Re: [WiX-users] Creating patches using wixout (-bf flag deprecated)
Thanks for the fantastic detailed clarification on this issue! I will endeavour to use the melt approach outlined in Bob's post. -Nick -- New Year. New Location. New Benefits. New Data Center in Ashburn, VA. GigeNET is offering a free month of service with a new server in Ashburn. Choose from 2 high performing configs, both with 100TB of bandwidth. Higher redundancy.Lower latency.Increased capacity.Completely compliant. vanity: www.gigenet.com ___ WiX-users mailing list WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users
Re: [WiX-users] Creating patches using wixout (-bf flag deprecated)
This is going to turn into a blog post, I know it. 0. First, at this point in WiX v3.x "deprecated" means the functionality will not be present in WiX v4.x. There are no breaking changes in WiX v3.x (unless we need to for security purposes). You can keep doing what you're doing as long as you're happy on WiX v3.x. 1. Melt (like most of the non-core tools) is sorely under documented. There is only a one sentence description on it today. As is the case (too often) detail gets isolated on my or Bob's blog: http://www.joyofsetup.com/2013/07/16/easy-pure-wix-patching-with-melt/. 2. The use of preprocessor defines as paths to other projects was a huge mistake we made early in the design of Votive. We should have used bind paths. Unfortunately, I've not successfully found a way to fix that mistake in a backwards compatible way in v3.x. Hope is that we can get it right in v4.x. 3. Now, you are correct. The ability to use the .wixout as an archive mechanism is absent in WiX v4.x. The goal (in WiX v4.x) is that to patch (should you need to patch) all you need is the stuff that is always output from the build: the MSI, any external .cabs/files and the .wixpdb. Archive that away the exact same way binaries and their .pdbs should be archived away. 4. Why!?!?!? Why would functionality that works be removed?!?!? There are a few reasons: 4a. Again, the goal in WiX v4.x is that to patch, all that is necessary is the standard output from the build. This reduces one more thing you have to pre-plan for if you might need to patch later. Today (WiX v3.x), melt.exe is the stopgap. 4b. Using the .wixout as an archive means you essentially double the output to your release location. This is less of an issue if your package is small but it is a huge problem if your package is huge. This makes binary .wixout's a very non-ideal scenario in some cases. Note: in WiX v4.x the size issue would be even worse because "bound files" are no longer compressed. 4c. Maintaining multiple ways of doing the same thing in the WiX toolset is expensive. If we can come up with a single solid implementation for a problem, we should do so. That minimizes bugs across implementations and frees us up to do other work. This is particularly important in areas like patching where the problem is already insanely complex and the people that can work on patching happen to be people that could work on just about anything. Hopefully that makes the direction we're trying to head in clearer. I know that it doesn't solve the "you moved my cheese" issue. ___ FireGiant | Dedicated support for the WiX toolset | http://www.firegiant.com/ -Original Message- From: Nick Ramirez [mailto:nickra...@hotmail.com] Sent: Thursday, January 8, 2015 8:02 PM To: wix-users@lists.sourceforge.net Subject: Re: [WiX-users] Creating patches using wixout (-bf flag deprecated) Sounds like undocumented functionality of Melt. I don't see anything about using it that way in the WiX.chm. Also, binder variable don't solve the problem of binding the source files into the XML file. They only give you a way to list a bunch of paths to probe. So they don't replace the functionality we'd be losing if -bf is taken away. -- Dive into the World of Parallel Programming! The Go Parallel Website, sponsored by Intel and developed in partnership with Slashdot Media, is your hub for all things parallel software development, from weekly thought leadership blogs to news, videos, case studies, tutorials and more. Take a look and join the conversation now. http://goparallel.sourceforge.net ___ WiX-users mailing list WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users
Re: [WiX-users] Creating patches using wixout (-bf flag deprecated)
Sounds like undocumented functionality of Melt. I don't see anything about using it that way in the WiX.chm. Also, binder variable don't solve the problem of binding the source files into the XML file. They only give you a way to list a bunch of paths to probe. So they don't replace the functionality we'd be losing if -bf is taken away. -- View this message in context: http://windows-installer-xml-wix-toolset.687559.n2.nabble.com/Creating-patches-using-wixout-bf-flag-deprecated-tp7598765p7598783.html Sent from the wix-users mailing list archive at Nabble.com. -- Dive into the World of Parallel Programming! The Go Parallel Website, sponsored by Intel and developed in partnership with Slashdot Media, is your hub for all things parallel software development, from weekly thought leadership blogs to news, videos, case studies, tutorials and more. Take a look and join the conversation now. http://goparallel.sourceforge.net ___ WiX-users mailing list WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users
