So how would you automatically include everything in a directory where the filenames of those files can change from 1 build to the next? WiX does have a way to handle this, it's called heat.exe. There are people using it as part of an automated system to generate fragments, there's even been changes to heat.exe during WiX 3.0 development to support this but it's still not a recommended practice. That doesn't mean you can't do it, just don't expect it to be 100% perfect every time.
I think what your having issues with is that commercial alternatives which build Windows Installer packages hide things like actually writing code from you so you're used to just clicking buttons & having entire directories appear in your installers. That's not how Windows Installer itself works, every file you want to install needs a File Id & a Component to belong to, every Component needs a Component Id (GUID) and a Directory to install in etc. heat.exe can take a good guess at this for you but it subscribes to the "rubbish in, rubbish out" philosophy & nothing in WiX (or the Windows Installer itself for that matter) holds your hand like most commercial packages will. WiX is a powerful framework for creating Windows Installer packages, same way C++ is a powerful framework for creating executables & DLL's. Without a basic knowledge of STL/ATL/MFC/.NET/etc would you attempt to write fully fledged applications in C++? 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: Kerber, Cameron [mailto:cameron.ker...@philips.com] Sent: 17 March 2010 13:17 To: General discussion for Windows Installer XML toolset. Subject: Re: [WiX-users] Adding multiple files to component Maybe, but it seems kind of silly. So if have a directory fill with a thousand help files, I need to manually maintain this. Even if the tool that generates the help files have a different name each time. This seems completely ridiculous that WiX doesn't have a way to handle this! -----Original Message----- From: Kristoffer Danielsson [mailto:kristoffer.daniels...@live.se] Sent: Wednesday, March 17, 2010 8:57 AM To: wix-users@lists.sourceforge.net Subject: Re: [WiX-users] Adding multiple files to component 1) I believe I posted a detailed explanation on this. You should only use heat manually! > From: cameron.ker...@philips.com > To: wix-users@lists.sourceforge.net > Date: Wed, 17 Mar 2010 13:19:54 +0100 > Subject: Re: [WiX-users] Adding multiple files to component > > Thanks. I guess people have been giving me two different responses here and > I'm trying to figure out the right way to do this. > > 1) Should I use heat each time during a build, to harvest all the files in a > directory (directory contains a executable and all of its associated dlls and > dependencies). Then include that fragment with my main wix project. > > 2) Or do I either use this WixFileTool or Heat to just generate this for me > once, add it to my Wix Project, and forever maintain that list of files. > Since we are still in the beginning of the development for this project, it > is likely files will be renamed/files will be added/files will be deleted. > > What is the proper way / benefits of each? > > Thanks, > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Ivo Stoyanov [mailto:ivos...@yahoo.com] > Sent: Wednesday, March 17, 2010 8:10 AM > To: General discussion for Windows Installer XML toolset. > Subject: Re: [WiX-users] Adding multiple files to component > > You can try this - simple GUI > http://flexsetup.codeplex.com/ > WiXFileTool: generates WiX file definitions and component definitions for a > collection of files > > > > > ________________________________ > From: "Kerber, Cameron" <cameron.ker...@philips.com> > To: General discussion for Windows Installer XML toolset. > <wix-users@lists.sourceforge.net> > Sent: Tue, March 16, 2010 8:43:52 AM > Subject: Re: [WiX-users] Adding multiple files to component > > Yes, I understand that you can put multiple files in a component, but that > means I have to write the Source for each of the files, and spell out each > file xml element. I basically just want to set the Source to a directory and > include all files under that directory. Or some process that converts a > directory to <File Id="A" Source="A.txt"> <File Id="B" Source="B.txt"> > > I can't be typing this each and everytime. > > Heat tool. I'll look into it. > > Do you know of any websites with tutorial on it? Any way to integrate into > MSBuild? > > -----Original Message----- > From: Kristoffer Danielsson [mailto:kristoffer.daniels...@live.se] > Sent: Tuesday, March 16, 2010 11:36 AM > To: wix-users@lists.sourceforge.net > Subject: Re: [WiX-users] Adding multiple files to component > > > I'm also a newbie, so my solution below could be "wrong". However, it works: > > > > <Directory Id="SourceDirectoryDir" Name="Source"> > > <Component Id="BunchOfFiles" Guid="YOURGUID"> > > <File Id="FileX" Source="1.htm"> > > <File Id="FileY" Source="2.htm"> > > <File Id="FileZ" Source="3.htm"> > > </Component> > > </Directory> > > > Something like that. However, I do remember that this technique is not > recommended - for some reason I don't know... > > > > From: cameron.ker...