Files and directories

The two parts of this group do different things at different times. file packs a file from the build machine into the installer; everything else moves, copies or deletes files on the target machine while the installer runs. A path parameter takes forward slashes and normalises them on the way out, but a path fragment stored in a variable does not, so write \ in those (why).

File

Packs one or more files into the installer and unpacks them into the current output directory. A missing file is a build error unless nonFatal says otherwise.

Usage file(filespec, …[, { … }]) → nothing Options recursive, exclude = { … }, keepAttributes, nonFatal, allowSkip, overwrite, outName

keepAttributes is File /a, which only keeps anything when makensis runs on Windows. Elsewhere makensis drops it, and the compiler silences the warning it gives for that, so a build off Windows still passes -WX.

setOutPath(INSTDIR)
file("assets/icon.ico", { exclude = { "*.tmp", "*.log" } })

allowSkip is AllowSkipFiles for this one call: false takes the Ignore button away when the target file is locked. overwrite is SetOverwrite for this one call, "on", "off", "try", "ifnewer" or "ifdiff". NSIS’s commands hold for every File after them in the script, so the compiler writes them before this File and puts back the allowSkipFiles and overwrite attributes after it.

outName is /oname=: it unpacks the file under another name, relative to the output directory unless it is a full path. It takes one filespec without a wildcard, and neither recursive nor exclude.

setOutPath(INSTDIR)
file("config.default.ini", { outName = "config.ini" })

ReserveFile

Puts a file at the head of the data block, so it can be extracted before the rest. Reserving a plugin is the compiler’s job and needs no code: it works out which plugins .onInit can reach and writes ReserveFile /plugin itself.

Usage reserveFile(filespec, …[, { … }]) → nothing Options nonFatal, recursive, exclude = { … }

SetOutPath

Sets the directory that following file calls unpack into, creating it if it does not exist, and the working directory for shortcuts made afterwards.

Usage setOutPath(path) → nothing

setOutPath(INSTDIR)

InitPluginsDir

Nothing to write and nothing to remember: any body that names PLUGINSDIR gets the line at the top of it, because $PLUGINSDIR expands to nothing until something creates it and NSIS never says so.

setOutPath(PLUGINSDIR)   -- InitPluginsDir is written above this
file("assets/splash.bmp")

CreateDirectory

Creates a directory and every missing parent. Unlike setOutPath it does not change where later file calls land.

Usage createDirectory(directoryName) → nothing

createDirectory(INSTDIR .. "/logs")

Delete

Deletes a file, or every file matching a wildcard. Deleting something that is not there is not an error — check with fileExists if you care.

Usage delete(filespec[, { … }]) → nothing Options rebootOk

delete(INSTDIR .. "/old.txt", { rebootOk = true })

RMDir

Removes a directory. It must be empty unless recursive is set, and recursive on a directory the user chose is how an uninstaller eats a disk.

Usage rmDir(directoryName[, { … }]) → nothing Options recursive, rebootOk

rmDir(INSTDIR, { recursive = true, rebootOk = true })

Rename

Moves a file, across directories as well as within one. With rebootOk, a rename blocked by a lock is queued for the next restart.

Usage rename(sourceFile, destinationFile[, { … }]) → nothing Options rebootOk

rename(INSTDIR .. "/old.txt", INSTDIR .. "/new.txt")

CopyFiles

Copies files already on the target disk, with the shell’s copy progress dialog. For files coming out of the installer, use file.

Usage copyFiles(sourcePath, destinationPath[, sizeInKb[, { … }]]) → nothing Options silent, filesOnly

copyFiles(INSTDIR .. "/data", INSTDIR .. "/backup")

SetFileAttributes

Usage setFileAttributes(file, attribute) → nothing

setFileAttributes(INSTDIR .. "/config.ini", "READONLY")

Asking the file system a question

NSIS	Installua
GetFullPathName	getFullPathName(pathOrFile[, { … }]) → string
GetTempFileName	getTempFileName([baseDir]) → string
SearchPath	searchPath(filename) → string
GetFileTime	getFileTime(file) → int, int (high, low)
GetFileTimeLocal	getFileTimeLocal(localFile) → int, int — the build machine

local temp = getTempFileName()
detailPrint(temp)

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