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<H1>-sfx (Create SFX archive) switch</H1>
<P>Creates self extracting archive.</P>
<H4>Syntax</H4>
<PRE class="syntax">
-sfx[<A class="parameter" href="#SFX_Module">{SFX_Module}</A>]
</PRE>
<DL>
<DT><A name="SFX_Module"></A>{SFX_Module}</DT>
<DD>
<P>Specifies the SFX module that will be combined with the archive.
This module must be placed in the same directory as the 7z.exe.
If {SFX_Module} is not assigned, 7-Zip will use standard console
SFX module 7zCon.sfx.</P>
<TABLE>
<TR> <TH width="60">SFX_Module</TH> <TH>Description</TH> </TR>
<TR> <TD>7z.sfx</TD> <TD>Windows version.</TD> </TR>
<TR> <TD>7zCon.sfx</TD> <TD>Console version.</TD> </TR>
<TR> <TD>7zS.sfx</TD> <TD>Windows version for installers.</TD> </TR>
<TR> <TD>7zSD.sfx</TD> <TD>Windows version for installers (uses MSVCRT.dll).</TD> </TR>
</TABLE>
</DD>
</DL>
<P>
All SFX modules are uncompressed. You can use UPX program
(http://upx.sourceforge.net)
to compresss such modules. After compressing by the UPX program, the size of the
sfx module will be reduced to 40-50% of its original size.
</P>
<H4>SFX modules for installers</H4>
<P>SFX modules for installers are included in an external package (7z_extra). You can download
these modules from www.7-zip.org. SFX modules for installers (7zS.sfx and 7zSD.sfx)
allow you to create your own installation program.
Such a module extracts the archive to the user's temp folder, and runs a specified program,
and removes the temp files after the program finishes.
A self-extracting archive for installers must be created as joining 3 files:
SFX_Module, Installer_Config, 7z_Archive.
In addition, an optional file, Installer_Config, is allowed. You can use the following command to
create an installer self-extracting archive:</P>
<PRE class="example">
copy /b 7zS.sfx + config.txt + archive.7z archive.exe
</PRE>
<P>An optimally small installation package size can be achieved,
if the installation files are uncompressed before including them in the 7z archive.</P>
<P><SPAN class="filename">-y</SPAN> switch for installer module specifies quiet mode extraction.</P>
<H4>Installer Config file format</H4>
<P>
This config file contains commands for the Installer. The file begins with the string
<B>;!@Install@!UTF-8!</B> and ends with <B>;!@InstallEnd@!</B>.
The file must be written in UTF-8 encoding.
The file contains any or all these string pairs:
<P>ID_String="Value"</P>
<P>
<TABLE>
<TR> <TH width="60">ID_String</TH> <TH>Description</TH> </TR>
<TR> <TD>Title</TD> <TD>Title for messages</TD> </TR>
<TR> <TD>BeginPrompt</TD> <TD>Begin Prompt message</TD> </TR>
<TR> <TD>Progress</TD> <TD>Value can be "yes" or "no". Default value is "yes".</TD> </TR>
<TR> <TD>RunProgram</TD> <TD>Command for executing. Default value is "setup.exe". Substring <B>%%T</B>
will be replaced with path to temporary folder, where files were extracted</TD> </TR>
<TR> <TD>Directory</TD> <TD>Directory prefix for "RunProgram". Default value is ".\\"</TD> </TR>
<TR> <TD>ExecuteFile</TD> <TD>Name of file for executing</TD> </TR>
<TR> <TD>ExecuteParameters</TD> <TD>Parameters for "ExecuteFile"</TD> </TR>
</TABLE>
</P>
<P>You may omit any pair.</P>
<P>There are two ways to run a installation program: <B>RunProgram</B> and <B>ExecuteFile</B>.
Use <B>RunProgram</B>, if you want to run a program from the .7z archive.
Use <B>ExecuteFile</B>, if you want to open a document from the .7z archive, or
if you want to execute a command from Windows.</P>
<P>If you use <B>RunProgram</B>, and if you specify empty directory prefix: <B>Directory</B>="",
the system searches for the executable file in the following sequence:</P>
<OL>
<LI>The directory from which the application (installer) loaded.
<LI>The temporary folder, where files were extracted.
<LI>The Windows system directory.
</OL>
<H4>Config file Examples</H4>
<PRE class="example">
;!@Install@!UTF-8!
Title="7-Zip 4.00"
BeginPrompt="Do you want to install the 7-Zip 4.00?"
RunProgram="setup.exe"
;!@InstallEnd@!
</PRE>
<BR>
<PRE class="example">
;!@Install@!UTF-8!
Title="7-Zip 4.00"
BeginPrompt="Do you want to install the 7-Zip 4.00?"
ExecuteFile="7zip.msi"
;!@InstallEnd@!
</PRE>
<BR>
<PRE class="example">
;!@Install@!UTF-8!
Title="7-Zip 4.01 Update"
BeginPrompt="Do you want to install the 7-Zip 4.01 Update?"
ExecuteFile="msiexec.exe"
ExecuteParameters="/i 7zip.msi REINSTALL=ALL REINSTALLMODE=vomus"
;!@InstallEnd@!
</PRE>
<H4>Examples</H4>
<PRE class="example">
7z a -sfx a.exe *.txt
</PRE>
<P>adds <SPAN class="filename">*.txt</SPAN> files to self extracting
archive <SPAN class="filename">a.exe</SPAN> using the default console SFX module.</P>
<PRE class="example">
7z a -sfx7z.sfx a.exe *
</PRE>
<P>adds all files to self extracting archive <SPAN class="filename">a.exe</SPAN>
with module <SPAN class="filename">7z.sfx</SPAN> using windows version of SFX mudule.</P>
<H4>Commands that can be used with this switch</H4>
<P>
<A href="../commands/add.htm">a (Add)</A>,
<A href="../commands/delete.htm">d (Delete)</A>,
<A href="../commands/update.htm">u (Update)</A>,
</P>
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