The nSuite wizard program is intended to be used by developers or those who wish to package/diff/distribute one or many files. It is a command-line application and is run by using one of the following arguments:

• -installer -src=<path> -dst=<path>

  • Creates a fully-fledged installer (Windows) with all the contents of the source directory
  • Writes the installer to the destination path specified
  • Generates an uninstaller, and links it up in the user's registry
  • Can write a 'manifest.nman' file in the root source directory
    • Specify string attributes for the installer, such as name, version, derscriptions, shortcuts

• -packager -src=<path> -dst=<path>

  • Creates a mini installer with no GUI (terminal only) with all the contents of the source directory
  • No uninstaller, registry modifications, or manifest file

• -pack -src=<path> -dst=<path>

  • Packages and compresses all the contents of the source directory into an .npack file
  • Writes package file to the destination path specified
  • Requires nSuite to unpackage
  • Note:
    • these package files are what is embedded in the installers above
    • can be used in diffing as a substitution for a source 'old/new' directory

• -unpack -src=<path> -dst=<path>

  • Decompresses and unpackages the contents held in an .npack file
  • Writes package contents to the destination path specified
  • Note: this command is executed what is executed in the installers above

• -diff -old=<path> -new=<path> -dst=<path>

  • Finds all the common, added, and removed files between the old and new directories specified
  • Generates patch instructions for all the differences found between all these files (including add/delete file instructions)
  • Files are analyzed byte/8byte wise, and is accelerated by multiple threads
  • Instead of directories, can specify .npack files. Usefull if needing to maintain multiple versions on disk.
    • nSuite will virtualize the content within, treating it as a directory for you.

• -patch -src=<path> -dst=<path>

  • Uses a source .ndiff file, and executes all the patch instructions it contains on the destination directory specified
  • Security:
    • Patch file has before/after hashes
    • File hashes must match, otherwise the application is aborted prior to writing-out to disk
    • Strict conditions to prevent against file corruption.