What you are calling a "common componet" is called a "shared component" in all of the MSDN docs. A merge module is merely an MSI database that serves as an encapsulation of a collection of globally unique components. A merge module with have information like directories, files, registry, shortcuts, services but it won't have any information related to features or products. You associate a merge module to one or more features in your product ( one of them is considered primary ) and merge the MSM into the MSI at build time so that all of the components in that module get associated ( FeatureComponents table ) to the features in the MSI. Once this is done the merge module is no longer needed and doesn't exist in the MSI. In otherwords the merge module doesn't get "installed" as if it's some object with a .Install() method.
Merge modules were the original technique that Microsoft came up with to package up a shared component and reuse it with multiple MSIs. It is still needed to share components with MSIs written with different tools. However, if you are staying in a WiX only world, you can use other techniques such as fragments and libraries to do this within WiX at the source and linker layers prior to generating MSIs. ---------------------------------------- From: "Andreas" <andreassand...@gmx.net> Sent: Saturday, December 24, 2011 4:03 AM To: wix-users@lists.sourceforge.net Subject: Re: [WiX-users] Cascading Merge Modules David, Thanks for your reply. I always thought that MSM is used for a "common component" that can be installed from different MSI installers. The "common component" should be uninstalled when the last MSI is unstalled using a kind of reference management. Your proposal uses a different approach. The wixlib adds some components to the MSI that are installed as like it is a part of the product itself. I gave it a try and it works. Obviously the reference management is performed on component level not on any kind of merge module level. - Can you confirm this? - Is the MSM completely integrated in the MSI file and does it give no kind of "grouping", "isolation of any kind" or so? So I assume I would only use MSM when I have to cooperate with an installer tool other that WiX. Andy Am 23.12.2011 15:10, schrieb David Watson: > Hi, > You only need to use merge modules if you want to supply them to third > parties for use in their installations that do not use wix. > If you do not have this requirement then you can split your installer up to > use a Base and tool wixlib when then can be linked into the tool and product > MSIs. Think of a wixlib as a c static linked library, you would have two > separate ones and link them both into the resultant MSI. > > You can also have several wix fragments and build each MSI from combining the > appropriate source files without bothering with a wixlib. > > Dave > > -----Original Message----- > From: Andreas [mailto:andreassand...@gmx.net] > Sent: 23 December 2011 13:42 > To: wix-users@lists.sourceforge.net > Subject: [WiX-users] Cascading Merg Modules > > I have a question about design of installer and merge modules. > I have a COM server as base component. This is reusable and must be used > a by a tool. Further this tool may be part of a product. > > BaseComponent + Tool -> ToolInstaller > BaseComponent + Tool + Application -> ProductInstaller > > I want to design the best set of WiX projects. Since the base component > is reusable it should be implemented with a merge module, shouldn't it? > When I build the tool installer I will use a WiX product project to > generate a MSI file. But how should I integrate the tool installation in > the product? One solution would be a tool merge module. But does the > product always have to add the tool merge module and the base component > merge module. Or can I design the tool merge module to "include" the > base component? > > How can a wix library help here? > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- - > - > Write once. Port to many. > Get the SDK and tools to simplify cross-platform app development. Create > new or port existing apps to sell to consumers worldwide. Explore the > Intel AppUpSM program developer opportunity. appdeveloper.intel.com/join > http://p.sf.net/sfu/intel-appdev > _______________________________________________ > 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. > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- > Write once. Port to many. > Get the SDK and tools to simplify cross-platform app development. Create > new or port existing apps to sell to consumers worldwide. Explore the > Intel AppUpSM program developer opportunity. appdeveloper.intel.com/join > http://p.sf.net/sfu/intel-appdev ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- Write once. Port to many. Get the SDK and tools to simplify cross-platform app development. Create new or port existing apps to sell to consumers worldwide. Explore the Intel AppUpSM program developer opportunity. appdeveloper.intel.com/join http://p.sf.net/sfu/intel-appdev _______________________________________________ WiX-users mailing list WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Write once. Port to many. Get the SDK and tools to simplify cross-platform app development. Create new or port existing apps to sell to consumers worldwide. Explore the Intel AppUpSM program developer opportunity. appdeveloper.intel.com/join http://p.sf.net/sfu/intel-appdev _______________________________________________ WiX-users mailing list WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users
