But, that said... There is no reason you couldn't use WiX in an automated build like in your situation. You would have to have some sort of script that auto-generated a fragment (.wxs) for your data sets that are referenced from a master WXS file. Then you just use light to link in the correct data set for a given package. The script could run Tallow and then open the .wxs files and add a guid for every component.
BUT, you have to be sure that every package you generate has a new product ID since you will not be maintaining component GUIDs across versions. By having a new product ID, a previous package will first be uninstalled before the new one is installed. You will not have to worry about (and in fact could not do) upgrades/patches with this scheme. > -----Original Message----- > From: Bill Arnette [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Friday, June 30, 2006 4:36 PM > To: 'Daniel Goldman'; 'wix-users@lists.sourceforge.net' > Subject: RE: [WiX-users] customaction runs unzip? > > > To answer your basic question, yes, you could. > > I don't think you can just unzip a .zip file from a custom > action because I don't think there is a public unzip API in > Windows [1]. You would have to include an unzip utility in > your package that got installed before the custom action ran. > > However, you could package your .zip file as a > self-extracting executable and then run it as a custom action > from the MSI. The MSI package itself could include the > shortcuts and such. > > [1] But it can obviously be done since you can extract files > from a .zip file using Explorer. > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of > > Daniel Goldman > > Sent: Friday, June 30, 2006 4:17 PM > > To: wix-users@lists.sourceforge.net > > Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Subject: Re: [WiX-users] customaction runs unzip? > > > > I appreciate your responding, but it doesn't answer my simple > > question. Is it possible to use customaction (or some other > > wix mechanism) to run unzip on an installed zip file? > > > > I can figure out if it will lead to a "poor customer experience". > > I'm just trying to figure out what wix does (and does not do). > > I've never needed repair. I've handled patches quite easily by > > sending a new cd or just the files needing replacement. I don't > > need the user to install different features. Please don't try > > to sell me on something I don't need. Just please answer my Q. > > > > As I explained in the Background below, there is a family > > of softwares, each customized for a different data set and > > geography, so using heat and editing things by hand is out > > of the question. I would love to use wix to specify each file. > > I understand the philosophical advantages. But in this case, > > it would be much simpler and more reliable just to zip or xcopy > > the contents of a directory. Is that possible from within wix? > > > > Thanks, > > Daniel > > > > Derek Cicerone wrote: > > > > > MSI is already built up to handle the scenarios below. > > You'll find that > > > creating a composite solution of an MSI-based install > > coupled with unzipping > > > installed file will lead to a poor customer experience in > > some common > > > scenarios like uninstall, upgrade, patching, and repair. > > > > > > Customers expect an MSI file to contain all the resources > > necessary to > > > install their app and also expect the repair, patching, > > upgrade, etc... > > > scenarios to "just work". With the unzip solution, you'd > > need to create > > > your own repair and uninstall logic. > > > > > > MSI can handle the different subsets of files you'd like to > > install via > > > features and would even have some nice UI which allows > > users to select the > > > features they'd like to install, add more at a later time, > > or remove some at > > > a later time. Also, the versioning is automatically > > handled by MSI as well. > > > So long as you keep the component guids stable over time > > (which isn't that > > > hard) and just update the files, pushing out new releases > > does exactly what > > > you'd expect by replacing the older versions with newer > > ones. Also, similar > > > to how you currently have several different zip files, you > > could create > > > several different cab files if that was useful - each > > containing different > > > subsets of data. > > > > > > In terms of difficulting producing the initial authoring > > and guids, etc... > > > you may want to take a look at heat - it allows you > > basically author a > > > directory containing your application easily into a wxs > > source with all the > > > guids and other goo auto-generated. Then you can easily > > hand-modify the > > > sources for updates necessary after that point (including > > breaking things up > > > into features and adding/removing files in future updates > > to your product). > > > > > > Derek > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: Daniel Goldman [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > Sent: Friday, June 30, 2006 12:39 PM > > > To: