Q:

Tool to make complicated setup (InstallShield or custom app)

I'm looking into creating a user friendly setup wizard which does the following:

Ask the user for a server name.
Ask the user for a database name.
Ask the user for a Microsoft Nav database name and server
Setups database in SQL Server (with info provided in number 3)
Runs setup scripts in SQL Server
Runs setup of server app (which I have made)
Runs setup of client app
Asks the user for some data (defaults which will be written into tables in SQL Server)
Imports some data into SQL Server
Runs a custom Microsoft Nav setup of external component
Other requirements (I might want to edit text files (like web.config in .NET based on user input etc.)

I'm thinking that creating an wizard in .NET or JRuby would be my best bet because I have looked into InstallShield and it might not contain everything I need.
Any suggestions on how to develop a setup wizard like this?
Johann

A:

You can do most of what you require with InstallShield, but not all, and you need to be aware that what you do will be very hard to debug. Writing an installer of this magnitude is a skill-set all of its own, not for the newcomer.
Alternatively you could separate out the functionality - write a simple installer that does the absolute basics, then write a separate configuration utility with which you'll be able to do anything you want.

