Can one test directly whether certain software is installed?

Help & Support
1

In order to test whether certain software is installed, I am routinely using @IfExists to test whether some crucial directory or file exists. This works most of the time, but difficulties can arise with 32/64-bit machines, and with software companies fiddling with the names of their directories or files.

Does DOpus provide a less dodgy method that directly queries the Windows list of installed programmes? That would allow a simple switch along the lines of
@IfInstalled:Sandboxie

To explain: I "backup" the DOpus configuration on my computer and then "restore" it onto the other home network computers. Hence I need simple switches when launching some programmes. For example, Sandboxie is inappropriate on one of the computers. Also, one computer may be using paid software, while the others are using a free alternative.

2

You could query things in virtually any way you wanted using a script.

In most cases I doubt they'd be any more reliable than checking if a path exists, unless the program moves around when updated (which can be solved, but the best way will depend on the program).

3

Thanks again, Leo. You've confirmed that my approach of testing the existence of a directory or file is sensible (a script would be overkill). In most cases I can use the .lnk file in the Start Menu both to launch the programme and also to test for its installation --- a one-line button calls a user-defined command that contains the switch. So it's all reasonably efficient, and when things break, I fix them.

4

The "apppath" code could also be of some help here I maybe.
From the docs:

[quote]Returns the path of an installed application, as listed in the App Paths key in the registry.
For example, {apppath|winword.exe} would insert the install path of Microsoft Word.[/quote]
If I remember correctly, this also works for FSUtil.Resolve() on the scripting level.
This could be useful for applications for which you don't know the exact path to test for.

5

Caveat: Not all apps register an app-path, unfortunately. It's worth knowing about for some apps though, definitely.

6

Thanks, tbone and Leo, for the tip and the caveat. The {apppath|. . .} code, however, seems to have some peculiarities, and I can't work out how to use it with @IfExists:

  1. {AppPath} does not work — it's the only instance of a case-sensitive DOpus code that I've run into.

  2. The following two things don't happen with the very similar {alias|. . .} code:
    (a) The command {DlgString|AAA{apppath|winword.exe}XXX|BBB{apppath|winword.exe}YYY} places a very wide space before and after the path in both places.
    (b) If I omit the AAA, then the path without XXX appears in the introductory text, and XXX without the path appears in the box.

  3. Perhaps because of these spaces, @IfExists: reports that the following paths do not exist:
    @IfExists:{apppath|winword.exe}
    @IfExists:{apppath|winword.exe}winword.exe
    On the other hand, Go {apppath|winword.exe} and Go {apppath|winword.exe}winword.exe both work, and if I substitute the explicit paths, @IfExists: correctly reports that these two paths exist:
    @IfExists:C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office14\
    @IfExists:C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office14\WINWORD.EXE

7

I had a quick test with the "Say" command, to see what apppath resolves to on my system.
Say AAA{apppath|winword.exe}XXX

and the result was:
AAAD:\bin\office\mso2003\OFFICE11\XXX

But you're right, it does not seem to work with @ifexists for some reason.