Wizard-based installation package with run-time debugging support

摘要

A method (300) of installing software applications using a wizard-based installation package (for example, built using “InstallShield”) is proposed. The installation package is defined declaring a discoverer Bean (308), a producer Bean (312), a consumer Bean (314) and a debugger Bean (315) into the wizard tree (while the product tree is left empty). During the installation process, the discoverer creates (322-346) a working queue dynamically, inserting the installation operations that are needed for reaching a desired configuration (defined in a descriptor of the software application) from a current configuration (detected at run-time). The consumer executes (348-362) the installation operations defined in the working queue in succession. Whenever an error condition is detected (352, 356, 360), the installation process is suspended (368) and the debugger is invoked (372). An administrator can browse (378) an execution log of each installation operation and update (380-383) any wrong operative parameter. The installation process is then resumed (375) without having to repeat the installation operations already executed.