Creating a .cab File (SP Only)
The .cab files for Smartphone are created by using CABWizSP, which ships with the Smartphone SDK. This program takes an information file (.inf) and command line parameters as input, operates on finalized program files, and creates a .cab file containing the application's files and a setup XML file that is suitable for Smartphone.
The XML setup file allows Smartphone configuration components to complete the installation. The CAB Installer and Configuration Manager process the .cab file after it reaches the device.
Typically, .cab file creation requires the finalized program files and Smartphone SDK tools. In addition, some users may want to provide extra configuration XML information, CEsetup.dll integration, a digital signing certificate, or Microsoft ActiveSync Installation information.
A .cab file contains a setup file that holds instructions for the installer on how installation should proceed. The CAB Installer and Configuration Manager process the .cab file after it reaches the device.
CABWizSP automatically compresses .cab files to make downloads run the most efficiently. These files are compressed by means of the MSZIP compression algorithm. The Smartphone CAB Installer automatically decompresses the .cab files and extracts their contents.
To create a .cab file for Smartphone
- Create an .inf file to be used by CABWizSP for your application.
- Run CABWizSP on your finalized program files and .inf files.
- Optionally sign the resulting .cab file by using the SDK tools.
Packages may or may not need to be signed, depending on the configuration of the security policies on the device. The Authenticode® tools may be used to sign .cab files when signed files are required.
See Also
Application Packaging | .cab Signing (SP Only) | .cab Files | .inf Files
Last updated on Friday, April 22, 2005
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