NSIS Dialog Designer

[nicorac]

v.0.9.7 - 2011-09-11
NEW: Added support for Unicode into generated .nsdinc scripts (needs an Unicode version of NSIS).
NEW: New (self explaining) control properties: Visible and Enabled.
NEW: Dialog name (and so the corresponding NSIS variable) can now be set independently from its .nsddef filename. It could be set through the new "Name" dialog property.
FIX: Generated test script (the one compiled with F5) now checks user custom scripts to avoid redefining an already defined function. (thanks to Benjamin Richardson for reporting bug)
FIX: Fixed broken uninstall test script.
FIX: Some properties appear in bold into Property Grid, even if their value is the default one. This caused the generate script to be longer than required.
FIX: Custom script editor now accepts TAB key.
FIX: Script preview is cleared when closing the last dialog editor.
FIX: Fixed focus management issues that prevents DEL key to work into PropertyGrid.

NSISDialogDesigner is available here: http://coolsoft.altervista.org/nsisdialogdesigner

[nicorac]

v.0.9.8 - 2011-09-12

• NEW: Script editor/preview now has NSIS syntax highlighting and code folding, thanks to FastColoredTextBox
  (LGPL3 control, see here: http://www.codeproject.com/KB/edit/F...dTextBox_.aspx)
• FIX: Styles property wrongly uses the value of ExStyles property.

[AEL21]

I am trying to create an installer that basically has all custom components, so I would be getting rid of the Next, Back, Cancel buttons, etc... How would I recreate them using your designer, so, I know how to create the buttons, but what is the command to Cancel, Next, Back? I have tried searching around, but I can't figure it out.

[MSG]

The Next Back Cancel buttons aren't part of the inner dialog, they're part of the outer user interface. If you want to create an installer without those buttons, you'll have to design and program your own user interface.

[nicorac]

That's right.
As MSG said, NSIS Dialog Designer target is the user part of the dialog, the one below the top bitmap and above the command buttons.

[AEL21]

How would I design my own interface?

[LoRd_MuldeR]

For example, use Resource Hacker to edit "Contrib\UIs\WhatEverYouUse.exe".

[AEL21]

I was just experimenting with that actually! So, when I get rid of everything so that it is just the 'innner interface', is there anything special I have to map for the Cancel, Back, Next buttons? i.e. Abort command wouldn't just work, I have to do something extra inside the actual code.

[MSG]

Why wouldn't abort work? Would you prefer Quit?

As for jumping to other pages, there's relgotopage.

[AEL21]

I don't know! I tried putting Abort in the OnClick box (in the NSIS Dialog Designer), but nothing happened when clicked. Is there a better way of doing it that would actually work?

[AEL21]

Well, I am trying something else now, I edited the gui with Resource Hacker and just made the main content cover the whole window, behind the navigation buttons, so far it works pretty well, except that the buttons aren't shown until a person hovers over them....

[MSG]

Ah yes, I remember, that's a nasty shortcoming in nsDialogs. See here:
http://forums.winamp.com/showthread....3670&p=2612858

Unfortunately this hasn't been fixed yet. nsDialogs cannot quit the installer.

[LostKatana]

Because of I'm really new this may be a dump ask,
but I felt a litte bit hopeless as I want to thell a button what he has to do.
May there is a help in the Dialog Designer with examples or a help which creates
a nothing doing action...

[nicorac]

v.0.9.9 - 2011-11-21

• NEW: Added new "check updates" features: it periodically checks for new releases on CoolSoft website.
• NEW: Script preview editor now preserves selection and cursor position after script changes and when switching between multiple opened dialogs.
• NEW: TabIndex property can now be used to customize focus path through controls.
• NEW: Added context menu to dialog designer, it shows Edit menu items.
• NEW: Dialog .nsddef files are now created with UTF-8 encoding.
• NEW: .nsddef and .nsdinc files now include NSISDialogDesigner version into header comments.
• NEW: Duplicate font definitions are merged, generating only a single variable.
• NEW: .nsddef files can now be opened by drag&drop from Windows Explorer.
• NEW: IDE layout can now be reset through View menu item "Reset layout".
• FIX: Property are now stored into .nsddef only if value is different from default.
• FIX: Fixed issue on copy/paste controls (duplicate control name).
• FIX: User custom scripts won't be generated during debug, avoiding compile error due to missing functions.

NSISDialogDesigner is available here: http://coolsoft.altervista.org/nsisdialogdesigner

[nicorac]

v.0.9.10 - 2011-11-23

• FIX: Fixed bug that prevents opening forms where SetupType property is different from default value (Install).
• FIX: IDE layout was not saved correctly and lost between version upgrades.
  Please reset layout (View | Reset layout), customize it then restart IDE to save correctly.

