Build and Package: Windows

These steps need to be performed on a pre-configured development system every time a new installation package is desired.

Windows Packaging

• Checkout the desired BlocklyProp Launcher version
  • Open a command window
  • Check out the needed branch from the BlocklyPropClient_Web repository
    • in Git command line:
      • $ cd C:\Users{username}{folder}\BlocklyPropLauncher
      • $ git checkout origin {branch}
  • NOTE: The source can be run from here- no build process needed; however, follow extra steps below to package for Windows
• Make Release
  • Run the build script from within the repository directory:
    • $ ./MakeRelease
      • This builds and stores the application files in the ./release subfolder
    • Zip up the contents of the ./release subfolder (the contents, not the folder)
    • Store the zip in the root folder as file BPL_v#.#.#.zip ;where # is the proper application version number
      • IMPORTANT Delete any previous BPL*.zip archives (or the script in the "Append..." step below will fail)
• Download and touch-up desired nw.js release
  • Download stable release (not -rcx, -alphax, or -betax) from http://dl.nwjs.io/
  • Save it to /package/win-resources/nwjs/
  • Extract it into /package/win-resources/nwjs/dependencies/ folder
  • Move (don't copy) the nw.exe file from the dependencies folder up into the nwjs folder
  • Rename the nw.exe file to nw-v#.##.#-win-xAA.exe ;where # and A exactly matches that of the stable release archive file and the bit-size (32 or 64 bit) of the system, respectively
  • Touch-up nw-v#*.exe file's attributes
    • Open the nw-v#*.exe file using Resource Tuner
    • Replace the Icon Group > IDR_MAINFRAME English with the blocklyprop.ico file
      • Select IDR_MAINFRAME English, right-click and choose Resource Tools > Add or Replace Icon within Icon Group (or press SHIFT+CTRL+R)
    • Update the Version > 1: English items as follows:
      • CompanyName: Parallax Inc.
      • FileDescription: BlocklyProp Launcher
      • LegalCopyright: Copyright 2019, Parallax Inc., the NW.js community, and The Chromium Authors. All rights reserved.
      • ProductName: BlocklyProp Launcher - packaged with NW.js
      • CompanyShortName: Parallax
      • ProductShortName: BP Launcher
    • Save the nw-v#*.exe file
• Append the zipped-up BPL release package to the updated nw.exe and rename
  • From inside the <project_folder>/package/win-resources/nwjs/dependencies/ folder...
    • Open a CMD window (not Git Bash)
    • Run this command: copy /b ..\nw-v*.exe + ..\..\..\..\BPL_v*.zip BPLauncher.exe
    • Choose Yes when asked to overwrite the BPLauncher.exe
• Touch up BPLauncher.exe product version
  • Open newly-created dependencies/BPLauncher.exe file using Resource Tuner
    • Update the Version > 1: English items as follows:
      • In the explorer pane (left side), expand Version and select the 1: English (United States) item
      • In the Object Inspector (lower-left), set the File Version's Major, Minor, and Release properly (do not change the Product Version)
      • Click the "F" button to update the FileVersion string. Remove the build value, if desired
    • Save the file, BPLauncher.exe
  • Code-sign the BPLauncher.exe
• Package BlocklyProp Launcher
  • Run Inno Setup Compiler
  • Open the installer script
    • File > Open the .iss file: C:\Users{username}{folder}\BlocklyPropLauncher\package\blocklyproplauncher-installer.iss
    • Find and update the MyAppVersion value according to the app version
    • Save updated file
    • Select Build > Compile
  • Now the installer executable will be in the ./release_exe subfolder
  • Rename the installer to: Setup-BPLauncher-v#.#.#.exe ;where # is the proper application version number
  • Code-sign the installer
• Additional Notes
  • Inno Setup is used to create a Windows installer.
  • Need to use Resource Tuner to edit the internal resources (Icons, names, versions, and descriptions) of the nw.exe (later BlocklyProp Launcher.ede).
  • Need to use IcoFx (if needed) to edit the .ico (Win) and/or .icns (Mac) files to be used as resources of the above.