By the way for anyone thinking I should generate the WiX xml by hand, the WiX output from the suggested method (RegSpy2 + Tallow + RegCop) produces 700 lines of xml. If you have several of these ActiveX exes to register like I do then doing this by hands would involve writing several thousand lines of XML....... no thanks.
Pally Sandher wrote: > 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 > > ======================================================================= This email, including any attachments, is only for the intended addressee. 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