NSISDialogDesigner is available here: http://coolsoft.altervista.org/nsisdialogdesigner

[nicorac]

Hey guys, I need your thoughts on how alternate coordinate systems (units, percentage) should be implemented into NSISDialogDesigner.

Suppose we place a button on an empty dialog and consider only its location (the same ideas applies to size).
Button location can be changed in 3 ways:

1. dragging the control with mouse (property grid Location property updates accordingly)
2. changing X and Y values of Location property (button moves accordingly)
3. using cursor keys (the button moves by 10 pixels each key press and again property grid Location property updates accordingly)

Now the doubts that stopped me from completing this feature.
I'm going to have an IDE where each property coordinate system can be unrelated to others.
I mean a control could have its X in pixels, Y in DU, Width and Height in percentage. NSIS supports definitions like this.
.NET (that's what I used to write NSDD) doesn't, it understands pixels only (and it has its own way to manage different DPIs, but always in pixels).

So I customized Location and Size properties, allowing user to enter strings and not only numbers (like NSIS):

• 120 means "pixels"
• 3u means "units"
• 12% means... "12%"

User entered value (string) is written to NSIS script, while corresponding pixel value is written to .nsddef file.

So far so good, now what if the user drag/resizes the control using the mouse?
Actually I convert pixels-->"user selected unit" and store this one into property, but this leads to not-integer values, like 1.4523213. To have "human" values the user must enter them manually, and I should cut out decimals to avoid loops.

The first solution that comes to my mind is: coordinates that aren't pixel will be locked.
I mean, if I set W=4u, then control width will not be changeable by mouse but only inserting a value into property grid.

I'd like to hear your thoughts...

[demiller9]

I think it would be 'unfriendly' to lock out the mouse or cursor keys. I think that if a person changes the width (or other properties) you could save those properties in pixels. That's what they are looking at, and they thought it looked OK, so I think they should accept pixels.

[MSG]

Maybe I'm not understanding the problem correctly ,but can't you just calculate the nearest units equivalent of the new pixel position, and save that? This will cause the control to be resized once more after the mouse button is released, but this is normal for snap-to-grid designing.

Other idea is to just revert to pixels each time a mouse-resize is used.

Or maybe do all of the above and make a setting for the end user to choose the desired behavior.

[n0On3]

Originally Posted by nicorac

You're welcome.
Stay tuned, right now I'm working on old format INI file import.

just to let you know that there's someone waiting for this

[nicorac]

Originally Posted by n0On3

just to let you know that there's someone waiting for this

You're right, the project isn't dead .
Right now I'm fighting with pixel/dialog units/percentage coordinates, and it took more than expected.

After that I'll start working on INI import and I suppose it should be a long task too.

[n0On3]

ok, don't worry, if you have other things to do, just leave this and I will manage. thanks for the project

[sethradio]

You should add file/directory select features to it.

[nicorac]

After a long silence a new update to NSISDialogDesigner is finally available.

The most important added feature is the support to DU (Dialog Units) when generating NSIS scripts. In fact DU is now the default choice; you can revert to pixels through Tools | Options dialog.
Definition files (*.nsddef) files were not affected by the change, XML will always contain pixel units.

Originally Posted by sethradio

You should add file/directory select features to it.

Here you are...

v.0.9.11 - 2012-02-11

• NEW: NSIS scripts (*.nsdinc files) controls position and size values can now be selected between DU (Dialog units, the new default mode) and Pixels.
  The default coordinate system mode can be set into Options dialog.
• NEW: Added 2 new controls: DirRequest and FileRequest.

NSISDialogDesigner is available here: http://coolsoft.altervista.org/nsisdialogdesigner

[Afrow UK]

Just something to consider but it can be desirable to mix dialog units and pixels when creating controls. For example, you may want an image placement which has its size in pixels but its position in dialog units. Similarly you may want a label to the right of the image which has the same height in pixels. Also how about percentages?

Stu

[nicorac]

When I was planning the implementation of multiple coordinate systems I was looking for a case where an user could need mixed coordinates... and your example is what I missed.

I'd leave pixels inside XML, just because .NET works in pixels only and I don't want to mixup things and reinvent the wheel.

Now, how could I let users specify the coordinate system to use?
I'd like to give them the maximum flexibility, i.e. X in pixels, Y and height in % and width in DU, for each control.

This is my idea: a CoordinateSystem property in each control, with 4 sub-properties X, Y, Width, Height.
Accepted values for each sub-prop are: DU, Pixels, Percentage, Inherit (default).
"Inherit" means "Will use the containing Dialog settings".
This way the dialog is the new repository of the default coordinate system setting; and it is preserved when shared between two developers with different Tools | Options | Coordinate system settings.

