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

AppSearch


Windows Installer lets you search the computer during an install for specific files, directories, and settings. Collectively, these fall under the category of AppSearch, which is the name of the MSI database table where search tasks are stored.

There are five types of searches:

  • DirectorySearch: This searches for the existence or path of a directory

  • FileSearch: This searches for a specific file

  • ComponentSearch: This searches for a file by its component GUID

  • RegistrySearch: This searches the Windows Registry for a key

  • IniFileSearch: This searches inside INI files for configuration settings

Each of these types refers to the WiX element that you'd use to perform the search. Each is the child element of a Property element. So, you'll start off with a Property element whose value will be set to the result of the search.

There's an attribute of the Property element, ComplianceCheck, that can be used when doing an AppSearch. When set to yes, an error dialog will be shown if the search isn...