Sean, Creating the actual extensions to the compiler (candle), linker (light), decompiler (dark), serializer / gatherer (heat), etc. requires a .NET assembly; your choices there include managed C++ or a managed wrapper around a native DLL.
That said, most of the extensions are coupled with CustomActions written as C++ DLLs that get included in the Binary table in the MSI. You can create the table within the CA using MsiDatabaseImport or by using the CREATE TABLE SQL syntax. You can see the lifetime of the table by looking at the cached MSI file; I suspect that the changes are permanent, although care must be taken to make sure the CA only runs when necessary. Alternatively, you can create the custom table and fill it a-priori using the CustomTable element and its Column and Row children. That makes initial development of the CA easier to test before you decide to turn it into a full-blown extension. If you mentioned what you hope to accomplish with the extension and / or CA, that would definitely influence people's recommendations. Thanks, Thomas S. Trias Senior Developer Artizan Internet Services http://www.artizan.com/ -------- Original Message -------- Subject: [WiX-users] creating wix extensions From: Sean Farrow <sean.far...@seanfarrow.co.uk> To: <wix-users@lists.sourceforge.net> Date: 2/18/2009 2:46 PM > Hi: > Can I create a wix extension in a language other than a .net based > language (specifically c++)? > Alternatively, if I create a table in a custom action (what is the api > call to do this, and which library is it in?) how long does this table > last? > I'm trying to decide whether to create an extension, or whether to > create a custom action. Any help apreciated. > Cheers > Sean. > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Open Source Business Conference (OSBC), March 24-25, 2009, San Francisco, CA -OSBC tackles the biggest issue in open source: Open Sourcing the Enterprise -Strategies to boost innovation and cut costs with open source participation -Receive a $600 discount off the registration fee with the source code: SFAD http://p.sf.net/sfu/XcvMzF8H _______________________________________________ WiX-users mailing list WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users
