Simple tutorials

Author: eldri005 (talk, contrib)

Simple hello world - popup box

This hello world script will create a popup box with the words "hello world" in it and an "OK" button, when the installer is run

# set the name of the installer
outfile "hello world.exe"
 
# create a default section.  Every NSIS script has at least one section
section
 
# create a popup box, with an OK button and the text "Hello world!"
messageBox MB_OK "Hello world!"
 
sectionEnd

Simple hello world - writing text to a file

This hello world script will write "hello world" to a text file when the installer is run

# declare name of finstaller file
outfile "hello world.exe"
 
# open section
section
 
/* open an output file called "helloworld.txt", 
which must exist before script is compiled, 
on the desktop in write mode */
fileOpen $0 "$DESKTOP\helloworld.txt" w
 
# write the string "hello world!" to the output file
fileWrite $0 "hello world!"
 
# close the file
fileClose $0
 
# end the section
sectionEnd

Simply install a file

This installer script will copy the file "test.txt" to the installation directory

# define the name of the installer
outfile "simple installer.exe"
 
# define the directory to install to, the desktop in this case as specified  
# by the predefined $DESKTOP variable
installDir $DESKTOP
 
# default section
section
 
# define the output path for this file
setOutPath $INSTDIR
 
# define what to install and place it in the output path
file test.txt
 
sectionEnd

Install a file and create an uninstaller to remove it

This script will do the following: create an installer named "installer.exe"; install a file named "test.txt" to the desktop; create an uninstaller named "uninstaller.exe" on the desktop. The uninstaller will remove itself and the installed text file.

# define installer name
outFile "installer.exe"
 
# set desktop as install directory
installDir $DESKTOP
 
# default section start
section
 
# define output path
setOutPath $INSTDIR
 
# specify file to go in output path
file test.txt
 
# define uninstaller name
writeUninstaller $INSTDIR\uninstaller.exe
 
# default section end
sectionEnd
 
# create a section to define what the uninstaller does.
# the section will always be named "Uninstall"
section "Uninstall"
 
# Always delete uninstaller first
delete $INSTDIR\uninstaller.exe
 
# now delete installed file
delete $INSTDIR\test.txt
 
sectionEnd

Simply create a start menu item

This installer creates a start menu item, nothing more

# Name the installer
outFile "installer.exe"
 
# default section
section
 
    # create a shortcut named "new shortcut" in the start menu programs directory
    # presently, the new shortcut doesn't call anything (the second field is blank)
    createShortCut "$SMPROGRAMS\new shortcut.lnk" ""
 
    # to delete shortcut, go to start menu directory and manually delete it
 
# default sec end
sectionEnd

Simple installer and uninstaller with start menu item

This installer will do the following: create an installer named "installer.exe"; an uninstaller on the desktop; a shortcut in the start menu that points to the uninstaller.

# define name of installer
outFile "installer.exe"
 
# define installation directory
installDir $DESKTOP
 
# start default section
section
 
    # set the installation directory as the destination for the following actions
    setOutPath $INSTDIR
 
    # create the uninstaller
    writeUninstaller "uninstall.exe"
 
    # create a shortcut named "new shortcut" in the start menu programs directory
    # point the new shortcut at the program uninstaller
    createShortCut "$SMPROGRAMS\new shortcut.lnk" "$INSTDIR\uninstall.exe"
sectionEnd
 
# uninstaller section start
section "uninstall"
 
    # first, delete the uninstaller
    delete $INSTDIR\uninstall.exe
 
    # second, remove the link from the start menu
    delete "$SMPROGRAMS\new shortcut.lnk"
 
# uninstaller section end
sectionEnd