wix-users@lists.sourceforge.net > > > Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > Subject: Re: [WiX-users] customaction runs unzip? > > > > > > I don't know what you mean by "fishy". The wix package itself > > > is distributed by zip, so zip can't be that bad. I can deal > > > with patches by just sending a new full distribution, or > > > just sending the file(s) that need replacing. > > > > > > When you say "associate cabinet files with an msi rather > > > easily", are you referring to the Directory, Component, and > > > File tags (which I wouldn't call easy in this case), or > > > something else? > > > > > > Let me try again. Is it possible to use customaction to run > > > unzip on an installed zip file? Is there example syntax? > > > > > > *** Here's long-winded background why I want to use unzip: > > > > > > I need to distribute a C# .NET application family. It is a series > > > of data analysis softwares, with preloaded data (eg, Texas birth > > > data). Each customized version has different data files, different > > > auxillary files, etc. There are many customized versions. > > > > > > The application was previously in C using curses. Distribution > > > was pretty simple. For each customized version (there could be > > > several on a CD), I put a zip file, a batch file, and the unzip > > > executable in it own directory on a cd. To install, the batch file > > > unzipped everything into several hard-coded directories, copied > > > some icons to the desktop, and displayed some messages. The old > > > installation mechanism looked "clunky", but worked great. I'd > > > like more professional-looking install mechanism, with ability > > > to add an item to start menu. > > > > > > I'd rather not keep track of versions. If a user installs a > > > new version, I'd like to simply overwrite any existing files. > > > There is no need for them to keep the "old version". I'd like > > > to avoid the complexity of having to deal with hundreds of > > > different version numbers and GUIDs. I'm concerned that some > > > mistake may make it fail to upgrade. > > > > > > *** End of long-winded background > > > > > > I've read through the wix tutorial. I'm trying to reduce the > > > great complexity I'm sensing from windows installer, figure > > > out a simple, attractive install mechanism. > > > > > > Thanks, > > > Daniel > > > > > > Derek Cicerone wrote: > > > > > > > > >>This type of question normally indicates something fishy - > > why would you > > >>want to unzip a zip file when you can associate cabinet > > files with an msi > > >>rather easily? It's much better to keep files under MSI > > control because > > >>then they will be patchable - otherwise you'll expose > customers to a > > >>security threat by having unpatchable files. > > >> > > >>Derek > > >> > > >>-----Original Message----- > > >>From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > >>[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On > Behalf Of Daniel > > > > > > Goldman > > > > > >>Sent: Friday, June 30, 2006 12:31 AM > > >>To: wix-users@lists.sourceforge.net > > >>Subject: [WiX-users] customaction runs unzip? > > >> > > >>Can I use customaction to run unzip on an installed zip file? > > >>If yes, could someone please give an example syntax? > > >> > > >>If yes, is there a way to show a "progress meter" during > unzipping? > > >> > > >>Can I delete the zip file after installation? Or can customaction > > >>unzip from the cdrom? > > >> > > >>Thanks, > > >>Daniel Goldman > > >> > > >> > > >>Using Tomcat but need to do more? Need to support web > > services, security? > > >>Get stuff done quickly with pre-integrated technology to > > make your job > > >>easier > > >>Download IBM WebSphere Application Server v.1.0.1 based on > > Apache Geronimo > > >>http://sel.as-us.falkag.net/sel?cmd=lnk&kid=120709&bid=26305 > > 7&dat=121642 > > >>_______________________________________________ > > >>WiX-users mailing list > > >>WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net > > >>https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users > > >> > > >> > > > > > > > > > > > > > Using Tomcat but need to do more? Need to support web > > services, security? > > Get stuff done quickly with pre-integrated technology to make > > your job easier > > Download IBM WebSphere Application Server v.1.0.1 based on > > Apache Geronimo > > http://sel.as-us.falkag.net/sel?cmd=lnk&kid=120709&bid=263057&; > > dat=121642 > > _______________________________________________ > > WiX-users mailing list > > WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net > > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users > > Using Tomcat but need to do more? Need to support web services, security? Get stuff done quickly with pre-integrated technology to make your job easier Download IBM WebSphere Application Server v.1.0.1 based on Apache Geronimo http://sel.as-us.falkag.net/sel?cmd=lnk&kid=120709&bid=263057&dat=121642 _______________________________________________ WiX-users mailing list WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users
