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WiX Cookbook
WiX Cookbook

WiX Cookbook: Over 60 hands-on recipes packed with tips and tricks to boost your Windows installations

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Profile Icon Nicholas Matthew Ramirez
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Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Half star icon Empty star icon 3.5 (10 Ratings)
Paperback Jan 2015 260 pages 1st Edition
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Arrow left icon
Profile Icon Nicholas Matthew Ramirez
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$19.99 per month
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Half star icon Empty star icon 3.5 (10 Ratings)
Paperback Jan 2015 260 pages 1st Edition
eBook
$9.99 $28.99
Paperback
$48.99
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Free Trial
Renews at $19.99p/m
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$9.99 $28.99
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WiX Cookbook

Chapter 2. Installing Files and Directories

In this chapter, we will cover the following recipes:

  • Installing directories onto the target computer
  • Adding a file to a directory
  • Installing a 64-bit executable file to Program Files
  • Including one component or another depending on the condition
  • Using the heat.exe tool to generate components

Introduction

The WiX team has chosen to use XML as its modus operandi. It's a good thing that they have, because the declarative syntax of XML lends itself well to changing the state of the end user's computer without being tied to the details of how it was done. If they had chosen a procedural language instead, such as C, then we would be obliged to write functions to perform installation tasks. Other installers, such as NSIS, take the procedural route.

The problem with a procedural approach is that it's implementation-specific. If working with a Windows XP filesystem is different than working with a Windows 10 filesystem, then we will need to have branching logic to call a different function depending on where our installer runs. XML lets us declare what we want the state of the system to look like and Windows Installer takes care of the details of making it happen. Truth be told, the Windows Installer platform is itself declarative. Behind the scenes, it creates tables...

Installing directories onto the target computer

Before we can install any files to the end user's system, we have to specify the directories where they'll go. These could be directories that already exist or new ones that we'll be creating. Either way, we'll be using the Directory elements to form our folder structure. Our Directory elements can be nested directly within our Product element or separated into a Fragment. The Fragment approach has the advantage of being more modular, or in other words, keeps the concerns of making a directory structure separate from other chores such as installing files into those directories.

In this recipe, we will install some directories into the Program Files folder. To keep things simple, we won't install any files yet. Since Windows Installer won't install empty directories, we'll have to put some kind of placeholder in for now. We can use the CreateFolder element for this. Its job is simply to ensure the directory...

Adding a file to a directory

Markup to copy files to the end user's computer is probably going to make up the bulk of your installer. That's because for each file you want to install, which may number in the hundreds, there will be a corresponding XML element in your .wxs file to represent it. In this recipe, we'll cover the basics—installing a single text file to a directory that we'll create under Program Files. All file-types, whether plain text or binary, will follow this same pattern.

Getting ready

To prepare for this recipe, perform the following steps:

  1. Create a setup project and call it FileInstaller.
  2. Add a text file to the project and name it Sample.txt. Although we're adding the file directly to the setup project, in most cases the source files we use will be from other projects or folders.
  3. Update the default directory structure to the following wherein a folder called My Software is added to the Program Files directory:
    <Fragment>
      <Directory...

Installing a 64-bit executable file to Program Files

The 64-bit revolution has come and gone. If you're still writing 32-bit applications, you should make the switch if you can. Modern Windows operating systems have full support for it, but for end users to see the benefits, the software needs to be updated to take advantage. The 64-bit programs have the potential for increased performance, better parallel processing, and improved security. See the Technet article at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd630755%28v=office.12%29.aspx for more information.

Once the decision has been made to convert software to 64 bits, the next step is ensuring it's installed to the correct Program Files folder and that our installer identifies itself as being compatible with the 64-bit architecture. In this recipe, we will build a console application that targets the x64 platform and then include it in an MSI package that supports it.

Getting ready

To prepare for this recipe, perform the following...

Including one component or another depending on the condition

An installer should be able to adapt to its surroundings, to mold itself to the operating system or other constraints it detects. WiX has this sort of intelligence baked in. By using conditions, we can prevent a component from being installed if it's not a good fit and simultaneously allow a different component to be installed.

In this recipe, we'll store two XML files in the MSI and select only one of them to install based on the target operating system. We'll be using a built-in property called VersionNT to get the operating system, but this can be extended by defining our own custom properties. For example, you might install a component if the user selects Yes for a radio button in the user interface. Or, you might install debug versions of your DLLs depending on whether you're installing to a development machine.

Getting ready

To prepare for this recipe, perform the following steps:

  1. Create a setup project...

Introduction


The WiX team has chosen to use XML as its modus operandi. It's a good thing that they have, because the declarative syntax of XML lends itself well to changing the state of the end user's computer without being tied to the details of how it was done. If they had chosen a procedural language instead, such as C, then we would be obliged to write functions to perform installation tasks. Other installers, such as NSIS, take the procedural route.

The problem with a procedural approach is that it's implementation-specific. If working with a Windows XP filesystem is different than working with a Windows 10 filesystem, then we will need to have branching logic to call a different function depending on where our installer runs. XML lets us declare what we want the state of the system to look like and Windows Installer takes care of the details of making it happen. Truth be told, the Windows Installer platform is itself declarative. Behind the scenes, it creates tables of relational data...

