The biggest difference between InstallShield and WiX in registration ( assuming you follow best practices and don't use SelfReg / CA's ) is the use of the registry tables in WiX versus certain COM tables in InstallShield.
Both tools have the capability to extract COM from dll's and it's a bit of a spooky process with both sometimes. For me I have the ability to use a number of extraction tools and profiling tools when it doesn't work to ultimately get the right answer on what the COM should be and from there I can author that information in either tool. All said, they are both good but I like WiX a little bit better in it's use of the registry table. Christopher Painter, Author of Deployment Engineering Blog Have a hot tip, know a secret or read a really good thread that deserves attention? E-Mail Me --- On Thu, 11/12/09, Matt Walker <matt.wal...@synergis.com> wrote: > From: Matt Walker <matt.wal...@synergis.com> > Subject: [WiX-users] FW: InstallShield 2010 vs InstallAware 9 > To: "General discussion for Windows Installer XML toolset." > <wix-users@lists.sourceforge.net> > Date: Thursday, November 12, 2009, 12:38 PM > One of the big issues I've had with > InstallShield and other products is > proper registration of files. Most of the time this > area was OK, but > there were times when one or two files would not register > causing me to > create Custom Actions to do so. > > How would this be handled in WiX and is it reliable? > > *** > > I wonder what conversion time would be like to switch to > WiX after being > used to InstallShield/Wise for all these years. > > I'm planning a rebuild of all of our installs regardless of > the product > selected anyway, but I wonder what the WiX learning curve > is like. > > What are some of the requirements or necessities for > becoming an adept > WiX user? > > *** > > What about Web and IIS Stuff - go to go/easy with WiX? > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Matt Walker > Sent: Thursday, November 12, 2009 1:18 PM > To: 'General discussion for Windows Installer XML > toolset.' > Subject: RE: [WiX-users] InstallShield 2010 vs InstallAware > 9 > > Is there any kind of UI with WiX? I like > InstallShield because it takes > care of he nuts and bolts for you yet allows tweaking where > needed. > > Is WiX scripting based or should you be a heavy duty > developer to use > it? > > I guess I can download and take a look. > > Any further info on this or the IS 2010 Vs IA 9 comparison > is more than > welcomed. > > Thanks! > > -----Original Message----- > From: Brian Simoneau [mailto:bsimon...@freedomscientific.com] > > Sent: Thursday, November 12, 2009 12:06 PM > To: General discussion for Windows Installer XML toolset. > Subject: Re: [WiX-users] InstallShield 2010 vs InstallAware > 9 > > My company was using InstallShield before switching to > WiX. I have > never used InstallAware, but the only advice I can give is > to use WiX. > It's free and can do anything that the commercial products > do, sometimes > better. > > -Brian Simoneau > > -----Original Message----- > From: Matt Walker [mailto:matt.wal...@synergis.com] > > Sent: Thursday, November 12, 2009 9:10 AM > To: wix-users@lists.sourceforge.net > Subject: [WiX-users] InstallShield 2010 vs InstallAware 9 > > Hi All, > > > > I'm new to the group and was pointed here by an individual > from whom > I've received valuable assistance on many .NET, install > related topics > over the past several years. I know this is a Wix > users group, but I'm > hoping someone can give me some insight, guidance, etc. > > > > We as a company are looking to switch our install build > product. The > company whose product we use has undergone several company > takeovers/changes recently and it doesn't look like the > development > effort is there for this particular product. > > > > We've been focusing on InstallShield 2010 and InstallAware > 9. I've used > InstallShield products in the past and never really had any > major > problems to speak of. IS seemed fairly easy to use > and suited all of > our needs. This seems to be the case with > InstallShield 2010. > > > > InstallAware is a tool of a different kind as it appears to > be primarily > script based but does have a Visual interface as > well. It might be > because I could be subconsciously hooked on InstallShield, > but > InstallAware seems cumbersome to me. I guess that may > also be that I'm > just not used to their way of doing things. > Conversion for us would > take a larger amount of time with this product, but if it > works and is > stable, that really won't matter much to me. > > > > What I've heard and from what I already knew, they are both > major > players with InstallShield having a longer lifespan so > far. I've been > told that InstallAware claims to be on the cutting edge, > but their > installs at times display weird behavior. > > > > I'm trying to find an individual(s) that has used both or > similar > products for a compare and contrast of sorts. What > are the pros and > cons? Early on, > > > > Of course price will be a factor for us, but I just want to > be sure > after making a selection I don't miss major advantages of > the product > that is left behind by our decision. > > > > Please help if you can. > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > ------ > Let Crystal Reports handle the reporting - Free Crystal > Reports 2008 > 30-Day > trial. Simplify your report design, integration and > deployment - and > focus on > what you do best, core application coding. Discover what's > new with > Crystal Reports now. http://p.sf.net/sfu/bobj-july > _______________________________________________ > WiX-users mailing list > WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > ------ > Let Crystal Reports handle the reporting - Free Crystal > Reports 2008 > 30-Day > trial. Simplify your report design, integration and > deployment - and > focus on > what you do best, core application coding. Discover what's > new with > Crystal Reports now. http://p.sf.net/sfu/bobj-july > _______________________________________________ > WiX-users mailing list > WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > Let Crystal Reports handle the reporting - Free Crystal > Reports 2008 30-Day > trial. Simplify your report design, integration and > deployment - and focus on > what you do best, core application coding. Discover what's > new with > Crystal Reports now. http://p.sf.net/sfu/bobj-july > _______________________________________________ > WiX-users mailing list > WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Let Crystal Reports handle the reporting - Free Crystal Reports 2008 30-Day trial. Simplify your report design, integration and deployment - and focus on what you do best, core application coding. Discover what's new with Crystal Reports now. http://p.sf.net/sfu/bobj-july _______________________________________________ WiX-users mailing list WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users
