Viewing End-User Dialog Order in the Custom Actions and Sequences view (Basic MSI Projects)

This information applies to Basic MSI projects. To view the order of your end-user dialogs in an InstallScript project or an InstallScript MSI project, use the InstallScript view to review your script.

In the Custom Actions and Sequences view, you can view primary and next dialogs in the order in which they appear to the end user during the run time of your installation. Primary dialogs are top-level dialogs that have been inserted into the installation sequence. You can change the order of a primary dialog within the Custom Actions and Sequences view.

Next dialogs are dialogs that are triggered by the action of a previous dialog’s Next button control events. Although you can view next dialogs in the Custom Actions and Sequences view, they are not a part of the installation sequence, and you cannot change their order in the Custom Actions and Sequences view. To change the order of a next dialog, you must edit the dialog’s behavior in the Behavior editor.

Initial Sequences Explorer

When you first open the Custom Actions and Sequences view, the Sequences explorer lists all primary dialogs and actions in the order in which they will be executed during your installation. Many of the next dialogs have plus signs (+) next to them.

Expanded Sequences Explorer

In addition to viewing the order of primary dialogs that have been inserted into the installation sequence, you can also view next dialog order in the Sequences explorer.

When you click the plus sign (+) next to a primary dialog, the list expands to display the order in which the primary dialog’s next dialogs—if any—will appear during the run time. If a particular dialog has more than one Next button control event, all possible next dialogs are displayed under the dialog.

Next Dialog Information Panel

When you click a next dialog, the right pane displays information about the dialog. The right pane also has hyperlinks to the behavior and layout editors, as well as help information. More detailed information about the selected dialog is available in the Dialogs view.

Context Menu Commands

When you right-click a primary dialog, a context menu displays commands for you to edit the sequence, refresh the dialog sequence view, or edit the dialog’s layout or behavior. When you right-click a next dialog, a context menu displays commands for you to edit the dialog’s layout or behavior.

Refresh

After you have edited a next dialog’s behavior or layout and returned to the Custom Actions and Sequences view, you can select Refresh from the context menu to refresh the dialog sequence view. This option is available only for primary dialogs.

Edit Behavior

To move to the Dialog Behavior Editor from within the Sequences explorer in the Custom Actions and Sequences view, do either of the following:

Right-click the next dialog that you want to edit and click Edit Behavior.

Click the name of the dialog that you want to edit. Then, in the Action Items section of the right pane, click Edit dialog behavior.

Edit Layout

To move to the Dialog Layout Editor from within the Sequences explorer in the Custom Actions and Sequences view, do either of the following:

Right-click the next dialog that you want to edit and click Edit Layout.

Click the name of the dialog that you want to edit. Then, in the Action Items section of the right pane, click Edit dialog layout.If you have written your installation in more than one language, you must select the appropriate language in the list.