Hey~
Yeap, that's exactly what I was trying to do; create a dialog for installdir
but just modifying the variable that gets the path
but what I was unsure of was how to create that custom variable to get the
directory. I would need custom action for this, right?
Also, if you are familiar with orca, would it be easier to just use orca to
achieve this or would going with wix more flexible (but more learning curve)?
Thanks so much brian!
----- Original Message ----
From: Brian Bakkebo <bbakk...@gmail.com>
To: General discussion for Windows Installer XML toolset.
<wix-users@lists.sourceforge.net>
Sent: Thursday, April 30, 2009 3:01:20 AM
Subject: Re: [WiX-users] Reference custom directory
Hello Dk
OK, I think I understand, so you want to save a config file of some kind
with the path, so when the web app starts it will grab the icon files? You
can write ini values with wix: using this element WriteIniValues Element or
you can write to the registry using this: WriteRegistryValues Element.
There are two options for you.
The part that I am unsure of is if you can get create a variable and a file
dialog in wix? Perhaps you can use the installdir dialog to capture the
folder you will be getting the icons from then once you have that path, you
can write it to an ini or the registry.
I think you can do what you want, it will just take a little time to go in a
get it to work.
Brian
2009/4/29 dkijc <wwjdat2...@yahoo.com>
>
> Hi Brian,
>
> I forgot to mention that my app is hosted on iis so it's a web project
> installer hence I do not need to specify a installdir. Also the thumbnails
> are fetched from my app dynamically upon users request so all our app needs
> to know is the path to the folder where they store the thumbnails. So I do
> am not trying a to ask the user where to save the thumbnails but where our
> app can retrieve the thumbnails that are already in the machine. Does that
> make sense??
>
> Thank you so much.. I really appreciate it!
>
> God bless you! (_' ){
>
>
> On Apr 28, 2009, at 6:11 PM, "Brian Bakkebo (via Nabble)" <
> ml-user+210058-810336...@n2.nabble.com<ml-user%2b210058-810336...@n2.nabble.com>>
> wrote:
>
> Hi Dk, ok trying to break this down for you.
>
> 1. You want to install the web app to a server based on a directory they
> select, etc.
> With this you could use the installdir to accomplish through wix.
> 2. In the installer, you want to ask the question to download the
> thumbnails, next right.
> I know you can build this in with wix using windows installer ui controls.
> What I am not sure of is if you can create a variable here based on a
> directory selection by the user?
> Someone else here can probably answer this. I think that you can, but I
> havent had this need before.
> 3. Then you want to copy files(icons) from the user selected directory to
> the installdir?
> This could be done in a number of different ways as well.
>
> Now I think I have what you want, the problem is what is the best way to do
> it.
> I dont know how much time you have for this project or how professional it
> needs to be, so there are many factors here.
> If I didnt care of the look, I would call a custom action and call a nice
> little app that asks the question and
> copies the files over. Simple and done. But if you want it to look good
> and
> use wix to the fullest then you
> are going to need to understand wixui stuff really good. I would look
> there
> as well just to see what is the possibilities.
>
> Perhaps someone else here can answer if you can create variables and
> directory selection in custom wix ui and perhaps they can point you in the
> right direction there.
>
> Good luck
>
> Brian
>
> 2009/4/28 dkijc <wwjdat2...@...>
>
> >
> > Hi Brian,
> >
> > Thanks alot for the suggestion, however, I think you misunderstood my
> > question. Or I probably mislead you haha.
> >
> > Here is the dilemma. Our company has a server application and my teams'
> > product will be residing in the same machine. My application talks to the
> > server to send a playlist that is generated by our application. We (the
> > app)
> > however get the thumbnails (images that is rendered by another product)
> > from
> > the server. So basically, you can think of our application as a playlist
> > generating app but in order to generate the playlist we need the
> thumbnails
> > for each item and we fetch the thumbnails from our server.
> >
> > Our application is a web application so we can deploy it anywhere the
> user
> > wants it to. Now, when we created this application, we did not know our
> > application was going to be deployed on the same machine as the server.
> > Because of this we were fetching the thumbnails from the server thru a
> HTTP
> > request and the server sent the requested thumbnails to our application.
> > Since, our app is going to be residing in the same machine now, however,
> > instead of requesting the thumbnails through an HTTP request I was
> > wondering
> > if I could actually read into a directory where the thumbnails lie in the
> > server.
> >
> > So, what I want to achieve was ask the user if they want to fetch from
> > server or from the local disk. The reason for even asking (even the
> > 'server'
> > actually directs the local machine since our app is residing in the
> server
> > machine) is because the thumbnails are not always in the same directory
> and
> > we have to know where the thumbnails are stored at.
> >
> > I hope that clears up what I need to do.. haha
> >
> > Thanks a bunch!! god bless.
