Batch (command line) mode has problem: Pops up modal dialogs

[mbearden]

I am attempting to try out Advanced Installer 4.6 in a batch build environment. (I have a build server that runs in "continuous integration" mode, automatically checking out code and executing builds.) I have added as a last step in my build the creation of an installer. This was pleasantly easy given the command-line batch mode of advanced installer.

Except for one thing: When some errors are encountered, Advanced Installer pops open a modal dialog that sits and blocks until someone presses the "OK" button. Oops, this is a build server and we're running in batch mode, so there is nobody to press the button. My build server tries to kill the process automatically, after a time out, but it refuses to exit while the modal dialog has not been cleared. In my case I have to guess this problem has happened and manually log into the build server to recover the automated build process.

I view this as a bug, for it seems fundamental that if you run in batch mode, you must not allow desktop-interactive modal dialogs to halt the batch execution. Instead, the error should go to stdout, or to stderr, or to a local error dump file, I think.

Here is the specific example of a modal dialog I keep seeing, whenever something has gone temporarily wrong with some other part of my build:

-------------------------------------------------------
"Exception - Error opening file FILENAME-HERE."
[OK] button
-------------------------------------------------------

M. Bearden
Atlanta, Georgia

[gigi]

Hi,

To build projects from command line you need to use the .com version of Advanced Installer (AdvancedInstaller.com) not the .exe:
http://www.advancedinstaller.com/user-g ... -line.html

If the problem persist please let me know.

Best Regards,
Gigi
______________
Gheorghe Rada
Advanced Installer Team
http://www.advancedinstaller.com