I've not come across the Vista scripting issue that Blair mentioned, but AV programs are always looking for scripts that might be dangerous. In some cases I believe they even intercept calls to the scripting engines. This is typically the reason so many setups ask you to disable AV programs before doing an install. Another common issue I see is that writing VBScript seems to turn off any programming skills the writer may have had. Almost every VBScript I've seen is guilty of abusing On Error Resume Next, of not using explicit declarations, and generally just plowing through without error handling. In addition, it's not the same as Windows Script Host, and that also seems to lead to some confusion.
There's no native support for calling C# Dlls from Windows Installer. Various solutions exist, but they all have the characteristic that something has to crank up and host some version of the .NET Framework before it can run your code. Anything that goes wrong in there will require some understanding of that framework hosting mechanism. Calling a Win32 C++ Dll custom action with a fixed signature from some other Win32 code is trivial, and the call from MSI into your function about as simple as a function call can get, and errors are usually obvious. Phil Wilson -----Original Message----- From: Dominique Louis [mailto:dominique.lo...@amxeurope.com] Sent: Tuesday, September 15, 2009 9:07 AM To: General discussion for Windows Installer XML toolset. Subject: Re: [WiX-users] Conditional installed based on REG_MULTI_SZ value I find it weird that the WI would reject VBS but accept a C/C++ dll? There is nothing stopping someone from writing dodgy code in C/C++ and shipping it with an installer. Just because it is compiled it's safer? Out software should be installed by Administrators, so I'm hoping they will allow our VBS scripts, as I don't fancy writing any C/C++ code. If it was C# or Delphi I wouldn't mind. -----Original Message----- From: Blair [mailto:os...@live.com] Sent: 15 September 2009 16:44 To: 'General discussion for Windows Installer XML toolset.' Subject: Re: [WiX-users] Conditional installed based on REG_MULTI_SZ value Make sure it is before LaunchConditions and after AppSearch (you can move either one of those if needed) For example: <InstallExecuteSequence> <AppSearch Before="ParseSqlServerForMSSQL"/> <Custom Action="ParseSqlServerForMSSQL" Before="LaunchConditions"/> </InstallExecuteSequence> <InstallUISequence> <AppSearch Before="ParseSqlServerForMSSQL"/> <Custom Action="ParseSqlServerForMSSQL" Before="LaunchConditions"/> </InstallUISequence> The usual caveat about VBS (or any other) script CA goes here: they are unreliable (there are anti-virus systems that prevent the script from running and, esp. on Vista, incorrect installations/repairs cause Windows Installer to reject the scripting engine runtime). For reliability, a C/C++ CA statically linked to its runtime is considered best practice. -----Original Message----- From: Dominique Louis [mailto:dominique.lo...@amxeurope.com] Sent: Tuesday, September 15, 2009 6:53 AM To: General discussion for Windows Installer XML toolset. Subject: Re: [WiX-users] Conditional installed based on REG_MULTI_SZ value I'm using v4.5.6001.22159 if that is any help to anyone. Is putting my CustomAction before LaunchConditions the best place to run my vbs, or would there be another more appropriate place? Dominique. -----Original Message----- From: Pally Sandher [mailto:pally.sand...@iesve.com] Sent: 15 September 2009 10:23 To: General discussion for Windows Installer XML toolset. Subject: Re: [WiX-users] Conditional installed based on REG_MULTI_SZ value No but you could attribute it to a bug in whichever version of Windows Installer you're using to test the MSI (v3.1 or v4.0 whether you're on XP/2k3 or Vista/2k8 respectively I'm guessing). People on this list really need to learn the difference between WiX & Windows Installer. They are *not* the same thing & should never be used interchangeably as if far too often the case. You'll have to write your own Custom Action to parse the registry value before you compare it as far as I know. Would be nice if there was some sort of Standard Custom Action in WiX for manipulating regex but then there's already plenty of features which existed in WiX v2.0 which we have to live without in WiX v3.0 so I wouldn't hold my breath. 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: Dominique Louis [mailto:dominique.lo...@amxeurope.com] Sent: 15 September 2009 09:42 To: General discussion for Windows Installer XML toolset. Subject: Re: [WiX-users] Conditional installed based on REG_MULTI_SZ value Hi Blair, Can we attribute this to a bug in WiX 3.0 then? If I need to write a work around, does WiX provide any parsing capabilities, or should I look at using VBScript or similar to get this working? Dominique. -----Original Message----- From: Blair [mailto:os...@live.com] Sent: 14 September 2009 17:34 To: 'General discussion for Windows Installer XML toolset.' Subject: Re: [WiX-users] Conditional installed based on REG_MULTI_SZ value In my tests using a simple installation package, it would appear that the conditional comparison routines for strings stop looking through the string at the first NUL character. Since REG_MULTI_SZ strings start with a NUL, then terminate each value with an additional NUL (remember that the conditional is evaluated AFTER the string is parsed replacing all "[whatever]" property references) means that the conditional syntax can't "see" any values after the first [~] value (which would include all values retrieved using RegistrySearch involving REG_MULTI_SZ strings. You can check for presence of the property, however. (If the property were truly empty, it would be removed). To see what I am talking about, compare these three lines from my log: AppSearch: Property: MYMULTIVALUE, Signature: MyMultiValue MSI (c) (38:98) [09:26:38:902]: PROPERTY CHANGE: Adding MYMULTIVALUE property. Its value is ''. Property(C): MYMULTIVALUE = [~]SysClass.Dll,StorageCoInstaller[~]WmiProp.dll,WmiPropCoInstaller[~] Those are the only references to that property in the entire debug verbose log. You would need some custom action to parse or otherwise "escape" the property values in the property before using the condition syntax to search them. -----Original Message----- From: Dominique Louis [mailto:dominique.lo...