People guessing the SQL influence are correct. Back in 1995, SQL was a big thing and transacted install was the big new idea (a very good idea, IMHO) so there was a theory that you should make the MSI a SQL database because you're doing transaction stuff. IMHO, that didn't work out nearly as well as hoped, but this was before the creation of XML so given the time it makes sense.
The WiX preprocessor is designed to mimic the C/C++ preprocessor. Personally, I think the separation is good to remind one that the preprocessor runs in the build lab and the SQL/Condition syntax runs during install time. It is a little confusing up front but it is important to get the separation of build time and install time correct or one will be *extremely* confused. <smile/> On Thu, Apr 18, 2013 at 6:13 AM, Pally Sandher <pally.sand...@iesve.com>wrote: > Probably a combination of the 2. MSI's are basically databases so I > wouldn't be surprised if SQL influenced some parts of Windows Installer > design back in the day. > > Palbinder Sandher > Software Platform Engineer > 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: John Ludlow [mailto:john.ludlow...@gmail.com] > Sent: 18 April 2013 13:51 > To: General discussion for Windows Installer XML toolset. > Subject: Re: [WiX-users] Why in Preprocessor the "Not Equal To" is "!=" > while in conditional string is "<>". > > <> is also the syntax in Visual Basic, and VB / VBA has always had strong > ties to Office, which is where MSI originated from IIRC. > > > On 18 April 2013 13:35, Hans ter Horst <hoshis...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > Thanks, I think I have it working! > > > > > > > > On Thu, Apr 18, 2013 at 2:13 PM, Alain Forget <afor...@cmu.edu> wrote: > > > > > <> is the MySQL (and SQL in general?) "not equal to", so maybe > > > that's where it came from? > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: Pally Sandher [mailto:pally.sand...@iesve.com] > > > Sent: April 18, 2013 06:42 > > > To: General discussion for Windows Installer XML toolset. > > > Subject: Re: [WiX-users] Why in Preprocessor the "Not Equal To" is "!=" > > > while in conditional string is "<>". > > > > > > Because the WiX team wrote the WiX pre-processor syntax & kept it to > > > regularly accepted coding standards (hence != for 'not equal to' as > > > per every other modern programming language) while the Conditional > > > Statement syntax was written by the Windows Installer team back in > > > the mists of > > time? > > > > > > Palbinder Sandher > > > Software Platform Engineer > > > 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: uni [mailto:unigauld...@gmail.com] > > > Sent: 18 April 2013 06:08 > > > To: wix-users@lists.sourceforge.net > > > Subject: [WiX-users] Why in Preprocessor the "Not Equal To" is "!=" > > > while in conditional string is "<>". > > > > > > It is not very intuitive. > > > I first write: > > > <?if $(var.CurrentVersion)<>$(var.MinimumVersion)?> > > > and it says: > > > "error CNDL0162: An illegal number was found in the expression > > > '$(var.CurrentVersion)<>$(var.MinimumVersion)'." > > > > > > > > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > -------- > > > Precog is a next-generation analytics platform capable of advanced > > > analytics on semi-structured data. The platform includes APIs for > > building > > > apps and a phenomenal toolset for data science. Developers can use > > > our toolset for easy data analysis & visualization. Get a free account! > > > http://www2.precog.com/precogplatform/slashdotnewsletter > > > _______________________________________________ > > > WiX-users mailing list > > > WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net > > > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > -------- > > > Precog is a next-generation analytics platform capable of advanced > > > analytics on semi-structured data. The platform includes APIs for > > building > > > apps and a phenomenal toolset for data science. Developers can use > > > our toolset for easy data analysis & visualization. Get a free account! > > > http://www2.precog.com/precogplatform/slashdotnewsletter > > > _______________________________________________ > > > WiX-users mailing list > > > WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net > > > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > -------- > > > Precog is a next-generation analytics platform capable of advanced > > > analytics on semi-structured data. The platform includes APIs for > > building > > > apps and a phenomenal toolset for data science. Developers can use > > > our toolset for easy data analysis & visualization. Get a free account! > > > http://www2.precog.com/precogplatform/slashdotnewsletter > > > _______________________________________________ > > > WiX-users mailing list > > > WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net > > > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > http://monochrome.me.uk/blog/ > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > -------- Precog is a next-generation analytics platform capable of > > advanced analytics on semi-structured data. The platform includes APIs > > for building apps and a phenomenal toolset for data science. > > Developers can use our toolset for easy data analysis & visualization. > > Get a free account! > > http://www2.precog.com/precogplatform/slashdotnewsletter > > _______________________________________________ > > WiX-users mailing list > > WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net > > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > Precog is a next-generation analytics platform capable of advanced > analytics on semi-structured data. The platform includes APIs for building > apps and a phenomenal toolset for data science. Developers can use our > toolset for easy data analysis & visualization. Get a free account! > http://www2.precog.com/precogplatform/slashdotnewsletter > _______________________________________________ > WiX-users mailing list > WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > Precog is a next-generation analytics platform capable of advanced > analytics on semi-structured data. The platform includes APIs for building > apps and a phenomenal toolset for data science. Developers can use > our toolset for easy data analysis & visualization. Get a free account! > http://www2.precog.com/precogplatform/slashdotnewsletter > _______________________________________________ > WiX-users mailing list > WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Precog is a next-generation analytics platform capable of advanced analytics on semi-structured data. The platform includes APIs for building apps and a phenomenal toolset for data science. Developers can use our toolset for easy data analysis & visualization. Get a free account! http://www2.precog.com/precogplatform/slashdotnewsletter _______________________________________________ WiX-users mailing list WiX-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users
