We do something similar to this with a tool based on mallow, this is in turn based on tallow but it has one big advantage, it maintains the guids for files already added to the output wxs files.
A quick Google should locate the mallow source if you are interested. Neil Neil Sleightholm X2 Systems Limited [EMAIL PROTECTED] -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Anthony Wieser Sent: 21 May 2007 20:46 To: wix-users@lists.sourceforge.net Subject: Re: [WiX-users] Using heat.exe as part of an automated build process I've just built a similar tool today, to help me copy a set of sample files to the installation, because I never want to do that by hand, and heat's output was just too messy for my liking. What I've done is taken all of the files in a tree, and created a component for each file, with a unique GUID, automatically generated. In addition, the files are relative to a folder elsewhere. The file looks more or less like this: <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> <Wix xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/wix/2006/wi";> <?define SampDir="C:\projects\business\artgallery\sample_src\"?> <?define SampDiskId="1"?> <?define SampParentDir=INSTALLLOCATION?> <Fragment> <DirectoryRef Id="$(var.SampParentDir)"> <Directory Id="D0" Name="sample"> <!-- more directories nest here, containing file/component groups as below--> <Component Id="C00" Guid="81f9ff04-e26a-45e6-ba24-6cd1466b4f3f"> <File Id="F00" Name="404.htm" KeyPath="yes" Source="$(var.SampDir)\sample\templates\404.htm" DiskId="$(var.SampDiskId)" /> </Component> <!-- lots more components go here for each file in the folder--> </Directory> </DirectoryRef> <ComponentGroup Id="CGSamp"> <ComponentRef Id="C0000" /> </ComponentGroup> </Fragment> </Wix> As you can see, I've marked each of the files as KeyPath="yes" and also automatically generated ID's for each file, component and folder. Then I've wrapped the whole lot up inside a fragment, which also contains a component group, so I can link the whole file into my build, and then just add a simple Feature that uses a ComponentGroupRef. My intention was to build this as the initial listing of all of the files in my folder, and then manually add any additions, but your post made me question whether that was necessary. Is there a downside of just redoing all of the GUID's each time I do an update, apart from installation speed? Anthony Wieser Wieser Software ltd ------------------------------------------------------------------------- This SF.net email is sponsored by DB2 Express Download DB2 Express C - the FREE version of DB2 express and take control of your XML. No limits. Just data. Click to get it now. http://sourceforge.net/powerbar/db2/ _______________________________________________ WiX-users mailing list WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users
