Customizing the Notes® install manifest for new or third-party Eclipse features

If you have created or otherwise obtained a custom or third-party Eclipse feature to add to the Notes® installation, you must create a feature (installfeature) in the Notes® install manifest (install.xml) using the same convention as the other features (installfeature) in the manifest.

You must also properly add the new or third-party feature to the install kit.
CAUTION: All features must be properly signed in order to be installed as part of a Notes® install or upgrade.
See the related topics for information on signing.

The Notes® install manifest Document Type Definition (DTD) differs from the standard Eclipse or Expeditor install or provisioning manifest DTD. For example, the Notes® install manifest contains at least four unique attributes: "required," "default," "show," and "description."

See the related topics for information on provisioning.

installfeature element

The attributes that determine if the "installfeature" name appears on the Notes® feature installation panel are "default," "required," and "show."

The following list describes the required attributes for each "installfeature" element:

  • default -- Specifies whether the "installfeature" name is shown selected for installation. If set to true, the "installfeature" name is selected on the feature installation panel. If set to false, the "installfeature" name is not selected on the feature installation panel.
    Note: The "default" attribute is ignored when re-running the installer and is ignored on upgrade unless the "installfeature" did not exist in the previously installed offering. This allows the installer to display the state (installed or not installed) of the "installfeature" that was available in the previously installer offering.
  • id -- Specifies a unique ID for the feature to be installed. There is currently no validation check for ID field uniqueness.
  • name -- Specifies the "installfeature" name as it will appear on the Notes® feature installation panel.
  • required -- Specifies whether the "installfeature" must be installed. If set to true, the feature is installed. If set to false, and show is set to true, the feature name appears on the Notes® feature installation panel and the user can select the option.
  • show -- Specifies whether the "installfeature" name appears on the Notes® feature installation panel. If set to true, the "installfeature" name is visible. If set to false, the "installfeature" name is not visible.
  • version -- Specifies a numeric value suffix to the install version "installfeature."

feature element

The following list describes the required attributes for each "feature" element:

  • download size -- Specifies the temporary disk space required to install this feature.
  • id -- Specifies the unique ID that identifies this specific feature and that matches the ID naming convention used in features.xml for that feature.
  • match -- Specifies a feature action dependency on the version attribute value and is used to specify a desired match rule.
    Note: A version value can consist of four parts -- major.minor.service.qualifier.
  • The options are:
    • GreaterOrEqual -- All parts of the version must be greater or equal. The dependent version must be at least at the version specified, or at a higher service, minor or major level.
    • compatible -- Major must match and others must be greater or equal. The dependent plug-in version must be at least at the version specified, or at a higher service level or minor level (major version level must equal the specified version).
    • equivalent -- Major and minor must match and the last parts, for example, service.qualifier, must be greater or equal. The dependent version must be at least at the version specified, or at a higher service level (major and minor version levels must equal the specified version).
    • perfect -- All parts of the version must match. The dependent version must exactly match the specified version.

      For example, the following attributes allow installation only if the version value in the update site and site.xml file is 3.0.0.

      version="version="3.0.0" match="perfect"

  • size -- Specifies the disk space needed for the installed feature.
  • url -- Specifies the location from which to obtain the "installfeature" during install and initial provisioning.
  • version -- Specifies the version of the feature to be installed and provisioned.

    This is a three or four part value associated with the feature to be installed. It has dependency with the "match" value in determining whether to install the feature. It also has future dependency on the match value when determining whether to update the installed feature.

    The version attribute holds these main values -- major.minor.service release.qualifier. The following example shows version 3.0.0 with the "20100309-1700" qualifier representing a named build or other qualifier value:
    version="3.0.0.20100300-1700"

Sample feature of custom or third-party features

The following is a sample custom feature.
<installfeature default="false" id="ISVExample1" name="YourToolA" required="false" show="true" version "3.0.0.20100309-1700">
                                      <requirements>
			<feature
download-size="72457"id="com.abx.yourtoolabxz.tools.feature" match="perfect" size="227855" url="${installer.root}/updateSite.zip"version="3.0.0.20100309-1700"/>