Interesting discussion so far. I just wanted to chime in a little here. I
think Mathias is correct here in stating that there are some real problems
with Windows Installer (and thereby Wix in its current form). I work on the
dang thing but I still get frustrated at Windows Installer. It's just too
hard to do simple things. Right now, Wix is a wrapper on top of MSI, and
while we are trying to make things simpler by bundling in custom actions,
providing some guidance on how to write "correct" installers, providing a
development environment via Votive, etc. we still have a long, long way to
go before it's really easy for devs not conversant in all of the intricacies
of MSI. We'll get there eventually, but slowly. As always, we are open to
constructive feedback and will try our best to pass on some of your feedback
to the Windows Installer group.
Thanks,
Justin
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Martin
MacPherson
Sent: Thursday, May 15, 2008 2:14 AM
To: Holmgren Mathias
Cc: wix-users@lists.sourceforge.net
Subject: Re: [WiX-users] yep - back to being 100% frustrated
http://johnmcfadyen.spaces.live.com/
2008/5/15 Holmgren Mathias <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>:
> Don't blame the tools as there are plenty of people out there using these
tools and making them work seemlessly and quickly on a day to day basis.
Well, you can't just disregard the large majority of people who are
struggling a lot with this. And you can't disregard the "developer
perspective", because developers are the people that have to deal with this.
Sure, one part of the story is about expectations and the learning curve of
installation. Before building an installation package, you expect it to be
pretty easy, like a couple of days work. Then when you start doing it you
find out that the level of investment necessary to complete a working real
world installer is not 10 but maybe 100 times greater than what you
expected, or more (yes, for real, I'm not making this up). And we are
talking very experienced people here, not rookie devs.
Having to invest your time so heavily to get so little tangible result back
is a shock to most people. And when all the bumps, twists and turns of the
technology are added on top of that learning process there will be
frustration.
Now, I'm not much for nursing cry baby mentality either. It will get you
nowhere. But I do feel that there is a case to be made here about not
putting up with things that are overburdening. This is the other part of the
story.
If the tools can be improved to make installation simpler, why settle for
less?
Or are installer technology and the tools already as good as they can ever
become?
No. Identify the stuff that can be made easier with better tools. Reduce
some of the burden of that complexity you are referring to and streamline
the more common stories to ease the learning curve. That's what should be
done.
> http://john.mcfadyen.spaces.live.com
<http://john.mcfadyen.spaces.live.com/>
Domain lookup of that comes up blank. Do you have another link? I sure could
use some info on those undocumented features.
/Mathias
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