We have several products that share code. These are organised into final .exe packages that run a custom bootstrapper/chainer (we started this long before burn and have yet to move to burn) that install one or more MSIs.
Each msi has a main wix file that has all the basic settings i.e. product, media, features and the directory tree. Installable files are split into themed areas and are included directly as .wxs if they are built in the same branch as the product msi or linked in via a binary wixlib if they are built elsewhere (this is used for shared components). For really small MSIs we sometimes just have everything in one wxs file. We also have a limited usage of wxi files to share defines between wxs files in the same branch. -----Original Message----- From: Tony [mailto:yellowjacketl...@gmail.com] Sent: 22 November 2013 13:51 To: General discussion about the WiX toolset. Subject: Re: [WiX-users] Placing XXXSequences in a fragment On Thu, Nov 21, 2013 at 7:26 PM, Rob Mensching <r...@robmensching.com> wrote: > Honestly, when I hear about lots of defines and lots of includes I > become suspicious that the code is not leveraging Fragments effectively. > That's a good point and just the sort of thing that I'm surprised isn't discussed (or blogged) more. I find project layout one of the most annoying aspects (in WiX and/or C#) and find that I'm constantly moving stuff around as the project grows. In WiX, I've tended to group like elements together as that's how I know where to locate an issue and extend the behavior (Ex. look for feature definitions in the Feature.wxs file, etc.). I'll take a look at the wix source. > > > PS: last I checked, C/C++ and C# are linked together by "case > sensitive strings" as well. Not sure why that is such an issue in the WiX > toolset. > <smile/> > I'm not blaming WiX, but Windows Installer. Though, I think, an IntelliSense type integration would probably resolve many of the issues. Guess we've become spoiled by the tools and take them for granted. I recently had some C++/CLR code in VS2010 to deal with. VS2010 didn't have IntelliSense and/or syntax highlighting for C++/CLR, it was very tedious to work on (thankfully vs2012 fixed the issue). I grew-up pre-IntelliSense, but that's one aspect of the "good ole' days" I'd rather not see again. Heck who likes working on C# without R#? > > -----Original Message----- > From: Tony [mailto:yellowjacketl...@gmail.com] > Sent: Thursday, November 21, 2013 9:59 PM > To: General discussion about the WiX toolset. > Subject: Re: [WiX-users] Placing XXXSequences in a fragment > > Ideally, I should have my custom actions and feature definitions in my > wixlibs, but due to the way our custom action dll is built (and must > continue to work with our legacy installers) that isn't very partical. > > That said, project layout and build issues is something that I'm > surprised isn't discussed more as from past experience it is something > that can get out-of-hand quickly. Espeicaly given that so many items > in Windows Installer (and thus WiX) are linked together by "case senstivie > strings" > (ugh!). Sometimes, I think my .wxi file is larger than my wxs files > given all of the <?define xxxx="xxx"/> that are needed. > > I'd love to hear from others on how they organize small, medium, large > and very large installers. > > > > > On Wed, Nov 20, 2013 at 8:09 PM, Rob Mensching <r...@robmensching.com> > wrote: > > > I group things by functionality not type. Thus my .wxs files are > > named for what they are "Toolset.wxs" "MSBuild.wxs" and sometimes > > centralize the Folders.wxs (group by type). I wouldn't do > CustomActionsAndSequences.wxs. > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Tony [mailto:yellowjacketl...@gmail.com] > > Sent: Wednesday, November 20, 2013 11:51 PM > > To: General discussion about the WiX toolset. > > Subject: Re: [WiX-users] Placing XXXSequences in a fragment > > > > Thanks, that's what I thought. I come up with something, I just > > wanted to make sure I wasn't missing some sort of FragmentRef type > thing... > > > > Right now I have... > > > > Product.wxs -- Product, Package, Media, Conditions, UIRef, > > FeaturesRef, Windows Installer Properties (ARPXXX, MSIXXX, etc.) > > Directories.wxs Features.wxs -- ComponentRefs (all defined in > > several > > wixlibs) CustomActionsAndSequences.wxs -- Binary, CustomAction, > > InstallExecuteSequence, InstallUISequence > > 2-3 lUI.wxs (based off of a slightly modified WixUI_FeatureTree > > pattern) > > > > Haven't decided where I'll define my properties. Maybe a > > Properties.wxs or (more likely) in the UI.wxs files since that's > > where most of them get set. > > > > Hmmm... Maybe it makes more since to place the feature definitions > > in the wixlibs rather than in the 'main' wix project??? > > > > > > On Wed, Nov 20, 2013 at 10:08 AM, David Watson <dwat...@sdl.com> wrote: > > > > > To link fragments together requires you to reference one from another. > > > > > > Use some sort of ...ref in you main wxs file to pull in the entire > > > fragment. > > > > > > A UIRef maybe or something in the fragment that also has a ref element. > > > > > > If there is nothing then you can go with the PropertyRef path. > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: Tony [mailto:yellowjacketl...