[Alanoll]

I'm just curious to know why you consider XPlode too difficult to use?
Is it the XML portion, is it starting it, what?

My other question is, did you start to read the included documentation?

[Nanaki]

Second, did you even look at the examples? I learned XPlode with them in less than two minutes.

[IceBlackIce]

yeah... more important than reading the docs is to take a close look at the examples...
It's possible to learn the very basics of Xplode in a couple of minutes.

[BAM]

My guess is the xml coding vs the good old batch files...

I had my portion of trouble with it. (but you managed to give the good hints Alanoll and now i love it)

A mistake is made easely with a tag, so i will post my new XPlode xml again to give a ready example for new members and stimulate them to use it.
(as soon a i have the time to finish converting from v1.12)

I think it's easier to see what the installation code looks like in XPlode when used with something like Adobe reader what everybody uses in his batch files!!
Most of them figured that out allready. Something like: how to use the same cmd line but then in XPlode style!?

I know, it's all in the docs, i read them. but still.... just my 2cents

[Maelstorm]

Alanoll, on Apr 6 2005, 10:29 AM, said:

I'm just curious to know why you consider XPlode too difficult to use?
Is it the XML portion, is it starting it, what?

My other question is, did you start to read the included documentation?
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm not exactly a beginner, but the word XML in of itself is intimidating. I know some HTML, so it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Furthermore, when I was first introduced to XPlode, some of the older release versions had virtually no documentation, or outdated documentation, and the examples did not help very much as it was not documented very well as to what was available, optional, and mandatory.

The hardest part is and always will be coding the XML itself. After awhile, those tags get very tedious to keep typing. That is why I came up with a XML code generator specifically for XPlode.

Although this has little to do with this thread, the other glaring omission that I find in XPlode is the lack of any sort of conditionals to control the installation during an unattended setup. That's the other main reason why I wrote a XML code generator. Because of this, I have come up with a way to use WIHU to generate a config, use my XML code generator tools to convert it to XML format, and then use XPlode to install the software.

[Alanoll]

Quote

Although this has little to do with this thread, the other glaring omission that I find in XPlode is the lack of any sort of conditionals to control the installation during an unattended setup. That's the other main reason why I wrote a XML code generator. Because of this, I have come up with a way to use WIHU to generate a config, use my XML code generator tools to convert it to XML format, and then use XPlode to install the software.

Wraith is supposedly working on it.... of course that's after he finished my little project and all his school work (which has him tied up at the moment from finishing my project).

[Ghostrider]

I should look at XPlode again, with all the extra features of XPlode i thought i would be disabling most of the script so i never used it. I personally still use XPinstall as it does exactly what i want it to do and was easy to configure,

[Wraith]

Alanoll, on Apr 7 2005, 12:47 PM, said:

Wraith is supposedly working on it.... of course that's after he finished my little project and all his school work (which has him tied up at the moment from finishing my project).
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes yes.
You've seen a PDF of the assignment. You know how annoying it is.

What Alanoll says is correct. There's going to be an XML creator with X5.
I had hoped to get some prerelease work done on it already, but university has put it off for a while. I hope to get something simple out the door in 3-4 weeks, so we'll see how things go.

[Maelstorm]

Wraith, on Apr 6 2005, 11:39 PM, said:

What Alanoll says is correct. There's going to be an XML creator with X5.
I had hoped to get some prerelease work done on it already, but university has put it off for a while. I hope to get something simple out the door in 3-4 weeks, so we'll see how things go.
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I've got something out right now that has been written completely in VBScript. And I've got a major update that should be ready in a week or so (Probably by this weekend). It works quite well from the command line, so it can be used in scripts to generate XML on the fly, which is what I've been doing.

[nujackk]

Nanaki, on Apr 6 2005, 12:46 PM, said:

Second, did you even look at the examples? I learned XPlode with them in less than two minutes. 
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

But I bet you have prior experience with XML and/or any other type of coding.

Those of us who don't, the examples might as well be Latin.

