DxAutoInstaller

DevExpress VCL Components Automatic Installer

DxAutoInstaller is an open-source tool that automates the installation (and uninstallation) of DevExpress VCL components into Delphi / RAD Studio and C++Builder. It's available in two editions:

• GUI (DxAutoInstaller.exe) — a visual, step-by-step installer.
• CLI (dx.exe) — a command-line tool for scripted, silent, CI/CD, or AI-tool installs.

Both editions share the same install/uninstall engine and manifest file, so they behave identically — only the interface differs.

Features

• One-click install / uninstall — automatically compiles and registers the required DevExpress VCL packages, with a matching uninstall option.
• GUI and CLI editions — use the graphical installer for interactive setups, or the dx command-line tool for scripting and automated/CI pipelines.
• Select components and IDE versions — choose exactly which component groups to install and which installed IDE version(s) to target.
• Target platform selection — pick the Delphi/C++Builder target platforms to install for.
• 64-bit IDE support — install into 64-bit Delphi / RAD Studio IDEs.
• Win64x support — install for C++Builder Windows 64-bit Modern (Win64x).
• Automatic dependency resolution — installing a component automatically installs any packages it depends on.
• Manifest-driven — installation rules are described in a DevExpress.yaml manifest file that is customizable.
• Async install/uninstall — runs on a background thread with a progress bar, elapsed time, and a log file for troubleshooting.
• Non-interactive mode — the CLI's -y / --yes flag auto-confirms prompts, making it suitable for unattended and CI/CD use.

Requirements

• The corresponding DevExpress VCL full-source package, extracted locally.
• A supported Delphi / RAD Studio / C++Builder installation.
• If DevExpress was previously installed manually or with another tool, uninstall it first to avoid conflicts.

Basic Usage (GUI)

1. Download DxAutoInstaller from the Releases page (separate x86 and x64 binaries are provided).
2. Run DxAutoInstaller.exe, then select the DevExpress root folder.
3. Select the components and target IDE version(s)/platform(s) you want, then start the install.
4. To remove the components, use the same tool's uninstall option.

Note: Run DxAutoInstaller.exe as Administrator if the install path is under a system directory or your IDE requires elevated permissions.

Command Line Usage (CLI)

dx.exe exposes the same install/uninstall engine as the GUI, driven entirely from the command line — useful for scripting and unattended/CI setups.

dx <command> [IDE list] [options]

Commands

Command	Description
install	Install DevExpress VCL components to IDEs
uninstall	Uninstall DevExpress VCL components from IDEs

Global options

Option	Description
-v, --version	Show version information
-h, --help	Show help (add after a command, e.g. dx install -h, for command-specific help)
-y, --yes	Automatically answer "yes" to all prompts (non-interactive mode)

install options

Option	Description
[IDE list]	Target IDE(s), e.g. RAD Studio 13, RS13, RADStudio13. If omitted, all installed IDEs are targeted.
-d, --rootdir=<path>	Specify the DevExpress root directory. Defaults to the current directory if omitted.

uninstall options

Option	Description
[IDE list]	Target IDE(s), e.g. RAD Studio 13, RS13, RADStudio13. If omitted, all installed IDEs are targeted.

Examples

:: Show version / usage
dx --version
dx --help
dx install --help

:: Install into all installed IDEs, using the current directory as the DevExpress root
dx install

:: Install into a specific IDE, with an explicit DevExpress root directory
dx install "RAD Studio 13" -d="C:\DevExpress\VCL"

:: Install into multiple IDEs, auto-confirming any prompts (CI/CD friendly)
dx install "RS13,RS12" -y

:: Uninstall from a specific IDE
dx uninstall "RS13"

Note: Run dx.exe as Administrator if the install path is under a system directory or your IDE requires elevated permissions.

Building from Source

DxAutoInstaller depends on the following third-party libraries and components:

• JCL (JEDI Code Library) — general-purpose utility library.
• VSoft.YAML — parses the DevExpress.yaml manifest.
• VSoft.CommandLineParser — parses command-line options for the CLI (dx.exe).
• DevExpress VCL — required only for the GUI edition; the IDE used to compile DxAutoInstaller.exe must already have DevExpress VCL installed. The CLI (dx.exe) does not depend on it.

The repository contains two projects sharing the same core sources:

• DxAutoInstaller.dproj — builds the GUI (DxAutoInstaller.exe).
• dx.dproj — builds the CLI (dx.exe).

Once dependencies are set up, run Bin\Build.bat to build both.

Manifest File

Installation rules are defined in DevExpress.yaml, which lists each DevExpress package and its dependencies. Both the GUI and CLI editions read the same manifest file.

To support a DevExpress VCL version not covered by an official release, you can edit the manifest file to match the format used by your version.

Feedback & Contributing

• Found a bug, or want support for a new DevExpress / RAD Studio version? Please open an Issue.
• Pull requests — code changes or manifest updates — are welcome.

Disclaimer

This tool only automates the install/uninstall workflow for DevExpress VCL components; it does not provide or redistribute DevExpress products themselves. Make sure you hold a valid license for the components you install.