Deploy WAR to right WebApps folder

Question

I am compiling my 1st NSIS script, and enjoying the learning curve.

The app has already:

• Checks if machine is 64bit, aborts if 32bit.
• Looks for a JRE and installs one if not found.

• Installs Apache Tomcat 7 using a bundled installer.

  ExecWait '"$PLUGINSDIR\apache-tomcat-7.0.19_x64.exe"'

From this separate installer, the user can choose a different location to the default for installing Tomcat.

It is also possible that another Tomcat could already exist on the same machine, and they install a 2nd instance using different port numbers.

I have looked at a few other samples, but they install Tomcat by unzipping the zip version to a specific folder.
I think it is a better approach to run the TC7 exe installer. Will also make life easier when we need to swap it out for a newer version.

So, my Q is: What is the best approach to retaining the path of where they just installed Tomcat, so that I can grab it from the Tomcat installer and use it back in my NSIS script to deploy the WAR files?

I was hoping to find a system variable, but could not see any.

Answer 1

The Tomcat installer writes to HKLM "SOFTWARE\Apache Software Foundation\Tomcat\@VERSION_MAJOR_MINOR@\$TomcatServiceName" "InstallPath" but since you don't know the value of $TomcatServiceName I think you might have to call EnumRegKey before and after the Tomcat installer has executed and compare the two lists of subkeys...