Re: [WiX-users] Creating patches using wixout (-bf flag deprecated)
Melt kind of does an administrative install of the database (msi or msm). It updates the wixpdb Data entries to point to the new location for the files. -Original Message- From: Nick Ramirez [mailto:nickra...@hotmail.com] Sent: January-08-15 3:04 PM To: wix-users@lists.sourceforge.net Subject: Re: [WiX-users] Creating patches using wixout (-bf flag deprecated) Bind paths vs. Visual Studio project references (e.g. $(var.MyProject.TargetDir))...the latter doesn't require passing custom parameters to light. Why make the specifying of a source file more arcane with a bind paths binder variable? Especially when the use case is a patch file in the unseen future? IMHO, better to just let us use a -bf flag when we need it. I personally like being able to bind the binary data into the wixout so that it can be moved and used later. Such a useful feature to throw away. Especially when the binder variable is not a great replacement. What's melt got to do with it? Isn't that for merge modules? -- View this message in context: http://windows-installer-xml-wix-toolset.687559.n2.nabble.com/Creating-patches-using-wixout-bf-flag-deprecated-tp7598765p7598779.html Sent from the wix-users mailing list archive at Nabble.com. -- Dive into the World of Parallel Programming! The Go Parallel Website, sponsored by Intel and developed in partnership with Slashdot Media, is your hub for all things parallel software development, from weekly thought leadership blogs to news, videos, case studies, tutorials and more. Take a look and join the conversation now. http://goparallel.sourceforge.net ___ WiX-users mailing list WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users -- Dive into the World of Parallel Programming! The Go Parallel Website, sponsored by Intel and developed in partnership with Slashdot Media, is your hub for all things parallel software development, from weekly thought leadership blogs to news, videos, case studies, tutorials and more. Take a look and join the conversation now. http://goparallel.sourceforge.net ___ WiX-users mailing list WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users
Re: [WiX-users] Creating patches using wixout (-bf flag deprecated)
Bind paths vs. Visual Studio project references (e.g. $(var.MyProject.TargetDir))...the latter doesn't require passing custom parameters to light. Why make the specifying of a source file more arcane with a bind paths binder variable? Especially when the use case is a patch file in the unseen future? IMHO, better to just let us use a -bf flag when we need it. I personally like being able to bind the binary data into the wixout so that it can be moved and used later. Such a useful feature to throw away. Especially when the binder variable is not a great replacement. What's melt got to do with it? Isn't that for merge modules? -- View this message in context: http://windows-installer-xml-wix-toolset.687559.n2.nabble.com/Creating-patches-using-wixout-bf-flag-deprecated-tp7598765p7598779.html Sent from the wix-users mailing list archive at Nabble.com. -- Dive into the World of Parallel Programming! The Go Parallel Website, sponsored by Intel and developed in partnership with Slashdot Media, is your hub for all things parallel software development, from weekly thought leadership blogs to news, videos, case studies, tutorials and more. Take a look and join the conversation now. http://goparallel.sourceforge.net ___ WiX-users mailing list WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users
Re: [WiX-users] Creating patches using wixout (-bf flag deprecated)
+1 (but the first "." below should be an "or" ) _ Short replies here. Complete answers over there: http://www.firegiant.com/ -Original Message- From: Tunney, Stephen [mailto:stephen.tun...@nuance.com] Sent: Thursday, January 8, 2015 11:50 AM To: General discussion about the WiX toolset. Subject: Re: [WiX-users] Creating patches using wixout (-bf flag deprecated) You need to start using the bindpath variables in your wxs sources. Melt will take care of pointing the wixpdb to the new location. -- Dive into the World of Parallel Programming! The Go Parallel Website, sponsored by Intel and developed in partnership with Slashdot Media, is your hub for all things parallel software development, from weekly thought leadership blogs to news, videos, case studies, tutorials and more. Take a look and join the conversation now. http://goparallel.sourceforge.net ___ WiX-users mailing list WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users
Re: [WiX-users] Creating patches using wixout (-bf flag deprecated)
