VB/JScript is still a no go. The managed blog was ( thankfully ) O.B.E. when WiX released managed custom action via DTF.
Personally, if I had the C++ chops, had enough reusable libraries and was typically shipping unmanaged apps.... then I probably would be an unmanaged purist for CA's. WiX uses C++ in it's custom actions because customers might not need/want .NET and since the CA's are being used by a very wide audience it's good to spend the time and make them perfect. But alas, I've got C# chops, the base class libraries are very powerful and I ship nearly all managed apps. For me, the choice is easy. For the rare occasion that I don't want a dependency on .NET I either a) role an InstallScript custom action or b) write it in DTF first and then borrow a resource from development to port it over to C++. PS- Don't anyone jump on my InstallScript comment unless you know what you are talking about. :-) Prior is IS 12 I'd agree with you 100%. Christopher Painter, Author of Deployment Engineering Blog Have a hot tip, know a secret or read a really good thread that deserves attention? E-Mail Me ----- Original Message ---- From: Shaun Hayward <shayw...@omnivex.com> To: "WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net" <WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net> Sent: Fri, January 14, 2011 12:39:11 PM Subject: [WiX-users] Custom Actions - C++ vs C# vs VBScript Hello, WiX Community I've been playing around with WiX for about a year now and took over my company's installations (WiX-based) a few months ago. I'm really enjoying it. I'm looking for some advice on the pros/cons of various ways of writing Custom Actions. I understand that an issue with the Custom Action can prevent your installer from working at all. And obviously if a piece of functionality already exists in WiX then one should not re-write it in a custom action. I'm mainly a C# dev and doing some rudimentary VC++. I found it very easy to do Custom Actions in VBScript but Rob Mensching posted an article (http://wix.sourceforge.net/manual-wix2/robmen_20040520.htm) that outlines why VBScript "sucks" for custom actions. Lack of debugging and conflict with Virus Scanners seem to be the biggies. I'm assuming these reasons still apply and VBScript (or Jscript) should be counted out. Most of the Custom Action examples I've found have been C# (my preferred language) and even Nick Ramirez's excellent book on WiX only gives the C# examples. However, I came across another Rob Mensching article (http://robmensching.com/blog/posts/2007/4/19/Managed-Code-CustomActions-no-support-on-the-way-and-heres) from 2007 that outlines why Managed Custom Actions wouldn't work. Are these issues still a consideration? Of course, VC++ has very few dependencies and probably has the most compatibility. Theoretically, you should be able to static link against the VC++ Runtime and have no external dependencies at all. But C++ code is, for me, a lot harder to write. The worst is trying to figure out which string is which. Does anyone have any incites or advice on the pros and cons of each? In particular, what are the down-sides of writing custom actions in Managed code (C#/VB)? Thanks - Shaun The information in this e-mail is intended solely for the addressee and access by anyone else is unauthorized. Omnivex accepts no liability for the content of this e-mail, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. Any views or opinions presented in this e-mail are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the company. Omnivex makes no warranties, express or implied and is not responsible for errors or omissions. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Protect Your Site and Customers from Malware Attacks Learn about various malware tactics and how to avoid them. Understand malware threats, the impact they can have on your business, and how you can protect your company and customers by using code signing. http://p.sf.net/sfu/oracle-sfdevnl _______________________________________________ WiX-users mailing list WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Protect Your Site and Customers from Malware Attacks Learn about various malware tactics and how to avoid them. Understand malware threats, the impact they can have on your business, and how you can protect your company and customers by using code signing. http://p.sf.net/sfu/oracle-sfdevnl _______________________________________________ WiX-users mailing list WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users
