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...