If you're using Votive, you can just create a .wixlib project. That will set up everything you need. I don't have a lot of experience with them, as I can't use them.
Chris On Sat, Jul 19, 2008 at 2:51 AM, James Minnis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > 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 > ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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
