Using WiX 2.0 I built plenty of MSP's using those instructions in the past. They're not completely clear in places but they work fine once you understand what you're actually trying to do. The (old v2.0) WiX tutorial also helped in this regard but I don't think it's available any more since the tutorial was updated to WiX 3.0 (Gábor DEÁK JAHN may be able to clarify this).
Using WiX 3.0 I have built and am building patches using the instructions in the WiX.chm also available at http://wix.sourceforge.net/manual-wix3/patch_building.htm I suggest following the correct guide for the version of the WiX toolset you are using would be a good place to start. In all cases the MSP files are significantly smaller than the MSI's. Our current release MSI is 55.7 MB, the MSP is 13.1 MB which updates approximately 42 MB of uncompressed files. You can tell exactly what is going on with your PCP file. msimsp.exe has a handy "-l" switch you may want to investigate. The file comparison in msimsp.exe is entirely unambiguous when it comes to resource-less files such as images as the log file will show. Little hint: timestamps. 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: Schmitz, John [mailto:jschm...@mediacy.com] Sent: 16 November 2009 15:26 To: General discussion for Windows Installer XML toolset. Subject: Re: [WiX-users] Help with building patch OK, sorry, I spoke too soon. The result of the patch building process with WIX 2.0 is a .MSP file that is very nearly the size of the original MSI file. I saw a second command prompt window processing a large number of files that DID NOT CHANGE between the two versions, some of which were versioned files and some of which were unversioned files like images. So while I definitely got farther than with WIX 3.5, in that the .WSX will compile to a 118K wixobj, and the wixobj will link to a 8.7K PCP file, something is not right about the file comparison process, which is the entire point of making a patch versus a minor upgrade. The PCP file is binary, so I can't tell exactly what's going on. Has anyone out there actually succeeded doing this? Thanks, John ________________________________________ From: Schmitz, John Sent: Monday, November 16, 2009 10:12 AM To: General discussion for Windows Installer XML toolset. Subject: Re: [WiX-users] Help with building patch I installed and switched to using WIX 2.0 (stable). This clarified two things: 1) SOME of the changes that I specify in my bug are indeed only needed to adapt the WSX file to version 3.5. The original code in the page works with 2.0 IF you know to save it as a WSX file and use it as the source for the compilation. 2) 3.5 does NOT work and 2.0 DOES work. Should I enter a bug on 3.5? Thanks, John ________________________________________ From: Schmitz, John Sent: Sunday, November 15, 2009 8:36 AM To: wix-users@lists.sourceforge.net Subject: Re: [WiX-users] Help with building patch I'm using 3.5. Message Sent with NotifySync -----Original Message----- From: os...@live.com Sent: Sat, 14 Nov 2009 19:33:06 America/New_York To: wix-users@lists.sourceforge.net Subject: Re: [WiX-users] Help with building patch Version 3.0 supports both the version 2 method (msimsp.exe/PatchWiz) and the "pure WiX" method (torch/pyro). Version 3.5 retains that support. Each of those two methods in the version 3 docs are described on two different pages. Not sure on the error message (although I haven't looked at the code yet). The TargetImages probably refers to the table itself, but with a path to the MSI file itself in the error message as being the missing symbol seems like something isn't quite right. Which version/build of the toolset are you actually using? -----Original Message----- From: Schmitz, John [mailto:jschm...@mediacy.com] Sent: Saturday, November 14, 2009 1:20 PM To: wix-users@lists.sourceforge.net Subject: [WiX-users] Help with building patch Hi, I have worked my way through understanding most of the things left out of or incorrect in the "Patch Building" page of Authoring (at http://wix.sourceforge.net/manual-wix2/patch_building.htm). (I've entered a bug on the page with what I've found along the way.) I just noticed that this is a version 2 page, and the version 3 page takes a totally different and (for me useless) approach. So I don't actually know if what I'm trying to do is possible in 3.5 or not. I'm down to just one error, which only cropped up after modifying the WSX code to use the TargetImage attribute of the PatchSequence. Here's the error: Patch.wsx(39) : error LGHT0094 : Unresolved reference to symbol 'TargetImages:<full path to my target MSI file>'' in section 'PatchCreation:{C42BF9ED-EDDA-46C0-97E3-BE0EC2D0750E}'. I've doubled checked the actual path I'm using in place of <full path to my target MSI file>, and it is definitely the correct path to the file - copying it from the error message and pasting it onto the end of "dir" command in a command prompt results in a directory listing of the file. There's a difference between "TargetImages" (plural) in the error message, and the "TargetImage" attributed that is used, but I'm assuming that's just a typo in the error message itself. Can anyone explain how to troubleshoot this? 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