@amxeurope.com] Sent: Monday, September 14, 2009 8:53 AM To: General discussion for Windows Installer XML toolset. Subject: Re: [WiX-users] Conditional installed based on REG_MULTI_SZ value OK based on Pally's earlier post, it would seem that SQLSERVER><"MSSQLSERVER" or the property equivalent should work, but neither works for me. Do they work for anyone else? -----Original Message----- From: Dominique Louis [mailto:dominique.lo...@amxeurope.com] Sent: 14 September 2009 15:54 To: General discussion for Windows Installer XML toolset. Subject: Re: [WiX-users] Conditional installed based on REG_MULTI_SZ value Nope, Changing it to a Property does not work either. I'm guessing that changing it to a property just makes it the equivalent of writing SQLSERVER><"MSSQLSERVER" Which would be incorrect as well. Is the >< the correct conditional operator for what I'm trying to achieve? What is the difference between >< and <> if any? As I mentioned in my original post, some kind of website or official documentation showing exactly how each operator is used in a conditional situation would be really, really useful at this point. At the moment I feel like I'm walking through the woods, blind folded. Dominique. -----Original Message----- From: Pally Sandher [mailto:pally.sand...@iesve.com] Sent: 14 September 2009 14:47 To: General discussion for Windows Installer XML toolset. Subject: Re: [WiX-users] Conditional installed based on REG_MULTI_SZ value Have you tried using a Property with its value set to "MSSQLSERVER" as I first assumed you were doing? Even something as simple as <Property Id="MSSQLSERVER" Value="MSSQLSERVER" /> added to your first code fragment might cause this to work. Essentially your code is doing exactly what you're trying to achieve from how I understand it but a quirk of Windows Installer could be fooling both of us and the above might be the solution. 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: Dominique Louis [mailto:dominique.lo...@amxeurope.com] Sent: 14 September 2009 14:23 To: General discussion for Windows Installer XML toolset. Subject: Re: [WiX-users] Conditional installed based on REG_MULTI_SZ value Hi Pally, Thanks for taking the time to answer my query. I should have mentioned that I had already tried putting quotes around MSSQLSERVER, but that does not work either. What I need is some kind of conditional code the does the equivalent of a "Does this SQLSERVER property *contain* MSSQLSERVER" Dominique. -----Original Message----- From: Pally Sandher [mailto:pally.sand...@iesve.com] Sent: 14 September 2009 13:15 To: General discussion for Windows Installer XML toolset. Subject: Re: [WiX-users] Conditional installed based on REG_MULTI_SZ value <Condition Message="This application requires Microsoft SQL Server. Please install Microsoft SQL Server then run this installer again."> <![CDATA[Installed OR (SQLSERVER><MSSQLSERVER)]]> </Condition> That says to throw the condition 'If the Property SQLSERVER does not contain the Property MSSQLSERVER or the product is not already Installed' Try putting quotes around MSSQLSERVER if you want it to be a string rather than a Property. I may be wrong but that's how I understand it. See http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa368012.aspx 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: Dominique Louis [mailto:dominique.lo...@amxeurope.com] Sent: 14 September 2009 12:48 To: General discussion for Windows Installer XML toolset. Subject: Re: [WiX-users] Conditional installed based on REG_MULTI_SZ value MSSQLSERVER Is not a property, it is a literal string that should exist within the Registry. I'm essentially trying to check if 'MSSQLSERVER' exists within the multi-string SQLSERVER. -----Original Message----- From: Pally Sandher [mailto:pally.sand...@iesve.com] Sent: 14 September 2009 12:36 To: General discussion for Windows Installer XML toolset. Subject: Re: [WiX-users] Conditional installed based on REG_MULTI_SZ value What is the property MSSQLSERVER set to? You appear to have omitted this from your code fragment. 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: Dominique Louis [mailto:dominique.lo...@amxeurope.com] Sent: 14 September 2009 11:29 To: wix-users@lists.sourceforge.net Subject: [WiX-users] Conditional installed based on REG_MULTI_SZ value Hi WiX gurus, I'm using the "supposed" standard way of detecting multiple SQLServer instances... <Property Id="SQLSERVER"> <RegistrySearch Id="SQLServer" Root="HKLM" Key="SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server" Type="raw" Name="InstalledInstances"/> </Property> <Condition Message="This application requires Microsoft SQL Server. Please install Microsoft SQL Server then run this installer again."> <![CDATA[Installed OR (SQLSERVER><MSSQLSERVER)]]> </Condition> But the Condition... <![CDATA[Installed OR (SQLSERVER><MSSQLSERVER)]]> Does not evaluate correctly. For instance if the Property SQLSERVER only contains "[~]SQLEXPRESS[~]" ( according to the log ) It still allows the installation to proceed when it should not, so I'm not convinced that using the >< is the correct way to check if 1 value exists within a REG_MULTI_SZ variable. Can anyone enlighten me as to what I may be doing wrong. Also where can I find the correct documentation/list to find out what are the correct conditional operatives I can use within a Condition statement in WiX, preferably with examples. I Googled various sites, but nothing definitive or helpful. Thanks. Dominique. 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