Book Image

WiX 3.6: A Developer's Guide to Windows Installer XML

Book Image

WiX 3.6: A Developer's Guide to Windows Installer XML

Overview of this book

The cryptic science of Windows Installer can seem far off from the practical task of simply getting something installed. Luckily, we have WiX to simplify the matter. WiX is an XML markup, distributed with an open-source compiler and linker, used to produce a Windows Installer package. It is used by Microsoft and by countless other companies around the world to simplify deployments. "WiX 3.6: A Developer's Guide to Windows Installer XML" promises a friendly welcome into the world of Windows Installer. Starting off with a simple, practical example and continuing on with increasingly advanced scenarios, the reader will have a well-rounded education by book's end. With the help of this book, you'll understand your installer better, create it in less time, and save money in the process. No one really wants to devote a lifetime to understanding how to create a hassle-free installer. Learn to build a sophisticated deployment solution targeting the Windows platform in no time with this hands-on practical guide. Here we speed you through the basics and zoom right into the advanced. You'll get comfortable with components, features, conditions and actions. By the end, you'll be boasting your latest deployment victories at the local pub. Once you've finished "WiX 3.6: A Developer's Guide to Windows Installer XML", you'll realize just how powerful and awesome an installer can really be.
Table of Contents (23 chapters)
WiX 3.6: A Developer's Guide to Windows Installer XML
Credits
About the Author
About the Reviewers
www.PacktPub.com
Preface
Index

Adding service dependencies


If your service requires that other services be started before it can function properly, you can use the ServiceDependency element to add those services as dependencies. You'll place it inside the ServiceInstall element. Here's an example that states that the DNS Client service, named Dnscache, must be started before starting our Test Service:

<ServiceInstall 
   Id="InstallWindowsService1" 
   Name="testsvc" 
   DisplayName="Test Service" 
   Description="Test service for WiX"
   Start="auto"
   ErrorControl="normal"
   Type="ownProcess">

   <ServiceDependency Id="Dnscache" />
</ServiceInstall>

The ServiceDependency element's Id attribute sets the name of the service to depend on. Now, Windows will make sure that the DNS Client service is started before the Test Service. You can add more ServiceDependency elements for additional dependencies.

You can also set Id to the Name attribute of another ServiceInstall element. That way, if you're installing...