Heat can't extract the COM information from your executable but never fear, all is not lost quite yet. I've used a tool called RegSpy2 to harvest the /regserver information from an out-of-process COM server executable in the past. It's available at http://www.installsite.org/pages/en/msi/tips.htm (scroll down to the section labelled "Capture Self-Registration Information") It will output a .reg file which you'll need either manually convert into WiX code or if you want to save yourself some time you can use tallow.exe in WiX v2.0 then use WiXCop.exe on the .wxs tallow generates to convert it to WiX v3.0/v3.5 code. Unfortunately heat.exe doesn't support parsing .reg files into WiX code like tallow did/does so you will need to download WiX v2.0 if you don't feel like manually writing all the RegistryKey & RegistryValue entries yourself (you don't need to install WiX v2.0 to use tallow, just download the binaries).
If you have the actual object which is wrapped in the executable you could try running heat.exe on that & see if it generates the required registration information which would save the hassle of the above process. Blair the source code for RegSpy2 is available on the above link. That may help you modify heat.exe (or write an new tool separate from heat.exe if that's what's easier). This comes up every couple of months so there's definitely people who have a use for it (I'd certainly be happier auto-generating WiX v3.0/v3.5 code than passing stuff through 3 different tools) & it might even discourage people from trying to take the easy way out and do this type of thing using Custom Actions. 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>** Integrated Environmental Solutions Limited. Registered in Scotland No. SC151456 Registered Office - Helix Building, West Of Scotland Science Park, Glasgow G20 0SP Email Disclaimer -----Original Message----- From: Blair [mailto:os...@live.com] Sent: 29 October 2009 04:42 To: 'General discussion for Windows Installer XML toolset.' Subject: Re: [WiX-users] Heat and .exe COM objects Short answer: manually. Long answer and call to action (if there is enough interest): Unlike the import methods that RegSvr32.exe calls in DLLs, the /regserver and /unregserver command line arguments are a convention that while common is not universal. In addition, it is dangerous to run an unknown executable since you never know if it even checks command-lines or not (that danger of running foreign code also exists with DLLs, but the likelihood of trouble is reduced since there isn't a lot you can do in DllMain and it is unlikely that DllRegisterServer will be something else). It would be possible to extend heat to call the /regserver commandline although that would require some testing and not-so-conventional process bootstrapping, but the largest difficulty is in how to communicate to the tool which EXEs it should probe this way in a scalable fashion. If list members wish to propose ways to identify EXE files that should be harvested for COM, I am open to compiling them and distilling some proposals back to the group for further refinement. Send them to os...@live.com with a subject of "COM .exe harvesting". -----Original Message----- From: JK E-Lists [mailto:jkli...@ifm-services.com] Sent: Wednesday, October 28, 2009 11:07 AM To: wix-users@lists.sourceforge.net Subject: [WiX-users] Heat and .exe COM objects I have an old out-of-process COM object that is wrapped in an EXE. It uses the /regserver and /unregserver command line parameters to register and unregister the COM object. Heat appears to treat this as an ordinary executable, ignoring the fact that it's a COM object. Can Heat extract the COM information, or do I just need to do it manually? Thanks a lot! jk ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---- -- Come build with us! The BlackBerry(R) Developer Conference in SF, CA is the only developer event you need to attend this year. Jumpstart your developing skills, take BlackBerry mobile applications to market and stay ahead of the curve. Join us from November 9 - 12, 2009. Register now! http://p.sf.net/sfu/devconference _______________________________________________ WiX-users mailing list WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------ Come build with us! The BlackBerry(R) Developer Conference in SF, CA is the only developer event you need to attend this year. Jumpstart your developing skills, take BlackBerry mobile applications to market and stay ahead of the curve. Join us from November 9 - 12, 2009. Register now! http://p.sf.net/sfu/devconference _______________________________________________ WiX-users mailing list WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Come build with us! The BlackBerry(R) Developer Conference in SF, CA is the only developer event you need to attend this year. Jumpstart your developing skills, take BlackBerry mobile applications to market and stay ahead of the curve. Join us from November 9 - 12, 2009. Register now! http://p.sf.net/sfu/devconference _______________________________________________ WiX-users mailing list WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users
