InstallShield prq attribute values?

Question

I'm creating .prq files to bundle software with a .NET application, but I'm having very inconsistent results with the prerequisite install prompt from machine to machine.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<SetupPrereq>
    <conditions>
        <condition Type="16" Comparison="2" Path="[WindowsFolder]" FileName="dmcl.ini" ReturnValue=""></condition>
    </conditions>
    <files>
        <file LocalFile="&lt;ISProductFolder&gt;\SetupPreRequisites\Redistributables\dfcWinSuiteSetup.exe" FileSize="0,0"></file>
        <file LocalFile="&lt;ISProductFolder&gt;\SetupPreRequisites\Redistributables\bofciSetup.jar" FileSize="0,0"></file>
        <file LocalFile="&lt;ISProductFolder&gt;\SetupPreRequisites\Redistributables\bofsubscriptionSetup.jar" FileSize="0,0"></file>
        <file LocalFile="&lt;ISProductFolder&gt;\SetupPreRequisites\Redistributables\bofworkflowSetup.jar" FileSize="0,0"></file>
        <file LocalFile="&lt;ISProductFolder&gt;\SetupPreRequisites\Redistributables\dfcWinSetup.jar" FileSize="0,0"></file>
        <file LocalFile="&lt;ISProductFolder&gt;\SetupPreRequisites\Redistributables\dfcWinSuiteSetup.jar" FileSize="0,0"></file>
        <file LocalFile="&lt;ISProductFolder&gt;\SetupPreRequisites\Redistributables\jdkwin131_04setup.jar" FileSize="0,0"></file>
    </files>
    <execute file="dfcWinSuiteSetup.exe" cmdline="" cmdlinesilent=""></execute>
    <properties Id="{0278E528-E72C-439F-AE2A-BEFCB27EA9A3}" Description="This prerequisite installs the DFC for window setup" AltPrqURL=""></properties>
    <behavior Reboot="2"></behavior>
</SetupPrereq> 

In particular, what are the potential values of Type and Comparison attributes? Is there any documentation on this?

Answer 1

These values are not documented by Flexera (InstallShield). You pretty much have to look at it using the InstallShield Prereq editor and comparing before and after to see what changes.

The schema is pretty straight forward and I very seriously considered making a clone of the prereq editor for use with InstallShield Limited Edition customers. But I was concerned that Flexera might go after me. Instead you can just download an eval verion of IS and throw it on a snapshotted VM for your investigational purposes.

Answer 2

I Couldn't find documentation for those values, so to help other people I fired up my Installshield Preqequisite tool and mapped all possible values

Type is on the first column, and according to the type selected Comparison values changes.

These values are from the PreqRequisite tool:

type	Name	Comparison
1	registry key does/doesn't exist	1 - Exists
		2 - Does not exist
2	registry entry has specified value	1- equals
3	registry entry has version value	1 -equals
4	File does/doesn't exist	1 - Exists
		2 - Does not exist
5	File with certain date exists	1 - Matches date/time and exists
		2 - (Matches or earlier ) or doesn't exist
6	File with specified version	1 - Exact match
		2 - Less then or doesn't exist
		3 - Greater then
7	App package does or doesn't exist	1 - Exists
8	Specified platform	1 - Equals