The RequiredAppLinksparameter specifies a list of required packages to import to the base package at runtime. You can configure this parameter in the Package.ini file of the base package.

If the import operation for any dependent package fails, an error message appears and the base executable file exits. You can use the OptionalAppLinks parameter instead to continue even when load errors occur. If you use a wildcard pattern to specify a package and files do not match the wildcard pattern, ThinApp does not generate an error message.

Importing packages involves the following operations:
  • Running VBScripts from imported packages
  • Starting autostart services from imported packages
  • Registering fonts from imported packages
  • Relocating SxS DLL files from Windows XP to Windows Vista

You must create a link to the primary data container of a package. You cannot link to other shortcut packages.

Path names are on the deployment machine because the linking takes effect at runtime on the client machine. Use semicolons to separate the linked packages. For information about pathname formats, see Application Link Pathname Formats.

Link the Application to .NET

If you package the .NET framework in the dotnet.exe package and you have a .NET application, you can specify that the application needs to link to the dotnet.exe file before it can start.

RequiredAppLinks=C:\abs\path\dotnet.exe

You can specify a relative path.

RequiredAppLinks=<relative_path>\dotnet.exe

You can specify a UNC path.

RequiredAppLinks=\\server\share\dotnet.exe

You can use ThinApp folder macros in the path value.

RequiredAppLinks=%SystemSystem%\Package.dat

You can use environment variables in the path value. The risk of using environment variables is that a user might change the values before starting the application and create an Application Link dependency other than the one that the administrator set up.

RequiredAppLinks=%MyEnvironmentVariable%\Package.dat

You can import a single package located in the same directory as the base executable file.

RequiredAppLinks=Plugin.exe

You can import a single package located in a subdirectory of the base executable file.

RequiredAppLinks=plugins\Plugin.exe

You can import all executable files located in the directory for plug‐in files. If ThinApp cannot import any executable file because the file is not a valid Thinapp package or because a security problem exists, the base executable file fails to load.

RequiredAppLinks=plugins\*.exe

You can import all executable files located at the n:\plugins absolute path.

RequiredAppLinks=n:\plugins\*.exe

You can expand the PLUGINS environment variable and import all executable files at this location.

RequiredAppLinks=%PLUGINS%\*.exe

You can load two specified plug‐in files and a list of executable files located under the plug‐in location.

RequiredAppLinks=plugin1.exe;plugin2.exe;plugins\*.exe