@philips.com > > To: WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net > > Date: Tue, 16 Mar 2010 16:27:31 +0100 > > Subject: [WiX-users] Adding multiple files to component > > > > I'm sure this question has been asked before in some variety but searching > > the mail archives on SourceForge is awful. I am also new to WIX > > > > Anyways, in my build process I am outputting a bunch of files to a > > directory. I want all those files added to a component in my WIX project. > > To build my WIX project, during my build process I just build my WIX > > installer solution and it creates the setup package. So besides manually > > adding all these files (~50) to my component by hand, I don't understand > > how to accomplish this. All the tutorials just use one file in there > > examples. No one uses adding files from a source directory. > > > > Thanks! > > > > ________________________________ > > The information contained in this message may be confidential and legally > > protected under applicable law. The message is intended solely for the > > addressee(s). If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby > > notified that any use, forwarding, dissemination, or reproduction of this > > message is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. If you are not the > > intended recipient, please contact the sender by return e-mail and destroy > > all copies of the original message. > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > Download Intel® Parallel Studio Eval > > Try the new software tools for yourself. Speed compiling, find bugs > > proactively, and fine-tune applications for parallel performance. > > See why Intel Parallel Studio got high marks during beta. > > http://p.sf.net/sfu/intel-sw-dev > > _______________________________________________ > > WiX-users mailing list > > WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net > > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users > > _________________________________________________________________ > Mejla i busskön! Hotmail i mobilen > http://new.windowslivemobile.msn.com/SE-SE/windows-live-hotmail/default.aspx > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > Download Intel® Parallel Studio Eval > Try the new software tools for yourself. Speed compiling, find bugs > proactively, and fine-tune applications for parallel performance. > See why Intel Parallel Studio got high marks during beta. > http://p.sf.net/sfu/intel-sw-dev > _______________________________________________ > WiX-users mailing list > WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > Download Intel® Parallel Studio Eval > Try the new software tools for yourself. Speed compiling, find bugs > proactively, and fine-tune applications for parallel performance. > See why Intel Parallel Studio got high marks during beta. > http://p.sf.net/sfu/intel-sw-dev > _______________________________________________ > WiX-users mailing list > WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > Download Intel® Parallel Studio Eval > Try the new software tools for yourself. Speed compiling, find bugs > proactively, and fine-tune applications for parallel performance. > See why Intel Parallel Studio got high marks during beta. > http://p.sf.net/sfu/intel-sw-dev > _______________________________________________ > WiX-users mailing list > WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > Download Intel® Parallel Studio Eval > Try the new software tools for yourself. Speed compiling, find bugs > proactively, and fine-tune applications for parallel performance. > See why Intel Parallel Studio got high marks during beta. > http://p.sf.net/sfu/intel-sw-dev > _______________________________________________ > WiX-users mailing list > WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users _________________________________________________________________ Mejla i busskön! 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See why Intel Parallel Studio got high marks during beta. http://p.sf.net/sfu/intel-sw-dev _______________________________________________ WiX-users mailing list WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Download Intel® Parallel Studio Eval Try the new software tools for yourself. Speed compiling, find bugs proactively, and fine-tune applications for parallel performance. See why Intel Parallel Studio got high marks during beta. http://p.sf.net/sfu/intel-sw-dev _______________________________________________ WiX-users mailing list WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users