@gmail.com] > > > Sent: 20 November 2013 14:44 > > > To: WiX Users > > > Subject: [WiX-users] Placing XXXSequences in a fragment > > > > > > I'd like to place my entire Install/UI Sequence sections into > > > their own wxs files. However, when I do that they seem to be ignored. > > > Any ideas how I can get this work? Or am I forced to use the > > > "create-a-bogus-property-in-the-fragment-and-"ref > > > it"-from-my-product.wxs" trick (which is what I currently doing)? > > > > > > -- > > > Tony > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > -- > > > -- > > > -------- Shape the Mobile Experience: Free Subscription Software > > > experts and > > > developers: Be at the forefront of tech innovation. > > > Intel(R) Software Adrenaline delivers strategic insight and > > > game-changing conversations that shape the rapidly evolving mobile > > landscape. Sign up now. > > > http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/clk?id=63431311&iu=/4140/os > > > tg .c lktrk _______________________________________________ > > > 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. > > > > > > > > > > > > This message has been scanned for malware by Websense. > > > www.websense.com > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > -- > > > -- > > > -------- Shape the Mobile Experience: Free Subscription Software > > > experts and developers: Be at the forefront of tech innovation. > > > Intel(R) Software Adrenaline delivers strategic insight and > > > game-changing conversations that shape the rapidly evolving mobile > > > landscape. Sign up now. > > > http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/clk?id=63431311&iu=/4140/os > > > tg .c lktrk _______________________________________________ > > > WiX-users mailing list > > > WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net > > > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > Tony > > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------- > > -- > > -------- Shape the Mobile Experience: Free Subscription Software > > experts and > > developers: Be at the forefront of tech innovation. > > Intel(R) Software Adrenaline delivers strategic insight and > > game-changing conversations that shape the rapidly evolving mobile > landscape. Sign up now. > > http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/clk?id=63431311&iu=/4140/ostg > > .c lktrk _______________________________________________ > > WiX-users mailing list > > WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net > > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users > > > > > > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------- > > -- > > -------- Shape the Mobile Experience: Free Subscription Software > > experts and developers: Be at the forefront of tech innovation. > > Intel(R) Software Adrenaline delivers strategic insight and > > game-changing conversations that shape the rapidly evolving mobile > > landscape. Sign up now. > > http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/clk?id=63431311&iu=/4140/ostg > > .c lktrk _______________________________________________ > > WiX-users mailing list > > WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net > > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users > > > > > > -- > Tony > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > -------- Shape the Mobile Experience: Free Subscription Software > experts and > developers: Be at the forefront of tech innovation. > Intel(R) Software Adrenaline delivers strategic insight and > game-changing conversations that shape the rapidly evolving mobile landscape. > Sign up now. > http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/clk?id=63431311&iu=/4140/ostg.c > lktrk _______________________________________________ > WiX-users mailing list > WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > -------- Shape the Mobile Experience: Free Subscription Software > experts and developers: Be at the forefront of tech innovation. > Intel(R) Software Adrenaline delivers strategic insight and > game-changing conversations that shape the rapidly evolving mobile > landscape. Sign up now. > http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/clk?id=63431311&iu=/4140/ostg.c > lktrk _______________________________________________ > WiX-users mailing list > WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users > -- Tony ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Shape the Mobile Experience: Free Subscription Software experts and developers: Be at the forefront of tech innovation. Intel(R) Software Adrenaline delivers strategic insight and game-changing conversations that shape the rapidly evolving mobile landscape. Sign up now. http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/clk?id=63431311&iu=/4140/ostg.clktrk _______________________________________________ WiX-users mailing list WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Shape the Mobile Experience: Free Subscription Software experts and developers: Be at the forefront of tech innovation. Intel(R) Software Adrenaline delivers strategic insight and game-changing conversations that shape the rapidly evolving mobile landscape. Sign up now. http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/clk?id=63431311&iu=/4140/ostg.clktrk _______________________________________________ WiX-users mailing list WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users