What about it?

[Afrow UK]

That sounds ideal.

Stu

[thpang]

Will there be the ability to import current .NSH files that are dialogs and then use the design to manipulate them?

[Anders]

Originally Posted by nicorac

Definition files (*.nsddef) files were not affected by the change, XML will always contain pixel units.

Is this a good idea? You can go from dialog units to pixels but not back (At least not on a different system config since it depends on the font)

[nicorac]

Originally Posted by thpang

Will there be the ability to import current .NSH files that are dialogs and then use the design to manipulate them?

This requires parsing NSIS script code and interpreting control creation.. not so easy and prone to errors, because you can create a button in (at least) 10 different ways; just think about a FOR-NEXT cycle to create 10 identical buttons...
I'm going to complete INI file import; INI file dialog definition is well structured.

[nicorac]

Originally Posted by Anders

Is this a good idea? You can go from dialog units to pixels but not back (At least not on a different system config since it depends on the font)

.NET is pixel based, so changing this behaviour requires a lot of work.
The only case I see this useful is a development team where developers have different DPI settings (and they share the same .nsddef files).

[nicorac]

Version 0.9.12 released

NEW: Added "Percentage" to the available NSIS coordinate systems.
NEW: Selection of NSIS coordinate system is now possible at control level, and for each component (X, Y, Width, Height). So now is possible to have different coordinate systems for different controls. Controls coordinate system default value is "Inherit"; this means that by default each control is rendered using the same coordinate system as the containing dialog.

[nicorac]

v.0.9.13 - 2012-03-09
FIX: Wrong code generated for MaxLength property of TextBox control (thanks to fabpolli for bug report).

[nicorac]

Added new "Checked" property to RadioButton control.
I also added the possibility to create more than one group of RadioButtons (remember that only one RadioButton can be checked inside a group).

RadioButtons are grouped by their container; default container is the dialog.
If you need more than one group you can add RadioButtons to a GroupBox (if you need border and title around the group) or a Panel (title and border-less).
Please note that Panel has no corresponding NSIS control, so no NSIS script is generated for it.

NOTE: please check TabOrder of RadioButton controls, because it must be correctly set (WS_GROUP style is applied to the first RadioButton of each group).

[nicorac]

v.0.9.15 - 2012-04-13
FIX: NullReference exception thrown when adding an HLine or VLine control.

[Romuald35]

Hello,

I'm sorry for this question, but, it's very late and I've passed a long time (few hours ...) on the forum, website, etc ... to find solution

My need is basic.

I need to create a launcher program to instal other program who already exist.

There will be 3 pictures (Logo for program1, program2, ...), 3 buttons (launch setup1.exe, setupe2.exe ... ).

I don't understand what I need to write in .nsi

Could you give me an example ?

Thanks a lot

Romuald

[nicorac]

This seems a little OT.
NSISDialogDesigner could only help you to draw and place buttons on the dialog.
After that, the code behind these buttons is all about you...

Take a look here on how to start an embedded EXE: http://forums.winamp.com/showthread.php?t=315997

[nicorac]

v.0.9.16 - 2012-04-20
FIX: SelectedItem property of ListBox, ComboBox and DropList controls now accepts any value (like $abc).

[nicorac]

New version 1.1 released:

• NEW: Improved support for DialogIDs other than the default one (1018). User can now select 1044 (Welcome & Finish pages) and designer will change dialog size accordingly.
• NEW: Added RichText control support. It does not support RTF text loading, it must be customized by the user (see here: http://forums.winamp.com/showthread.php?t=288129).

PS: sorry, I missed to announce the release of version 1.0.
Detailed version history could be found here:
http://coolsoft.altervista.org/nsisd...versionhistory

NSISDialogDesigner can be downloaded here:
http://coolsoft.altervista.org/nsisdialogdesigner

[nicorac]

v.1.1.1 - 2012-10-01

• FIX: Fixed generated script for FileRequest control (wrong test on returned string).

NSISDialogDesigner can be downloaded here:
http://coolsoft.altervista.org/nsisdialogdesigner

[TheConultant]

Hello @all.
I'm missing a tutorial from beginners to experts, or an integrated CHM help file.
I'm using Eclispe with the nsis plugin to develop installer.
Now I'm having the problem to marry the nsis dialog designer page varibles with my NSIS scripts.
The target is simple. A simple dialog page with 3 text fields an one password field ('Computername', 'Servername', 'Loginname' and 'Password') shall be written into an ini file.
For test reasons it is welcome to display the input in a message box. Ho do I using the dialog desinger pages in my main nsis scripts?

Are there known nsis dialog desinger tutorials available, or mabye can anybody help me?

Best regards
Martin