Re: Creating an Independant Application

Here is a link to the source for the current Windows PostgreSQL installer:

http://pgfoundry.org/projects/pginstaller/

I'm not an expert on the architecture of the PostgreSQL server
installer, but I'd venture a guess that there is more to it than simply
copying files over and registering DLL files.  PostgreSQL is registered
as a service IIRC, and doing that in an installer, while do-able, is not
simple.  Assuming that you get that up and running perfectly, you still
have to set up your database, create your users, etc., unless you made
your installer copy over the exact backend that you're currently using.

If I were going to try to tackle this I would do the following:

1) Dig through the PostgreSQL Windows installer source to see what it is
doing

2) Make a decision to either shell out to the existing PostgreSQL
Windows installer, or wrap up its functionality into my own

3) Make a decision to either make the installer install my database "as
is" (use my current backend as the source files, if that's even
possible), or make my installer run scripts to setup my user/database
environment.  I'd probably also put some sort of testing functionality
into the installer to make sure the environment is setup as my app is
expecting.

As I said in my last message, I think this approach is overkill for a
small project.  I know I wouldn't want to do all of this unless I had a
really good reason to be using PostgreSQL on the client side!  One other
thing:  It's possible that someone has put together some project for
exactly what you're trying to do.  I haven't seen anything of the sort,
but that's not to say one doesn't exist.  So, my actual step 1) would be:

1) Look for an existing installer project, or HOWTO specifically geared
towards "rolling your own" custom Windows PostgreSQL installer.



Bob Pawley wrote:

> I've already built the PostgreSQL database. Now I want to turn it and
> the Delphi interface (host) into a distributable application.
>
> I am using Installshield and I need to pick up the files in Postgres
> to include.
>
> Bob Pawley
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "John McCawley" <nospam@hardgeus.com>
> To: "Bob Pawley" <rjpawley@shaw.ca>
> Cc: "Postgresql" <pgsql-general@postgresql.org>
> Sent: Monday, December 18, 2006 10:57 AM
> Subject: Re: [GENERAL] Creating an Independant Application
>
>
>> I'm not quite sure I understand your question, do you mean that you
>> wish to distribute an "all-in-one" installer for a client machine
>> that will include both your app and PostgreSQL?
>>
>> It all depends on the complexity of your database backend.  If this
>> is small, quick-and-dirty app,  I don't know if PostgreSQL is the
>> best match for a setup like that.  Other people on this list may
>> disagree, but I tend to think that a full-blown RDBMS is overkill for
>> that sort of problem.  If your app is in C/C++, you may want to check
>> out SQLite:
>>
>> http://www.sqlite.org/
>>
>> If you're programming in a Windows-centric environment, you may want
>> to consider using an Access .mdb backend and programming to it
>> through ADO.
>>
>>
>> Bob Pawley wrote:
>>
>>> Hi
>>>  I have managed to turn my host software into an executable. It runs
>>> well using my installed database and server.
>>>  What files in PostgreSQL do I need to include to have the host
>>> software, the PostgreSQL server and database run as an independant
>>> application??
>>>  Bob Pawley
>>
>>
>>
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