For major updates, changing the GUIDs should not matter as it does an uninstall of the old version then an install of the new version. I just won't provide a patch to make that leap. This should be acceptable because it will be infrequent.
For smaller changes, a minor upgrade via patch should be doable with hand updates, but it is very much not ideal. The biggest problem with this is the lag in the Visual Studio IDE when dealing with a roughly 3 MB XML file for the merge module. I can mitigate this to some extent by breaking it into several smaller projects by subdirectory, but I'm unfortunately dealing with a directory and file structure that cannot be changed (this installer is for a mod for a video game). I'm surprised that Heat doesn't have the functionality of leaving the existing GUIDs in place. I just presumed I wasn't seeing how to do it. I'm familiar with merge modules from developing MSIs for work, so that was my first thought when looking at Heat's options. I haven't been able to find any documentation on how to create a wixlib with Heat or how to include a wixlib in a primary project. A sample project featuring a wixlib would be even better. Do either documentation or a sample project exist somewhere? -Jamey > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:wix-users- > [EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Christopher Karper > Sent: Friday, July 18, 2008 5:52 PM > To: General discussion for Windows Installer XML toolset. > Subject: Re: [WiX-users] Merge Module Help > > I can't really answer intelligently to question #1, as to question #2, > I'll > do my best. > > Heat is really built for initial import functionality, not continual > maintenance. You do not want your GUIDs changing on your components with > each build, it will turn upgrades into a nightmare, and will make patching > just about impossible, IMO. The "suggested" method, is to use heat.exe > to > build your .wxs up front, then manually maintain the .wxs file as part of > your development process from there on out. If someone adds an artifact > to > a project in a future version, they need to add it to the installer > definition as well. > > If you have the ability to go pure Wix with your installers, then you can > break this into manageable chunks using a .wixlib project for each major > subsystem, and having one parent .msi project link them all together. > This > is similar, but superior, to building .msm files and importing those in. > If your "parent" project is not Wix, then you're stuck in the same boat I > am, building .msm's. > > Either way you're stuck making manual changes to the .wxs files to keep > them > in sync with your project's outputs and required support files. I > *really* > wish this wasn't the case, as the whole point of using an IDE (for me) is > to > manage all the grunt work like that, but there are some pretty substantial > complexities making it a pretty large undertaking that the team just > hasn't > gotten to yet. > > Chris > > On Fri, Jul 18, 2008 at 7:53 PM, James Minnis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > wrote: > > > I'm working on a fairly large installer. It contains roughly 7000 files > in > > 165 folders and a total of 670 MB of uncompressed data. Needless to > say, > > I'm generating the files, components, and directories using Heat. > > > > Right now, I'm generating a merge module WXS file using Heat and then > using > > the Merge and MergeRef elements in my main installer. This is all > working > > correctly. I have several questions related to this: > > > > 1) I want to create shortcuts to several of the files in the merge > module. > > I'm doing this currently in a start menu shortcuts component in the main > > installer. However, I cannot figure out how to reference the > directories > > in > > the merge module in the main project (I get an empty string when I try > to > > reference them like I do the directories in the main installer project). > > How do I reference the directories? Or is there a better way to do > this? > > > > 2) The components in the merge module are generated with GUIDs. If I > > regenerate the merge module WXS file using Heat (e.g. if I add files), > > those > > GUIDs change. How will this affect patches? Will the patch recognize > the > > files as being the same, or will it consider all of the files changed > and > > overwrite everything? Will I need to add files manually to the merge > > module > > WXS file to make patching work correctly? > > > > -Jamey > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > - > > This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Moblin Your Move Developer's > > challenge > > Build the coolest Linux based applications with Moblin SDK & win great > > prizes > > Grand prize is a trip for two to an Open Source event anywhere in the > world > > http://moblin-contest.org/redirect.php?banner_id=100&url=/ > > _______________________________________________ > > WiX-users mailing list > > WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net > > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------- > This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Moblin Your Move Developer's > challenge > Build the coolest Linux based applications with Moblin SDK & win great > prizes > Grand prize is a trip for two to an Open Source event anywhere in the > world > http://moblin-contest.org/redirect.php?banner_id=100&url=/ > _______________________________________________ > WiX-users mailing list > WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users ------------------------------------------------------------------------- This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Moblin Your Move Developer's challenge Build the coolest Linux based applications with Moblin SDK & win great prizes Grand prize is a trip for two to an Open Source event anywhere in the world http://moblin-contest.org/redirect.php?banner_id=100&url=/ _______________________________________________ WiX-users mailing list WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users
