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An INF file consists of a set of named sections, each containing one or more line items. Each section begins with the name of the section enclosed in square brackets. Sections have a particular purpose (for example, to copy files or add entries to the registry). Each of the line items in a section contributes to the purpose of the section. This article presents the syntax, structure, and processing of INF files.
To be understood by Internet Component Download, INF files must obey the following syntax rules:
"http://example.microsoft.com/sample%20control.ocx"
Internet Component Download looks for and understands the [Add.Code] and [Setup Hooks] sections in the INF file. If both of these sections are missing, the INF file is assumed to be a standard Win32® INF file without code downloader extensions, and a hook is created to have the system process the INF file's [DefaultInstall] section.
The [Add.Code] section lists all the files to be installed, including optional files.
[Add.Code] filename1=section-name1 filename2=section-name2
The [Setup Hooks] section lists all the hooks to be executed before setting up files in the [Add.Code] section.
[Setup Hooks] hookname1=section-name4 hookname2=section-name5
Like the [Add.Code] section, the [Setup Hooks] section also lists files to be installed. The hook= key is used in the [Setup Hooks] section to execute conditional hooks. You can also list a set of unconditional hooks that will always be executed before setup of files in the [Add.Code] section. This is done by listing all the hooks in order of preferred execution in the [Setup Hooks] section.
Note When using hooks, it is important to add the following lines to your INF file for compatibility.
[Version] Signature="$CHICAGO$" AdvancedINF=2.0
Each section in an INF file is identified by the section name in brackets, followed by all the key values, as in an .ini file.
[section-name1] key1=value1 key2=value2
The following keys are valid in an INF file section.
A hook is a way to override or customize the installation process of one or more pieces required for a component. There are two types of hooks—unconditional and conditional. Unconditional hooks are hooks that always get executed. Conditional hooks are run only when a certain condition evaluates as TRUE.
This is the way to specify conditional hooks:
hook=section-name3
If the version of the CLSID specified in this section is lower than the minimum required version, and there are no values specified in the File= or File-%opersys%-%cpu%= key, the component downloader looks for a custom setup hook to install the required file or component.
The hooks section looks like this:
[section-name3] key1=value1 key2=value2
It is valid for several different [Add.Code] section hooks to point to the same [Setup Hooks] section. This is a way to have one hook install one or more components/files. The hook is executed only once if one or more files are missing.
The following keys are valid in a hooks section.
For more information about hooks, see When and How to Use Hooks.
If both [Add.Code] and [Setup Hooks] sections are missing from the INF file, the INF file is assumed to be a standard Win32 INF file without code downloader extensions, and a hook is created to have the system process the INF file's [DefaultInstall] section.
The following component downloader variables are valid in a command line.
run=%EXTRACT_DIR%\mysetup.exe
The following is a sample INF file that demonstrates the syntax understood by the Internet Component Download service.
;Sample INF file for CIRC3.OCX
[Add.Code]
circ3.ocx=circ3.ocx
random.dll=random.dll
mfc40.dll=mfc40.dll
example.ocx=example.ocx
[circ3.ocx]
; Lines below specify that the specified circ3.ocx (clsid, version)
; needs to be installed on the system. If it doesn't exist already,
; it can be downloaded from the given location (a .cab file).
; Note: if "thiscab" is specified instead of the file location,
; it is assumed that the desired file is present in the same .cab
; cabinet that the INF originated from. Otherwise, if the location
; pointed to is a different .cab, the new cabinet is also downloaded
; and unpacked in order to extract the desired file.
file=http://www.code.com/circ3/circ3.cab
clsid={9DBAFCCF-592F-101B-85CE-00608CEC297B}
; Note that the {}s are required when entering a CLSID in the INF file.
; This is slightly different from the HTML syntax for inserting CLSIDs
; in an <OBJECT> tag.
FileVersion=1,0,0,143
[random.dll]
; Lines below specify that the random.dll needs to be installed in
; the system.
; If this doesn't exist already, it can be downloaded from the given
; location.
file=http:// www.code.com/circ3/random.dll
; Note that the FileVersion is optional, and it can also be left
; empty, meaning that any version is ok.
FileVersion=
DestDir=10
; DestDir can be set to 10 or 11 ( LDID_WIN or LDID_SYS by INF
; convention).
; This places files in \Windows or \Windows\System, respectively.
; If no dest dir is specified (typical case), code is installed in
; the occache directory.
[mfc40.dll]
; Leaving the file location empty specifies that the installation
; needs mfc40 (version 4,0,0,5), but it should not be downloaded.
; If this file is not already present on the client machine, component
; download fails.
file=
FileVersion=4,0,0,5
[example.ocx]
; Leaving the file location empty specifies that the installation
; needs the specified example.ocx (clsid, version), but it should not
; be downloaded.
; If this file is not already present on the client machine, component
; download fails.
file=clsid={DEADBEEF-592F-101B-85CE-00608CEC297B}
FileVersion=1,0,0,143
The [Add.Code] section is processed in the order listed, but the files are installed and set up in reverse order. This means that typically you would list the main OCX file first in the INF file, followed by dependent DLLs. The dependent DLLs are guaranteed to be installed and available at registration time of the main OCX.
Unconditional hooks, those hooks in the [Setup Hooks] section in the INF file, are executed in the order listed in that section (Hook1 executes before Hook2). Conditional hooks, those hooks in the file sections referenced by file names in the [Add.Code] section, are executed in the order of the [Add.Code] section. Between conditional hooks and file section installation/setup, conditional hooks always get executed before file section installations/setups in the same .cab file. Between two file section installations/setups, the order of file installation and setup is the reverse of the listing in the [Add.Code] section. Between two conditional hooks, the order is the same as that listed in the [Add.Code] section. Note this different ordering rule between conditional hooks and file section installation and setup.
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