I think it unlikely that the tutorial recommends a file per component. I think you misunderstood that part: it would be excessive. For 30-40 components, I'd just use a single file and not worry about fragments. Fragments are useful for sharing sections of code between installers or wixlibs and for breaking the installer down into sections that are patched individually.
A pattern I commonly use is to put component definitions in one file and the boilerplate (ARP properties, sequences, etc) in another. If you use heat to harvest components, I'd definitely keep that code in a separate file so it can be easily updated during development of the first version. Merge modules are used for sharing portions of an installer with 3rd parties. InstallShield can create them too. We moved from InstallShield to WiX a few years ago and find Wix to be much nicer to work with. You do have to understand the Windows Installer though - IS hides a lot of details from you. -----Original Message----- From: Corner Geoff [mailto:geoff.cor...@uk.fujitsu.com] Sent: 27 September 2011 10:30 To: wix-users@lists.sourceforge.net Subject: [WiX-users] A question from a complete Newbie Hi, I am here in search of relief from the InstallShield "treacle machine". WiX looks like an answer to my heartache of trying to maintain an Installation project I inherited a few years ago. I have read the tutorial and the first few bits of the Manual - I have installed WiX 3.5 and use Visual Studio 2010 to develop. The installation project I inherited has 30+ components which fit into two installable Features - Option one installs everything, two installs a subset. The way to go with WiX seems to be to create an overall wxs file and have a sub file for each component, but the Tutorial recommends Fragments (<Fragment />) and the manual talks about Merge Module (<Module />) So which should I use? And another minor difference the Tutorial says you only need one extra line to add a Fragment - but you need two to add a Module Geoff Corner Unless otherwise stated, this email has been sent from Fujitsu Services Limited, from Fujitsu (FTS) Limited, or from Fujitsu Telecommunications Europe Limited, together "Fujitsu". This email is only for the use of its intended recipient. Its contents are subject to a duty of confidence and may be privileged. Fujitsu does not guarantee that this email has not been intercepted and amended or that it is virus-free. Fujitsu Services Limited, registered in England No 96056, registered office 22 Baker Street, London W1U 3BW. Fujitsu (FTS) Limited, registered in England No 03808613, registered office 22 Baker Street, London W1U 3BW. Fujitsu Telecommunications Europe Limited, registered in England No 2548187, registered office Solihull Parkway, Birmingham Business Park, Birmingham, B37 7YU. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- - All the data continuously generated in your IT infrastructure contains a definitive record of customers, application performance, security threats, fraudulent activity and more. Splunk takes this data and makes sense of it. Business sense. IT sense. Common sense. http://p.sf.net/sfu/splunk-d2dcopy1 _______________________________________________ WiX-users mailing list WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users SDL PLC confidential, all rights reserved. If you are not the intended recipient of this mail SDL requests and requires that you delete it without acting upon or copying any of its contents, and we further request that you advise us. SDL PLC is a public limited company registered in England and Wales. Registered number: 02675207. Registered address: Globe House, Clivemont Road, Maidenhead, Berkshire SL6 7DY, UK. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ All the data continuously generated in your IT infrastructure contains a definitive record of customers, application performance, security threats, fraudulent activity and more. Splunk takes this data and makes sense of it. Business sense. IT sense. Common sense. http://p.sf.net/sfu/splunk-d2dcopy1 _______________________________________________ WiX-users mailing list WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users