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Description

WiX is a dialect of XML used to make installers for Windows. Its declarative style avoids the complexity and limitations of procedural code, providing you with everything you need to package up an entire application into a single MSI file. This book gives you a good overview of WiX's capabilities to develop your own installer packages with functionalities beyond those available in Windows Installer. In the recipes of this book, you will see ways in which WiX can cut down on your installation time and help you streamline your deployment processes. You will see how to make customized installer UIs, write custom actions, create shortcuts, and also set your application as the default for a file type.

Who is this book for?

If you are a developer with a good understanding of WiX projects and would like to further explore advanced WiX topics, this book is for you. To get the most out of this book, knowledge of proper XML syntax is recommended.

What you will learn

  • Install websites, application pools, and virtual directories in IIS
  • Add a wizard to your installer and customize it with your own dialogs
  • Set up new user accounts, add security groups, and secure files and folders on installation
  • Prevent deployment to unsupported systems by using launch conditions
  • Update XML files during installation
  • Configure shortcuts to your application
  • Include prerequisites with a bootstrapper
  • Create custom actions using C#
  • Add environment variables to the system

Product Details

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Publication date, Length, Edition, Language, ISBN-13
Publication date : Jan 30, 2015
Length: 260 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781784393212
Vendor :
Microsoft
Languages :

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Product Details

Publication date : Jan 30, 2015
Length: 260 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781784393212
Vendor :
Microsoft
Languages :

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Table of Contents

14 Chapters
1. Organizing and Building WiX Projects Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
2. Installing Files and Directories Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
3. File and Folder Permissions Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
4. Shortcuts Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
5. Editing XML Files during Installation Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
6. Custom Actions Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
7. Installing Wizards Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
8. Users and Groups Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
9. Handling Prerequisites Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
10. Installing Websites Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
11. Linking to the Web Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
12. Installing SQL Server Databases Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
13. Admin Tasks Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Index Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

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Jeffrey L. Odell Jun 07, 2015
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
An excellent follow-up to Nick's other book "A Developer's Guide to Windows Installer XML". I would suggest that first or as a pair. The former will help you understand how WIX is organized and best practices to integrating it in your projects. Once you have a sense of using WIX in your projects, Nick will save you a ton of time figuring out the approach to a bunch of common installer requirements with these recipes.For me, the initial purchase was around handling registry keys. Just sorting that out was worth the very reasonable price of the book.This is not necessarily a book you will read cover to cover but will dive in when a specific need arises. Should even one of the 50 recipes apply to your project it is worth the very reasonable price. I've gone back to it on several occasions.Nice job and the perfect WIX book set.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Hallfire Jun 10, 2015
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
It's a gem. The author made navigating through wix and all it's tools a pleasure. Within the cookbook I found recipes for adding short cuts, dealing with permissions, Users and Groups, I was able to author a C# custom action and know where to hook it into the Windows Installer. Wix is amazing and this book makes learning how to use it easy. I highly recommend this book.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Shivesh K Suman May 14, 2015
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
I bought this Cookbook to get a quick start on WiX which I needed for a small project. I must say that this book really did enable me to accomplish what I wanted (in just one day). The bite size examples help you get started quickly. You may have to read from other sources in order to get a better bigger picture but this book is very helpful in getting quickly started with WiX and enabling you in creating installation kits. There are other parts of the book which are useful and I will continue to read it and refer to it.I wish there was a least one chapter which also provided a big picture overview of the installation process and various steps/install sequences - however this book is still a great quick start resource on using WiX in Visual Studio.---After few days of reading this book I would like to add that this book makes WiX appear simple and easy for you (and part of it is due to its simple and highly structured presentation). I highly recommend it!
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Amazonのお客様 Nov 12, 2015
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
WiX 3.6: A Developer's Guide to Windows Installer XML にもレビュー書きました。こちらはレシピ集なので、目次に必要なパターンがあれば、すぐにそれを使うことができます。所望のレシピがあれば、Google先生に聞くより数十倍は早く作業できます。2種類のインストーラをまとめたり、IISセットアップしたり、SQLサーバーもセットアップして、Web上の追加モジュールもインストールして、など、まずフツーの範囲ならこれが参考になるはずです。WiXはインストール対象のファイル一つ一つに対してXMLでゴリゴリ記述が必要ですが、そのあたりの簡易対応策は、Google先生から数パターンの回答が、キーワード次第でわりとすぐに見つかります。(そのサイトを理解するためにも、この書籍か、同じ著者のWiX 3.6: A Developer's Guide to Windows Installer XML は必要です。)
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Pavithra Jun 06, 2015
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
This is a great book for intermediate as well as for enthusiastic beginner ;) . It covers nice and important code snippets, which makes our task quicker. I personally recommend this book to be read after previous releases.I would like to see,1. Using heat efficiently and with xslt to transform heat output.2. Installing both native and .net COM+(failures with enterpriseservices).3. Creating shortcuts on windows tiles.4. Debugging wix projs~Sampat
Amazon Verified review Amazon
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