I understand *your* reasons, but again, my question was: Why using DirectoryRef in the *most simple*, *very first* How-To (that HelloWorld-style one read first by every WiX beginner) printed in the WiX documentation? My question is *not* if anybody knows *any* reason for using DirectoryRef in general -- I can assume lots of them by myself and think separation is great -- but my question is *only* about the WiX manual sample.
Regards Markus > -----Original Message----- > From: Zachary Young [mailto:zacharysyo...@gmail.com] > Sent: Mittwoch, 4. November 2009 21:37 > To: General discussion for Windows Installer XML toolset. > Subject: Re: [WiX-users] Why is the WiX manual using DirectoryRef > > Hi Markus, > > I've been writing WiX installers for over a year now and started off > relatively soon with using <DirectoryRef/>, putting solely my directory > tree > in one WXS (DirectoryStructure.wxs) and then having each <File/> > referencing > the directory ID's in that file. > > This later became very valuable when we started selling one product to > many > customers--each customer needed a slightly unique look to their > installer, > but the underlying directory structure needed to be exactly the same > for the > application to run--so all the individual projects linked in this one > directory structure. > > -Zach > > On Wed, Nov 4, 2009 at 11:02 AM, Markus Karg <markus.k...@gmx.net> > wrote: > > > I disagree that structure and content are different concerns, they > are the > > same (or do you separate files and folders on your harddisk, too?). > The > > question was, why it is used in the *most simple* examples. Since it > does > > *not* focus on the example at hand, but instead, makes that examples > overly > > lengthy and complex, compared to the examples found in the WiX > tutorial. In > > fact, I share the WiX tutorial author's opinion that DirectoryRef > shouldn't > > get used unless it is *needed* (yes, these days we designers discuss > topics > > like 'overdesigning' and 'overarchitecturing') to not provide lots of > code > > overhead (which is hard to read and error-prone) -- what mostly will > be the > > case only if <Fragment> is used. *That's* why I asked for a reason. > If it > > would be optimal to *always* separate it, then it wouldn't make any > sense > > to > > allow <File> inside of <Directory> at all, since virtually nobody > will > > confess that he is writing a HelloWorld.msi... ;-) > > > > Regards > > Markus > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: IFM Lists [mailto:jkli...@ifm-services.com] > > > Sent: Mittwoch, 4. November 2009 01:04 > > > To: General discussion for Windows Installer XML toolset. > > > Subject: Re: [WiX-users] Why is the WiX manual using DirectoryRef > > > > > > > > > > did that complexity ... Why is the WiX manual separating content > > > > from structure > > > > > > > > > Markus, > > > > > > I am a new WiX user, but based my gut reaction as a software > engineer, > > > and my thin experience so far with WiX, the answer is "separation > of > > > concerns", which is a fancy way of saying "because it's smart to > do". > > > > > > Once you move past the most simple of projects, separating content > > > from structure allows you to maintain your sanity. :) > > > > > > As far as the documentation is concerned (isolated from any > project), > > > I like the DirectoryRef use as (1) it illustrates appropriate use > but > > > more importantly (2) it does keep things focused on the example at > > > hand. > > > > > > Just my two bits. > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------- > ---- > > > ------- > > > Let Crystal Reports handle the reporting - Free Crystal Reports > 2008 > > > 30-Day > > > trial. Simplify your report design, integration and deployment - > and > > > focus on > > > what you do best, core application coding. Discover what's new with > > > Crystal Reports now. http://p.sf.net/sfu/bobj-july > > > _______________________________________________ > > > WiX-users mailing list > > > WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net > > > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users > > > > > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > --------- > > Let Crystal Reports handle the reporting - Free Crystal Reports 2008 > 30-Day > > trial. Simplify your report design, integration and deployment - and > focus > > on > > what you do best, core application coding. Discover what's new with > > Crystal Reports now. http://p.sf.net/sfu/bobj-july > > _______________________________________________ > > WiX-users mailing list > > WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net > > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users > > > ----------------------------------------------------------------------- > ------- > Let Crystal Reports handle the reporting - Free Crystal Reports 2008 > 30-Day > trial. Simplify your report design, integration and deployment - and > focus on > what you do best, core application coding. Discover what's new with > Crystal Reports now. http://p.sf.net/sfu/bobj-july > _______________________________________________ > WiX-users mailing list > WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Let Crystal Reports handle the reporting - Free Crystal Reports 2008 30-Day trial. Simplify your report design, integration and deployment - and focus on what you do best, core application coding. Discover what's new with Crystal Reports now. http://p.sf.net/sfu/bobj-july _______________________________________________ WiX-users mailing list WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users
