How to Create a Package by Using a Package Definition File Template

The following example shows how to create a package and program by using a package definition file template in Configuration Manager. The package definition file template contains the default values that are used to create SMS_Package and SMS_Program objects. The following example uses the SMS_PDF_Package class and the GetPDFData method to load the package definition file template information and to create a package and the related programs.

To create a package by using a package definition file template

1. Set up a connection to the SMS Provider.

2. Create the new package object by using the SMS_PDF_Package class.

3. Populate any additional package properties.

4. Load the program information and associate each program with the package.

Example

The following example method creates a new package by using a package definition file.

For information about calling the sample code, see Calling Configuration Manager Code Snippets.

Sub SWDCreatePDFPackage(connection, existingPDF_ID, newPackageSourceFlag, newPackageSourcePath)  
    ' The PDF_ID must be passed in.  
    ' The PDF_ID can be identified through the SMS_PDF_Package class.  

    Dim newPDFPackage  
    Dim returnCode  
    Dim newPackage  
    Dim newPackagePath  
    Dim packageID  
    Dim program  
    Dim arrayOfPrograms  

    ' Package Creation  
    ' ----------------       
    ' Create new SMS_PDF_Package instance.  
    Set newPDFPackage = connection.Get("SMS_PDF_Package")  

    ' Load the Package Definition File data using the GetPDFData method.  
    returnCode = newPDFPackage.GetPDFData(existingPDF_ID, newPackage, arrayOfPrograms)  

    ' Assign any additional package properties.  
    newPackage.PkgSourceFlag = newPackageSourceFlag  
    newPackage.PkgSourcePath = newPackageSourcePath  

    ' Save the package path and get the Package ID.  
    Set newPackagePath = newPackage.Put_  
    packageID = newPackagePath.Keys("PackageID")  

    ' Program Creation   
    ' -----------------      
    ' Enumerate through the program array and create the programs.  
    For Each program In arrayOfPrograms  
        program.PackageID = packageID  
        program.Put_  
    Next  

End Sub  

The example method has the following parameters:

Parameter	Type	Description
connection	- VBScript: SWbemServices	A valid connection to the SMS Provider.
existingPDF_ID	- VBScript: Integer	ID of the package definition file.
newPackageSourceFlag	- VBScript: Integer	The package source.
newPackageSourcePath	- VBScript: String	The path to the package source.

Robust Programming

For more information about error handling, see About Configuration Manager Errors.

See Also

Software distribution overview SMS_SCI_Component Server WMI Class