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Some installers open a console when they are trying to install the program on the machine (specifically on Windows).

Why is it so? What exactly is possible through a console that is not possible otherwise?

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2 Answers 2

up vote 5 down vote accepted

Apart also from @John T said, it maybe not be the reason that thay -what they do- cannot be done otherwise, but is probably that it is easier to do it this way. For example, copying through a batch file. Nothing easier to setup than that. So why would someone bother making it any other way.

Some things which can be accomplished through a command line are hard to beat.

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Was just adding a comment to my answer about this as you made your answer, hivemind. –  John T Oct 6 '09 at 19:06

They don't need to open a console, I think the verbose information is there to show the user whats going on. They could have also used it for debug purposes when creating the software.

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@John T no, they do not show the user any info, they just run some commands and then close themselves. I wish I could site the name of some installer like that, but it is not uncommon. –  Lazer Oct 6 '09 at 19:01
Some software also uses batch scripts to build extensions that come with it. Batch scripts will run in a command window when executed. –  John T Oct 6 '09 at 19:05
I think it also depends on the software installer they used. Some execute console commands, but hide it, other issue console commands and display the output in the pretty wizard window, and others just launch the dos window in the background. –  Roy Rico Oct 6 '09 at 19:11
Yep, as Idigas pointed out, sometimes it's easier to type a batch script with a bunch of copy statements as opposed to CopyFileEx() [ msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa363852%28VS.85%29.aspx ] a bunch of times in code for example. –  John T Oct 6 '09 at 19:16

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