IMO, in certain situations, merge modules are not quite dead. Here's my opinion:
http://blog.iswix.com/2010/09/in-defense-of-merge-modules.html If you are staying in a WiX world, yes, wixlibs and fragments are a better solution. If you are using a combination of tools such as WiX and InstallShield then those aren't available. If you are taking a component from a third party then frequently bootstrapping/chaining is a better solution. After that deploying privately as your own component is a good solution and taking a dependency on a third party merge module is usually asking for trouble down the road. Authoring and using your own in house merge modules are quiet safe. That all said, I've created massive frameworks that supported distributed setup development in a product line development environment. With the rule that we only suport major upgrades with the occasional limited patch, it worked out very, very well. We had hundreds of developers with a good many of them contributing to the installation development and only a couple MSI experts to guide them along the way. ---------------------------------------- From: "Rob Mensching" <r...@robmensching.com> Sent: Saturday, January 07, 2012 10:58 AM To: "General discussion for Windows Installer XML toolset." <wix-users@lists.sourceforge.net> Subject: Re: [WiX-users] Cascading Merge Modules Merge Modules are a build time concept only. The Windows Installer does not undersstand them at all. This fact is a large part of the reason Merge Modules are dying. One key issue is that Merge Modules make things very difficult to patch (because patching was implemented after Merge Modules but didn't take Merge Modules into account). Your final conclusion is exactly how I feel about Merge Modules: http://www.robmensching.com/blog/posts/2008/10/10/What-are-.wixlibs-and-why- would-you-use-them On Sat, Dec 24, 2011 at 1:54 AM, Andreas <andreassand...@gmx.net> wrote: > 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 > > -- virtually, Rob Mensching - http://RobMensching.com LLC ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- Ridiculously easy VDI. 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