Create Multiple Applications

1 Overview

SoftwareCentral offers a function to create many applications at the same time. Simply copy all source files to your share, select the path in SoftwareCentral and click import.

There are two ways to use this function.

1. SoftwareCentral can automatically detect files, names, detection methods and so on for each application. This function is however only supported by MSI applications.
2. You can add a XML file containing all the information needed for one or more applications and let SoftwareCentral handle the creation of applications, collections, deployments and so on completely by your specifications.

If everything is set up correctly, SoftwareCentral will be able to import around 250 applications per hour. (Depending on your hardware this time may vary.)

The page is divided into the steps 1. Root Folder, 2. Source Files and 3. Additional Information, and a How to... panel that repeats the prerequisites.

2 Auto detection

For the auto detection method to work, you first need to copy all your application source files to the defined package share.

Each “sub folder” directly under the root folder will be considered as a separate application. To get a high success rate, give every folder the same structure.

Go to “Create Multiple Applications” in SoftwareCentral and select the folder containing all your applications, in 1. Root Folder, with Open Folder Explorer (or by typing the path):

SoftwareCentral is now ready to process the files and show a preview. If your MSI files are standardized with a special name, you can give SoftwareCentral an example application in “2. Source Files” with Open File Explorer. Under Files Selected you then see the example files: for scripts and executables an Install executable and an Uninstall executable, for MSI files the install and uninstall MSI. Use the small remove button next to a file to clear it. Arguments and additional commands (such as ALLUSERS=2) come from the template.

Finally, in “3. Additional Information”, you can select an Application Template which will be applied to every application. If you select none, the default settings apply, including the default distribution points and Package Security Groups. If the folders contain MSI files, the naming is read from them; otherwise the folder names are used as the application names.

When you click the “Show Preview” button a new window will open with all the detected applications and the ones who failed. Note that this operation may take a while, from a few minutes to several hours for large numbers.

At the bottom you will see a list of the applications SoftwareCentral wasn’t able to create automatically, under Failed Applications Source Folder:. If possible, it will write why the creation failed after the name. (The name is the name of the folder where the applications was located.)

When you have verified all data, simply click the “Create Selected Applications” button and let SoftwareCentral do the rest.

The operations will be run in the background, allowing you to do other tasks in the meanwhile. (The server and site may have a slower response time while creating applications.) You can follow the progress of the creation in the log.

3 Using an XML file

If you wish to use an XML file with custom data, then create a XML file named “SoftwareCentral.xml” and place it in each application sub folder.

Note that you can mix applications using the xml file and the ones SoftwareCentral auto detects.

The xml file must be in the following format:

XML File

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<ImportApplication>
  <Naming>
    <Manufacturer>SoftwareCentral</Manufacturer>
    <Name>Test Application</Name>
    <Version>1</Version>
    <Language>en-US</Language>
  </Naming>
  <DeploymentType>
    <!--EXE and Script-->
    <InstallExecutable>_SWCTestApp/0.0.0.1/ApplicationInstaller.exe</InstallExecutable>
    <InstallExecutableParameters>/Passive</InstallExecutableParameters>
    <UninstallExecutable>_SWCTestApp/0.0.0.1/ApplicationInstaller.exe</UninstallExecutable>
    <UninstallExecutableParameters>/Passive /Uninstall</UninstallExecutableParameters>
    <RepairProgram>_SWCTestApp/0.0.0.1/ApplicationInstaller.exe /Repair</RepairProgram>

    <!--MSI-->
    <!--<MsiInstallParameters>msiexec.exe /i "install_flash_player_11_active_x.msi" TRANSFORMS="install_flash_player_11_active_x.mst" ALLUSERS=2 /Passive /norestart</MsiInstallParameters>
    <MsiUninstallParameters>Msiexec.exe /x {DC48E09D-4E5F-4039-B93A-FCED36EFBE55} /Passive /norestart</MsiUninstallParameters>
    <ProductCode>{DC48E09D-4E5F-4039-B93A-FCED36EFBE55}</ProductCode>-->
    <RepairProgram>Msiexec /fvmp {DC48E09D-4E5F-4039-B93A-FCED36EFBE55}</RepairProgram>

    <DetectionMethod Type="WindowsInstaller">
      <ProductCode>{83C3C619-9B4E-4306-8898-4AF6521BC4C3}</ProductCode>
    </DetectionMethod>
    <!--<DetectionMethod Type="FileSystem">
      <FileOrFolderName>AcroRd32.exe</FileOrFolderName>
      <IsFile>true</IsFile>
      <Path>%ProgramFiles(x86)%\Adobe\Reader 10.0\Reader</Path>
      <Is64Bit>false</Is64Bit>
    </DetectionMethod>
    <DetectionMethod Type="Registry">
      <RegistryRootKey>HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE</RegistryRootKey>
      <Key>SOFTWARE\Microsoft\CCM</Key>
      <Value></Value>
      <Is64Bit>true</Is64Bit>
    </DetectionMethod>-->
  </DeploymentType>
 
  <ApplicationTemplate>TemplateName</ApplicationTemplate>
 
  <SoftwareOrderOptions>
    <ClientInstallAllowed>true</ClientInstallAllowed>
    <ClientUninstallAllowed>True</ClientUninstallAllowed>
    <FrientlyPackageName>Test Application</FrientlyPackageName>
    <Description></Description >
    <Price>0</Price>            
    <SuperUsers></SuperUsers>
    <SupportContact></SupportContact>
    <PrimeContact></PrimeContact>
    <TechnicalKnowhow></TechnicalKnowhow>
    <ApplicationOwner></ApplicationOwner>
    <Categories>
      <Category>All</Category>
      <Category>Marketing</Category>
    </Categories>
  </SoftwareOrderOptions>
</ImportApplication>

The blocks that are commented out (between <!-- and -->) show alternatives, so you can’t add both an EXE file and an MSI file at the same time.

4 Best practice

• Test with a handful of folders first, check the preview, and only then run the full batch.
• Keep the folder structure and file names the same in every application folder; that is what the auto detection relies on.
• Do not tick applications whose status is No Detection Method found; add a SoftwareCentral.xml to those folders, or create them one by one in the Application Wizard.
• Run big imports outside working hours: the server and the site may respond more slowly while applications are being created.