# WiXInstallerExamples

**Repository Path**: galacode/WiXInstallerExamples

## Basic Information

- **Project Name**: WiXInstallerExamples
- **Description**: No description available
- **Primary Language**: Unknown
- **License**: MIT
- **Default Branch**: main
- **Homepage**: None
- **GVP Project**: No

## Statistics

- **Stars**: 0
- **Forks**: 0
- **Created**: 2024-09-04
- **Last Updated**: 2024-09-04

## Categories & Tags

**Categories**: Uncategorized

**Tags**: None

## README

# WiX Installer Examples

[![msi-build](https://github.com/kurtanr/WiXInstallerExamples/actions/workflows/msi-build.yml/badge.svg)](https://github.com/kurtanr/WiXInstallerExamples/actions/workflows/msi-build.yml)
[![License](https://img.shields.io/github/license/kurtanr/WiXInstallerExamples.svg)](https://github.com/kurtanr/WixInstallerExamples/blob/master/LICENSE)

WiX (Windows Installer XML) is a framework that lets developers create installers (MSIs) for Windows.\
The Repository contains multiple sample installers which demonstrate how to achieve various tasks using WiX.\
Examples use version 3.14.1 of WiX.
<br/>
<br/>

## How to get WiX

Download binaries using PowerShell from [WiX GitHub](https://github.com/wixtoolset/wix3) (installer is also available):
```PowerShell
$source = 'https://github.com/wixtoolset/wix3/releases/download/wix314rtm/wix314-binaries.zip'
$destination = Join-Path $PSScriptRoot -ChildPath 'wix314-binaries.zip'
Invoke-WebRequest -Uri $source -OutFile $destination
```

Download from [Chocolatey](https://community.chocolatey.org/packages/wixtoolset):
```
choco install wixtoolset
```

Download [NuGet package](https://www.nuget.org/packages/WiX/):
```
Install-Package wix -Version 3.14.1
```
<br/>

## How to build installers using WiX

Tools that come with WiX are enough to build installers. VisualStudio/MSBuild is not required, but it helps (e.g. IntelliSense support, project templates).\
Extensions that integrate WiX Toolset into Visual Studio [are available](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/publishers/WixToolset) from Visual Studio 2010 onward.

There are several options for building a WiX project on a machine that does not have 
[WiX Toolset Build Tools](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=WixToolset.WiXToolset) installed.\
One of them is described here: [Integrating WiX Projects Into Daily Builds](https://wixtoolset.org/documentation/manual/v3/msbuild/daily_builds.html)\
Another is to simply use the [WiX NuGet package](https://www.nuget.org/packages/WiX/) 
(this is what all projects from [01_HelloWorldInstallerUpgradable](01_HelloWorldInstallerUpgradable/) onward use).
<br/>
<br/>

## List of example projects

|Project/folder name | Description |
|--------------------|-------------|
|[00_HelloWorldInstaller](00_HelloWorldInstaller/) | - minimum installer, not upgradable<br/>- does not use [wixproj](https://wixtoolset.org/documentation/manual/v3/msbuild/authoring_first_msbuild_project.html) |
|[01_HelloWorldInstallerUpgradable](01_HelloWorldInstallerUpgradable/) | - minimum installer, upgradable, no ICE warnings<br/>- uses wixproj |
|[02_x86_x64_Installer](02_x86_x64_Installer/) | - single wxs file used for building x86 and x64 MSI<br/>- x86 and x64 MSI deploy different files and write to different registry locations |
|[03_PassingInstallLocationParameterToInstaller](03_PassingInstallLocationParameterToInstaller/) | - passing parameters to installer using msiexec<br/>- analyzing installation log and using the Orca MSI Editor |
|[04_PowerShellPreconditionCustomAction](04_PowerShellPreconditionCustomAction/) | - checking precondition for installation (is PowerShell installed)<br/>- overview of install stages<br/>- executing PowerShell script as a custom action |
|[05_RememberPropertyPattern](05_RememberPropertyPattern/) | - implementation of ["Remember Property" pattern](https://robmensching.com/blog/posts/2010/5/2/the-wix-toolsets-remember-property-pattern/)<br/>- example of how to define custom actions that execute only during upgrade/repair/uninstall<br/>- these actions are accessing properties set during the initial installation |
|[06_RememberPropertyPatternComplete](06_RememberPropertyPatternComplete/) | - modification of the previous example to additionally support changing of property values during upgrade |
|[07_CSharpCustomAction](07_CSharpCustomAction/) | - example of C# code executed as a custom action during installation (immediate and deferred) |
|[08_CppCustomAction](08_CppCustomAction/) | - example of C++ code executed as a custom action during installation (immediate and deferred) |
|[09_InstallerWithUserInterface](09_InstallerWithUserInterface/) | - example of an installer with a user interface<br/>- user is able to choose install location and set value of a custom property |
|[10_ASP.NET_Core6_WeatherForecastInstaller](10_ASP.NET_Core6_WeatherForecastInstaller/) | - example of installer for ASP.NET Core 6 web application<br/>- example of installer which is deploying the web application in Kestrel and in IIS |
<br/>

## Additional reading

- [WiX Toolset Manual](https://wixtoolset.org/documentation/manual/v3/)
- [WiX 3.6: A Developer's Guide to Windows Installer XML](https://github.com/PacktPublishing/WiX-3.6-A-Developer-s-Guide-to-Windows-Installer-XML)
- [ICE Reference](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/msi/ice-reference) (ICE = Internal Consistency Evaluators - executed when compiling/linking MSI)
- [Windows Installer Error Messages](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/msi/windows-installer-error-messages)
- [MsiExec.exe and InstMsi.exe Error Messages](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/msi/error-codes)
- [MsiExec.exe Command-Line Options](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/msi/command-line-options)
- [WiX tricks and tips from StackOverflow](https://stackoverflow.com/a/577793/15770755)