Bind paths or Melt.exe. _ Short replies here. Complete answers over there: http://www.firegiant.com/ -Original Message- From: Nick Ramirez [mailto:nickra...@hotmail.com] Sent: Thursday, January 8, 2015 11:39 AM To: wix-users@lists.sourceforge.net Subject: Re: [WiX-users] Creating patches using wixout (-bf flag deprecated) Ouch. So now you have to keep your old and new source files on hand. Would be nice to keep the bind-files option or work it into the wixpdb. Also, not being able to bind the files into the wixout or wixpdb means that if you move the wixout/wixpdb and then try to run Pyro against it, all the paths are now pointing to the wrong place. It's quite frustrating. -- Dive into the World of Parallel Programming! The Go Parallel Website, sponsored by Intel and developed in partnership with Slashdot Media, is your hub for all things parallel software development, from weekly thought leadership blogs to news, videos, case studies, tutorials and more. Take a look and join the conversation now. http://goparallel.sourceforge.net ___ WiX-users mailing list WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users
Re: [WiX-users] Creating patches using wixout (-bf flag deprecated)
You need to start using the bindpath variables in your wxs sources. Melt will take care of pointing the wixpdb to the new location. -Original Message- From: Nick Ramirez [mailto:nickra...@hotmail.com] Sent: January-08-15 2:39 PM To: wix-users@lists.sourceforge.net Subject: Re: [WiX-users] Creating patches using wixout (-bf flag deprecated) Ouch. So now you have to keep your old and new source files on hand. Would be nice to keep the bind-files option or work it into the wixpdb. Also, not being able to bind the files into the wixout or wixpdb means that if you move the wixout/wixpdb and then try to run Pyro against it, all the paths are now pointing to the wrong place. It's quite frustrating. -- View this message in context: http://windows-installer-xml-wix-toolset.687559.n2.nabble.com/Creating-patches-using-wixout-bf-flag-deprecated-tp7598765p7598774.html Sent from the wix-users mailing list archive at Nabble.com. -- Dive into the World of Parallel Programming! The Go Parallel Website, sponsored by Intel and developed in partnership with Slashdot Media, is your hub for all things parallel software development, from weekly thought leadership blogs to news, videos, case studies, tutorials and more. Take a look and join the conversation now. http://goparallel.sourceforge.net ___ WiX-users mailing list WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users -- Dive into the World of Parallel Programming! The Go Parallel Website, sponsored by Intel and developed in partnership with Slashdot Media, is your hub for all things parallel software development, from weekly thought leadership blogs to news, videos, case studies, tutorials and more. Take a look and join the conversation now. http://goparallel.sourceforge.net ___ WiX-users mailing list WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users
Re: [WiX-users] Creating patches using wixout (-bf flag deprecated)
Ouch. So now you have to keep your old and new source files on hand. Would be nice to keep the bind-files option or work it into the wixpdb. Also, not being able to bind the files into the wixout or wixpdb means that if you move the wixout/wixpdb and then try to run Pyro against it, all the paths are now pointing to the wrong place. It's quite frustrating. -- View this message in context: http://windows-installer-xml-wix-toolset.687559.n2.nabble.com/Creating-patches-using-wixout-bf-flag-deprecated-tp7598765p7598774.html Sent from the wix-users mailing list archive at Nabble.com. -- Dive into the World of Parallel Programming! The Go Parallel Website, sponsored by Intel and developed in partnership with Slashdot Media, is your hub for all things parallel software development, from weekly thought leadership blogs to news, videos, case studies, tutorials and more. Take a look and join the conversation now. http://goparallel.sourceforge.net ___ WiX-users mailing list WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users
Re: [WiX-users] Creating patches using wixout (-bf flag deprecated)
Yes. _ Short replies here. Complete answers over there: http://www.firegiant.com/ -Original Message- From: Nick Ball [mailto:nick.b...@grantadesign.com] Sent: Thursday, January 8, 2015 3:17 AM To: wix-users@lists.sourceforge.net Subject: [WiX-users] Creating patches using wixout (-bf flag deprecated) Hi All, I am using light.exe to create .wixout files with the -bf flag, I now get a warning saying that this flag is deprecated. I can't find information on why. I'm using .wixout files with bundle binary data to create patches (as described in the Wix 3.6 book) and am now wondering if this is the best approach. Should I just use the wixpdb approach instead? Regards Nick -- Dive into the World of Parallel Programming! The Go Parallel Website, sponsored by Intel and developed in partnership with Slashdot Media, is your hub for all things parallel software development, from weekly thought leadership blogs to news, videos, case studies, tutorials and more. Take a look and join the conversation now. http://goparallel.sourceforge.net ___ WiX-users mailing list WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users
