File Tables Group

[This is preliminary documentation and subject to change.]

An installer package developer should consider populating the file table group of tables after breaking the application into components and features and after populating the core tables group. The file table group contains all of the files belonging to the installation and most of these files are listed in the File table. The Directory table is not shown in the figure but is closely related to the file table group. The Directory table gives the directory structure of the installation. Every file belongs to one and only one component and no component belongs to more than one directory of the same level; therefore, because the File table and Directory table have an external key into the Component table, the database contains the entire structure of the installation. This fact become important when searching for applications.

The file group of tables contains all of the tables that are related to files.

• The File table lists files belonging to the installation. Files that are not listed in the File table include disk files, which are listed in Media table. Because every file belongs to a component, the File table has an external key into the Component table
• The Font table lists font files to be registered with the system.
• The Resource table lists resource data files to be inserted into executables or DLLs.
• The SelfReg table lists module files of the installation that are self-registered.
• The Media table lists the source media and disks belonging to the installation.
• The BindImage table lists files that are bound to DLLs imported by executables.
• The MoveFile table specifies which files are moved during the installation.
• The DuplicateFile table specifies which files are duplicated during the installation.
• The IniFile table The IniFile table lists the .ini files and the information that the application needs to set in the file.