Creating a Launcher #1079

Is there a way to replicate this without cloning the whole project? Even in a less general manner (Like NSIS only or something like that).

Then just modify the NSIS script?

Any chance to guide me?

I guess I need:

1. What to change?
2. What other files are required (I see something like Noshell.vbs, winvscode.bat)?
3. How to run?

Once I get them all I will create a template and add it in Wiki so other will be able to use it.
It will be very useful for cases we want to have multiple profiles of VS Code / Spyder for a single installation.

@stonebig , @firai , Any chance for assistance on this?

I am OK with NSIS, but can we have an NSIS template which is a standalone (Not activated by the code)?

For instance, how to create an NSIS launcher which launces VSCode32 in the t folder?
Can you share an NSIS code for that with the additional required files?

It was written above but I don't get it.

Any chance you point me in the NSIS file?

@firai , This is not a friendly comment.

Had I known what's going on, I would be more specific.

For example, I can't even find Noshell.vbs and winvscode.bat on this repository, how can I know if I need them?
I see them on my installed distribution, does the NSIS compile them or just create an exe which calls them?
By search I get that wscript.exe is probably used to run the vbs file.

If I get it right, at the end we're just execute the NSIS script you linked to with updated values for:

!addincludedir "" 
!define COMMAND "" 
!define PARAMETERS "" 
!define WORKDIR "" 
Icon "" 
OutFile "" 

As I wrote, what I'd like to be able, for my example, a launcher for VS Code 32 Bit which will be on the folder t\VSCode32.

I am here to learn and then support by documenting everything I learned in the Wiki. But please be kind and guide me through it. The benefit will be for others as well.

OK, So basically what I'm after is how the nsi file look like just before it is compiled.
I guess if someone has built the distribution it may share it?

I am trying to go down the rabbit hole.

Step I

Running the function create_launcher() with name = VS Code.exe, icon = pathToIcon, command = wscript.exe, args = Noshell.vbs winvscode.bat, workdir = r'$EXEDIR\scripts and launcher = launcher_basic.nsi.

The function creates the list of tuples:

 data = [
            ('WINPYDIR', '$EXEDIR\%s' % self.python_name),
            ('WINPYVER', self.winpyver),
            ('COMMAND', 'wscript.exe'),
            ('PARAMETERS', 'Noshell.vbs winvscode.bat'),
            ('WORKDIR', '$EXEDIR\scripts'),
            ('Icon', icon.ico),
            ('OutFile', 'VS Code.exe'),
        ]

Step II

Running the build_nsis() function with srcname = 'launcher_basic.nsi, dstname = 'VS Code.nsi' and data = data (The list from previous step).

Basically this function edits the base nsi file by replacing variables according to the tuples in data.
It adds to the list the tuple ('!addincludedir', osp.join(portable_dir, 'include'),). This probably makes the icon files and other resources available to the NSIS compiler.

It edits (If I got it right) the lines (Insert values inside the ""):

!addincludedir ""
!define COMMAND ""
!define PARAMETERS ""
!define WORKDIR ""
Icon ""
OutFile ""

So

!addincludedir "PathToResourcesFolder"
!define COMMAND "wscript.exe"
!define PARAMETERS "Noshell.vbs winvscode.bat"
!define WORKDIR "$EXEDIR\scripts"
Icon "PathToIcon"
OutFile "VS Code.exe"

Am I right? Did I miss something?