Depends what you're trying to achieve. You could write a bootstrapper that parses your XML file to generate the required properties to pass to your MSI. This would be how I would try to achieve this because I have had "Custom Actions = very bad" drilled into me over the years by Rob M, Bob A et al. After parsing the XML your bootstrapper application would launch the MSI with the appropriate properties set e.g. 'msiexec /I myInstaller.msi /qb ADDLOCAL="feature1,feature2,feature3"' or even more simply 'msiexec /I myInstaller.msi /qb INSTALLLEVEL=10' if you've authored your Feature tree with appropriate Feature levels to denote the various configurations (this assumes you have no mutually exclusive Features however as Feature levels are hierarchical so anything with a Feature level less than or equal to INSTALLLEVEL will be installed).
You could however use a Custom Action to do the same from within the MSI but I personally wouldn't. If you do go down this road I would suggest conditioning it with the 'UILevel' property so it doesn't run during a "normal" install. See http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa372096.aspx I've not looked into it terribly much but if there is a standard way of reading in XML to Properties you could simply Condition your Features using those Properties. I would still add the 'UILevel' Property however so you don't block "normal" installs. Again this could be achieved using your own Custom Action(s) if no standard WiX Custom Action(s) exist. Personally I'd pick this over the previous concept if I were going the way of Custom Actions as it feels like there is less scope for problems in the future if all your Custom Action(s) is/are doing is setting Properties. This would also allow people to silently install your app without the XML by setting the required Properties on the command line which is invaluable for pushing it out using SMS/Group Policy etc (plus you could use it to rapidly test your installs without having to modify the XML every time). You could also roll this method using a bootstrapper if you so wish. Good luck. Palbinder Sandher Software Deployment & IT Administrator T: +44 (0) 141 945 8500 F: +44 (0) 141 945 8501 http://www.iesve.com **Design, Simulate + Innovate with the <Virtual Environment>** Integrated Environmental Solutions Limited. Registered in Scotland No. SC151456 Registered Office - Helix Building, West Of Scotland Science Park, Glasgow G20 0SP Email Disclaimer -----Original Message----- From: David McEwen [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: 14 September 2009 12:27 To: [email protected] Subject: [WiX-users] XML input config file Is it possible to have a complete silent install using a XML file with all required install configurations? David ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Let Crystal Reports handle the reporting - Free Crystal Reports 2008 30-Day trial. Simplify your report design, integration and deployment - and focus on what you do best, core application coding. Discover what's new with Crystal Reports now. http://p.sf.net/sfu/bobj-july _______________________________________________ WiX-users mailing list [email protected] https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users
