Distributing SftOptions
This section describes the preferred distribution method when shipping SftOptions with your application. This method follows Microsoft's guidelines on ActiveX control distribution. While these guidelines are not enforced, it is highly recommended that they are followed as outlined here. This insures that your application can be safely installed and use SftOptions even if another vendor has already installed an application which also uses SftOptions.
SftOptions is not supported on Windows 95, 98, ME or Windows NT 4.0. Supported platforms include Windows 2000 through Windows 10 and their server editions.
Installing SftOptions (for an Application)
When distributing SftOptions with your application, only the following files can be distributed with your application royalty-free. These files allow the use of the options control with your application. The design-time interface is no longer available once SftOptions is shipped with your application. For additional information regarding distributing this control with your application, see the license agreement.
Required Files
Important: Redistributable files are located in the SftOptions product directory (\Program Files\Softelvdm\SftOptions 1.0\Redist).
These files must be shipped with your application if SftOptions is used:
| File Name | Description |
|---|
| SftOptions_IX86_A_10.ocx | SftOptions and SftOptsIO controls (ANSI). Only needed for 32-bit applications using ANSI character set. |
| SftOptions_IX86_U_10.ocx | SftOptions and SftOptsIO controls (UNICODE, only for Windows NT, 2000, XP). Only needed for 32-bit applications using UNICODE character set on Windows NT, 2000, XP and above. |
| Oleaut32.dll | Required. OLE support. While normally present, the installation must insure that the current version is installed. This file is also needed by the container (VB, VC++, etc.) to support OLE and any ActiveX control. |
| Olepro32.dll | Required. OLE property and standard types support. While normally present, the installation must insure that the current version is installed. This file is also needed by the container (VB, VC++, etc.) to support OLE and any ActiveX control. |
| Stdole2.tlb | Required. OLE support. While normally present, the installation must insure that the current version is installed. This file is also needed by the container (VB, VC++, etc.) to support OLE and any ActiveX control. |
| Asycfilt.dll | Required. OLE support. While normally present, the installation must insure that the current version is installed. This file is also needed by the container (VB, VC++, etc.) to support OLE and any ActiveX control. |
| Comcat.dll | Required. OLE support. While normally present, the installation must insure that the current version is installed. This file is also needed by the container (VB, VC++, etc.) to support OLE and any ActiveX control. |
| Regsvr32.exe | Optional. Control registration utility, for "manual" registration. Not needed with most commercial Setup creation tools. |
Target Directory
The setup program you provide with your application should install the SftOptions controls SftOptions_IX86_A_10.ocx or SftOptions_IX86_U_10.ocx into the Windows System directory. The Windows System directory name can be found using the GetSystemDirectory API function. All other files shown in the above tables also have to be installed into the Windows System directory. On Windows 95/98/ME, the Windows System directory is usually named C:\Windows\System or on Windows NT/2000/XP it is usually named C:\Windows\System32.
Version Control
The setup program should only install the SftOptions files if the version number in the new files is higher than the files already installed. Maintenance releases and new versions of the product are fully upward compatible and are guaranteed to have a newer version number. New versions of the product will use new file names and new GUIDs so there will be no conflict between different (major) versions, such as 1.0 and 2.0.
Registering SftOptions
The setup program should register SftOptions in the Windows registration database (Registry). This can be done manually using REGSVR32.EXE which is discouraged. Many commercially available setup programs can register SftOptions during the installation of your application.
SftOptions is a self-registering ActiveX control. By using the LoadLibrary Windows API function, the GetProcAddress API can be used to obtain the DllRegisterServer function. By calling this function, the SftOptions control will register itself with the Windows registration database (Registry). Most commercially available setup programs have support for this built-in. Check the documentation of your setup application for information on how to install ActiveX controls.
The following files need to be registered in this manner:
| File Name | Description |
|---|
| SftOptions_IX86_A_10.ocx | SftOptions and SftOptsIO controls (ANSI character set) |
| SftOptions_IX86_U_10.ocx | SftOptions and SftOptsIO controls (UNICODE character set) |
| Comcat.dll | OLE support |
| Oleaut32.dll | OLE support |
| Olepro32.dll | OLE support |
Testing a Setup Program
If you test the installation of your application's Setup program on a system where SftOptions is installed, you may notice that you can no longer use SftOptions in your development environment. This is caused by the fact that your Setup program installed a “run-time” only control on your system, which has replaced the “design-time” or development version of SftOptions. You can reinstate (or re-register) the design-time version of SftOptions by using the program entry “Register Design Time Control” in the SftOptions 1.0 program group.
Installing SftOptions (for a Web Page)
When using SftOptions on your web pages, only the following file(s) can be distributed royalty-free. These files allow the use of the options control on your web pages. The design-time interface is not available to visitors of your web site.
Required Files
Important: Redistributable files are located in the SftOptions product directory (\Program Files\Softelvdm\SftOptions 1.0\Redist).
One of the following files is referenced by the OBJECT tag of a web page containing a SftOptions control. This file must be available on your web server:
| File Name | Description |
|---|
| SftOptions_IX86_I_10.cab | Cabinet file containing the SftOptions and SftOptsIO controls, run-time only, compressed, with digital signature. This is the preferred method of including an options control. |
| SftOptions_IX86_A_10.ocx | This file cannot directly be used on a web page. If you wish to create your own cabinet file (replacing SftOptions_IX86_I_10.cab) and use your own digital signature, you can use this standard ActiveX control, which is normally used in applications and create your own cabinet file. Please see the Microsoft ActiveX SDK, Internet Client SDK or Platform SDK for information on cabinet files and digital signatures. |
Version Control
Version control is insured by using the proper HTML OBJECT (see Using SftOptions with Internet Explorer, CODEBASE keyword). Maintenance releases and new versions of the product are fully upward compatible and are guaranteed to have a newer version number. Make sure to check the file Readme.html which was installed with SftOptions for the most current version number to use.
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