Phil, I'm not able to understand how you are able to collect user input from external UI of an MSI and pass it as command line argument for the same MSI. The external UI wouldn't show up until the MSI starts executing, so once the MSI starts executing, the bootstrapper exe can't provide any more command line arguments to the already running MSI right? Or, are you talking about having 2 MSIs, one MSI whose related external UI would collect the requirements and then the bootstrapper would collect these requirements and launch the second product MSI with these command line arguments?
The control flow I have is(with just one msi that will be launched by the exe) 1. Exe sets my callback function as external UI by calling MsiSetExternalUI. 2. Exe launches the Msi with some command line args using MsiInstallProduct. 3. Exe waits for the MsiInstallProduct call to return. In a separate process, 1. Msi launches and calls into my callback function. 2. I show the UI and collect all of the user requirements and return from external UI. I don't want to fully suppress internal UI, so once I return from external UI, internal UI will take care of progress messages, notifications etc. 3. The collected user requirements are in the context of the external UI(which can't do MsiSetProperty because of the handler limitation, only one msi can be open at a time) and they can also be referenced in the context of the exe that launched the MSI. But the exe has already launched this MSI, so there is no way the exe can let this MSI know about the user input through command line args. So in order to achieve the results you mentioned(collecting feature list and other input from the user and pass it on as command line args), there should be atleast 2 MSIs. 1. Exe sets your external UI callback func as external UI by calling MsiSetExternalUI. 2. Exe launches the MSI that would do nothing more than showing the external UI. 3. Through pvContext variable, the external UI can collect the user input and the Exe would have an idea about. 4. Exe creates command line args after this MSI is done installing and launches the real product MSI with these command line args. (pure guess work :)) I must have surely misunderstood a big piece as I'm not able to imagine the external UI to be not able to communicate the user input to its host MSI. On Thu, Sep 16, 2010 at 9:28 AM, Wilson, Phil <phil.wil...@invensys.com>wrote: > Without knowing exactly why you think there are "problems with writing back > properties to the MSI" I can't really comment too much. What requirement do > you think this addresses? I have used an external UI a lot, your 2, and it > works fine. Typically you want to show splash screens, a dialog to accept a > EULA, then collect a list of features and other properties. Then you install > one or more MSI files "silently" as a single transaction, getting progress > and action messages from the callback and showing them in a progress-type of > dialog, handling FilesInUse in your callback by showing a dialog etc. You > set the feature list using ADDLOCAL on the command line when you install the > MSI file(s), and any other properties you have collected in the UI. Your own > silent install of the multiple MSI files means that you suppress all your > UI, and collect things like a feature list and properties to be set from a > response file that your program reads and passes to the MSI command line. > > Phil Wilson > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Pratapa Reddy Sanaga [mailto:pratap.san...@gmail.com] > Sent: Wednesday, September 15, 2010 5:48 PM > To: General discussion for Windows Installer XML toolset. > Subject: Re: [WiX-users] Can msi external ui write to the MSI properties? > > I'm just making sure I verify all possibilities to show a UI and capture my > design decision in the doc... > > 1. UI in the bootstrapper exe itself - I'm currently thinking this is the > most feasible solution. > 2. UI as msi external UI - As we discussed, problems with writing back > properties to the MSI. > 3. UI in msi embedded UI - I need to compatible with Windows Installer 3.1, > so this is not an option for me. > 4. UI in UI Sequence - My UI should host a WebBrowser control, so the MSI > dialogs are not an option for me. > 5. UI in immediate custom action in InstallExecute sequence - This is > probably another option available to me apart from option 1. The UI > launches > as logged in user, I'll be able to write back to the msi. But I'm not sure > if I should be doing the UI work in this place because the custom action, > eventhough running as logged in user, is running with Integrity Level High > and Elevation Type Full(applicable on Vista+). Since the UI is going to > navigate to a website, this is not secure. Once the process is elevated, > there is no way to go back to non-elevated mode. > 6. UI in deferred custom action - The new process that my UI launches is > launching as LocalSystem and I'm not able to launch it as logged in user. > So > the security issue is pulling me back from going with this approach. > > So what you suggested above(collect data in your own UI and set the > properties on command line) is my option 1. Please correct me if any of my > above statements are wrong. > > Thanks, > Pratap. > > On Wed, Sep 15, 2010 at 5:08 PM, Wilson, Phil <phil.wil...@invensys.com > >wrote: > > > That's correct, it will have started, but if you're following a model > where > > you collect data in your own UI and start the install you have an > > opportunity to set the properties on the install command line. I don't > see > > why you would try to set properties from your callback - it seems > > non-deterministic to me. Also you can't really show a UI there and expect > to > > support a silent install. > > > > Phil Wilson > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Pratapa Reddy Sanaga [mailto:pratap.san...@gmail.com] > > Sent: Wednesday, September 15, 2010 4:28 PM > > To: General discussion for Windows Installer XML toolset. > > Subject: Re: [WiX-users] Can msi external ui write to the MSI > properties? > > > > The install would have already started if my external UI is being > executed > > right? i.e. the callback would occur only after I call the InstallProduct > > API from my bootstrapper exe, so I don't have any more chance of passing > in > > a command line argument I guess. > > > > I'll try using the context to set the property and get back on this > > thread.. > > > > Thanks! > > On Wed, Sep 15, 2010 at 4:15 PM, Wilson, Phil <phil.wil...@invensys.com > > >wrote: > > > > > If you haven't started the install yet, you could pass those > properties > > on > > > the command line. Alternatively, the first parameter in the UIHandler > > > callback ("context") is (can be cast to) the MSIHANDLE for the install. > > The > > > example callback in MSDN casts it to an MSIHANDLE when it calls > > > MsiFormatRecord(). I've never tried an MsiSetProperty() on it though. > > > > > > > > > Phil Wilson > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: Pratapa Reddy Sanaga [mailto:pratap.san...@gmail.com] > > > Sent: Wednesday, September 15, 2010 3:53 PM > > > To: General discussion for Windows Installer XML toolset. > > > Subject: [WiX-users] Can msi external ui write to the MSI properties? > > > > > > Hi, > > > > > > I'm trying to see if I can use msi external ui for my project. Will I > be > > > able to get an input from the user using msi external ui and then store > > > that, lets say string, input from the user into one of the msi > > properties? > > > I > > > feel it can't be done because the external ui would probably be running > > in > > > a > > > separate process and it wouldn't have any handle to the currently > running > > > msi to set the property. Please assert my understanding. > > > > > > Thanks, > > > Pratap. > > > > > > -- > > > Vote for loksatta = vote for a better future > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > Start uncovering the many advantages of virtual appliances > > > and start using them to simplify application deployment and > > > accelerate your shift to cloud computing. > > > http://p.sf.net/sfu/novell-sfdev2dev > > > _______________________________________________ > > > WiX-users mailing list > > > WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net > > > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users > > > > > > > > > *** Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail, including any associated or > > > attached files, is intended solely for the individual or entity to > which > > it > > > is addressed. This e-mail is confidential and may well also be legally > > > privileged. If you have received it in error, you are on notice of its > > > status. 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