runtime" SEC01

${registry::KeyExists} 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server Compact Edition\v3.5\ENU' $var

${If} $var == -1
File "M:\\ssce1\SSCERuntime_x86-ENU.msi"
ExecWait '"msiexec" /i "$INSTDIR\SSCERuntime_x86-ENU.msi" /passive'
Delete "$INSTDIR\SSCERuntime_x86-ENU.msi"
${EndIf}

SectionEnd

Section "AFD Timesheet" SEC02
SetOutPath "$INSTDIR"
SetOverwrite ifnewer
File "APTimeSheet\bin\Release\AFDTimeSheet.exe"
CreateDirectory "$SMPROGRAMS\AFD Timesheet"
CreateShortCut "$SMPROGRAMS\AFD Timesheet\AFD Timesheet.lnk" "$INSTDIR\AFDTimeSheet.exe"
CreateShortCut "$DESKTOP\AFD Timesheet.lnk" "$INSTDIR\AFDTimeSheet.exe"
File "APTimeSheet\bin\Release\AFDTimeSheet.exe.config"
File "APTimeSheet\bin\Release\System.Data.SqlServerCe.dll"
SectionEnd

Section "Reports" SEC03
SetOutPath "$INSTDIR\reports"
SetOverwrite ifnewer
File "APTimeSheet\bin\Release\reports\AccountReport.rdlc"
File "APTimeSheet\bin\Release\reports\TimesheetReport.rdlc"
SectionEnd

;Section "Blank Database" SEC04
; IfFileExists "$INSTDIR\TimeSheet.sdf" end
; File "TimeSheet.sdf"
;SectionEnd

Section -AdditionalIcons
CreateShortCut "$SMPROGRAMS\AFD Timesheet\Uninstall.lnk" "$INSTDIR\uninst.exe"
SectionEnd

Section -Post
WriteUninstaller "$INSTDIR\uninst.exe"
WriteRegStr HKLM "${PRODUCT_DIR_REGKEY}" "" "$INSTDIR\AFDTimeSheet.exe"
WriteRegStr ${PRODUCT_UNINST_ROOT_KEY} "${PRODUCT_UNINST_KEY}" "DisplayName" "$(^Name)"
WriteRegStr ${PRODUCT_UNINST_ROOT_KEY} "${PRODUCT_UNINST_KEY}" "UninstallString" "$INSTDIR\uninst.exe"
WriteRegStr ${PRODUCT_UNINST_ROOT_KEY} "${PRODUCT_UNINST_KEY}" "DisplayIcon" "$INSTDIR\AFDTimeSheet.exe"
WriteRegStr ${PRODUCT_UNINST_ROOT_KEY} "${PRODUCT_UNINST_KEY}" "DisplayVersion" "${PRODUCT_VERSION}"
WriteRegStr ${PRODUCT_UNINST_ROOT_KEY} "${PRODUCT_UNINST_KEY}" "Publisher" "${PRODUCT_PUBLISHER}"
SectionEnd


Function un.onUninstSuccess
HideWindow
MessageBox MB_ICONINFORMATION|MB_OK "$(^Name) was successfully removed from your computer."
FunctionEnd

Function un.onInit
MessageBox MB_ICONQUESTION|MB_YESNO|MB_DEFBUTTON2 "Are you sure you want to completely remove $(^Name)? The database file will not be deleted." IDYES +2
Abort
FunctionEnd

Section Uninstall
Delete "$INSTDIR\uninst.exe"
Delete "$INSTDIR\System.Data.SqlServerCe.dll"
Delete "$INSTDIR\AFDTimeSheet.exe"

Delete "$SMPROGRAMS\AFD Timesheet\Uninstall.lnk"
Delete "$DESKTOP\AFD Timesheet.lnk"
Delete "$SMPROGRAMS\AFD Timesheet\AFD Timesheet.lnk"

RMDir "$SMPROGRAMS\AFD Timesheet"
RMDir "$INSTDIR"

DeleteRegKey ${PRODUCT_UNINST_ROOT_KEY} "${PRODUCT_UNINST_KEY}"
DeleteRegKey HKLM "${PRODUCT_DIR_REGKEY}"
SetAutoClose true
SectionEnd

[demiller9]

You never declared the variable that you are expecting the result to be stored in. Add "Var var" near line 45 or so.

[Afrow UK]

Or use one of $0-$9, $R0-$R9

Stu

[hermiod]

Thanks for the replies, I did try it with pre-declaring the variable in the script before but I must've been declaring it incorrectly.

I have gone with Afrow UK's answer as this will save me from being an idiot and not declaring the vars in the future.

Is there any major difference between using the $R0-$R9 variables as opposed to declaring your own or does it not really matter?

[Afrow UK]

Using the built in ones will save memory at run time if that matters to you. I only declare my own if I need to ensure their value is preserved throughout the lifetime of the installation. For anything else I'll use the built in variables.

Stu