> >
> > -Dk
> >
> >
> > Brian Bakkebo wrote:
> > >
> > > Hi dkijc,
> > > I think you can do this, but a little unclear about the storing of
> icons
> > > somewhere else? Are you actually installing a program also or just
> icons?
> > >
> > > For storing the icons part you have a question in the installer I
> assume
> > > and
> > > it asks to download latest icons or choose a directory? If user
> answers
> > > yes, then go to web and download icons to a folder. The question is
> > > wouldnt
> > > you want to do this after they define the INSTALLDIR in the install?
> > Then
> > > you can use this dialog set and modify it:(WixUI_InstallDir does not
> > allow
> > > the user to choose what features to install, but it adds a dialog to
> let
> > > the
> > > user choose a directory where the product will be installed.)
> > >
> > > Therefore you can download the icons right to the install directory and
> > > reference them there. If this all sounds ok, then if you already have
> > the
> > > INSTALLDIR Variable assuming it is set up as the last node directory
> and
> > > will look something like this in your .wxs <Directory Id="INSTALLDIR"
> > > Name="YourProgramName">. Then you can reference it as a shortcut for
> > > example as such:
> > > <Shortcut Id="ApplicationStartMenuShortcut" Name="YourProgramNam"
> > > Description="YourProgramNam" Target="[INSTALLDIR]YourProgramName.exe"
> > > WorkingDirectory="INSTALLDIR">. Or using it for other things, etc.
> > >
> > > Since I am not quite sure about what you want to accomplish it is hard
> to
> > > say, but I think this is sort of what you want.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Med vennlig hilsen /Regards
> > > Brian
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > 2009/4/23 dkijc <wwjdat2...@...>
> > >
> > >>
> > >> Hi Pally,
> > >>
> > >> Thank you so much for your response! That gives me hope haha.
> > >> I was actually reading the blog by Neil and had a question.
> > >> I understand I can get the directory to be set but that's an
> > installation
> > >> directory.
> > >> Can I create a custom directory OR can I actually use the INSTALLDIR
> (or
> > >> whatever it is called)
> > >> and when the installation is run can I trick the installer so instead
> of
> > >> using the directory for installation folder actually snatch that
> > >> directory
> > >> to be stored in a variable within our code so our application knows
> > where
> > >> to
> > >> look for the thumbnails?
> > >>
> > >> We can fetched the thumbnails over the web just fine but now our
> > >> application
> > >> is deployed in the same machine where we fetch the thumbnails so
> instead
> > >> of
> > >> going through a loop with http request we can easily look for
> thumbnails
> > >> in
> > >> the local machine. The reason for asking the path for the folder is
> > >> because
> > >> thumbnails are not always stored in the same folder, as that is a
> > >> preference
> > >> that a user can set.
> > >>
> > >> The problem I was having was when I created a custom dialog (using
> > >> orca)that
> > >> asks whether the use wants our application to fetch the thumbnail over
> > >> the
> > >> web or just from their local machine. Opening a browse dialog works
> fine
> > >> but
> > >> every time I chose a folder and press 'ok' I'd get '2707' (target not
> > >> specified). And wasn't sure exactly what was causing the problem. I'm
> > >> assuming it probably has to do with custom action and was wondering if
> > >> WiX
> > >> had a better way of going about it.
> > >>
> > >> So my question still remains, is it possible to create a custom ID or
> > >> variable to store the directory (which is not meant for installation
> but
> > >> only purpose is to pass down the directory path into our code).
> > >>
> > >> I really hope that made sense... haha
> > >>
> > >> thanks, again!
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> 1. The web stuff I'm not sure about. It's likely possible using custom
> > >> actions as with most things. Someone else may have tried something
> > >> similar but I don't think pulling arbitrary files off a web server is
> > >> supported by default in the Windows Installer.
> > >>
> > >> 2. Very possible using standard Windows Installer UI controls. Have a
> > >> look at the InstallDirDlg.wxs in the WiX 3.0 sources which does pretty
> > >> much what you're trying to here except you'd need to hook it into the
> > >> radio buttons first. You can even use the BrowseDlg in WiXUI without
> > >> modification for your browse button. Neil Sleightholm's blog on
> > >> customizing the WiXUI at
> > >>
> http://neilsleightholm.blogspot.com/2008/08/customised-uis-for-wix.html
> > >> should help point you in the right direction.
> > >>
> > >> Personally I'd tackle it as 2 separate issues and get the second part
> > >> working as you'd like it to first, as the web stuff looks like it
> could
> > >> take a lot of time to get working right but that's me and I could be
> > >> wrong.
> > >>
> > >> Good luck
> > >>
> > >> Palbinder Sandher
> > >> Software Deployment & IT Administrator
> > >> T: +44 (0) 141 945 8500
> > >> F: +44 (0) 141 945 8501
> > >>
> > >> http://www.iesve.com
> > >> **Design, Simulate + Innovate with the <Virtual Environment>**
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> > >> Glasgow G20 0SP
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> > >>
> > >>
> > >> --
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> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> >
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