As for the manual it is written in a non user friendly manner ( again for the code impaired ) It of course should start with " How To Get Started".
But as far as I can tell the part that explains how to start it is in chapter 4

I know it would take time and considerable effort, but a guide written similar to the Unattended CD/DVD guide would definantly go a long way to making it easier to understand and use.

Just my 2cents

[Alanoll]

Quote

As for the manual it is written in a non user friendly manner ( again for the code impaired ) It of course should start with " How To Get Started".
But as far as I can tell the part that explains how to start it is in chapter 4

Except you would want to configure the XML first or Xplode will just flash.

Quote

I know it would take time and considerable effort, but a guide written similar to the Unattended CD/DVD guide would definantly go a long way to making it easier to understand and use.

I knew I should have left it in....

good thing i remembered to leave a copy of it on the server during the testing period....

http://unattended.ms...hods/xplode.old

This post has been edited by Alanoll: 07 April 2005 - 01:12 PM

[nujackk]

Alanoll, on Apr 7 2005, 12:09 PM, said:

Quote

As for the manual it is written in a non user friendly manner ( again for the code impaired ) It of course should start with " How To Get Started".
But as far as I can tell the part that explains how to start it is in chapter 4

Except you would want to configure the XML first or Xplode will just flash.

That makes sense, but i think it would be better to mention this right from the start.

When I first looked at it, I had no idea what was being said and where to start. I feel a simple how to get started would go a long way toward help people understand what needs to be done to use xplode. something similar to the hello world example for batch scripting. ( a small exercise to help understand how it works, and what is required in XML)

After about 20 mins reading the manual and a few searches on the forum, I decided xplode would be great when ever it got a better manual. Until then I couldn't spend the time it would require for me to understand it. ( I still don't, i just saw this thread and thought I'd add my 2cents and maybe get a manual a code impaired individual like myself could understand)


p.s. when I click on the link you provided I get what looks to be html. Is this supposed to be an example of xplode xml ?

[Alanoll]

better?

http://unattended.ms...ods/xplode2.htm

If you used IE, it should have loaded the last one fine.

[Glowy]

I don't know what's so hard about XPlode.
I have NO XML knowledge whatsoever.. but looking at the examples did the trick for me...
had to use the manual just 2 or 3 times.. and no, I don't think it's written in an user unfriendly way..

what's so hard to understand: <starttag> stuff to do </endtag>
translating from 2 to 4 was a breeze too... but timeconsuming since I have a rather large XML file

[nujackk]

Alanoll, on Apr 7 2005, 02:04 PM, said:

better?

http://unattended.ms...ods/xplode2.htm

If you used IE, it should have loaded the last one fine.
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah that's better.
why was this taken out of the guide ? It is would be alot more helpful if it were still there.

I use Firefox by the way. (but won't even start that argument )

[Alanoll]

Quote

why was this taken out of the guide ? It is would be alot more helpful if it were still there.

Because the included documentation with XPlode is alot better.

[S0mE0nesMiNd1]

Hey Alanoll - Had a simple question regarding the <program> tag. Is it possible to use it multiple times in one execute?
EX:
<execute display="Java + Update" desc="Java Runtimes">
<program>#XPLODE#\Java\Java.exe</program>
<arguments>/s</arguments>
<program>#XPLODE#\Java\Javaupdate.exe</program>
<arguments>/s</arguments>
</execute>

Thanks.

In regards to the topic at hand.....XPLode is SIMPLE. All you need is ONE example....just ONE and it all makes sense.

[Nanaki]

Nope, but you can use different executes in one ITEM

[S0mE0nesMiNd1]

If this is true Nanaki - How would I go about doing 2 Programs in one selection (So that when someone makes the checkmark for Java, it installs Java+The update?)

[Wraith]

It's not possible at the moment, but I am contemplating adding a <group> tag for such a thing in the future.

When I can work on XPlode again is still up in the air - busy gathering data for a project I'm working on at university. Won't be at a dev computer for at least another few days.