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

Using WiX to install a service


Now that you know how to install a service from the command line, let's look at how to do it with an installer. WiX has an element called ServiceInstall that you can use to add a new service to the services management console. This assumes that you've already created the executable file that will become the end point for your service, as discussed earlier.

First of all, we'll use the familiar Component and File elements to install the .exe to the install directory on the target machine. Add the following code to your WiX project:

<DirectoryRef Id="INSTALLFOLDER">
   <Component 
      Id="CMP_WindowsService1" 
      Guid="3D3DE5C1-7154-4c61-9816-248A85F6DEBF">

      <File 
         Id="WindowsService1.exe" 
         Name="WindowsService1.exe" 
         KeyPath="yes" 
         Source=".\WindowsService1.exe" />
   </Component>
</DirectoryRef>

Next, add a ServiceInstall element to the same component to register the WindowsService1.exe...