Creating multi-instance installations using WiX

[Carl Caulkett-2]

Hello,

 

Does anyone know of a way to create an installation using WiX where the
user can specify a particular instance for the installation and for this
to be controlled at the WiX level rather than delving down into the
murky depths of MSI?

 

In other words supposing we have an installer which installs application
"A", can the user run the installer and specify that she wants to
install instance "A1" in a particular folder, and then later come along
and run the installer again, this time specifying the installation of
instance "A2" in a different folder, with the result that there are two
separate installations of the "A" application, one instance called "A1",
the other called "A2", and, crucially,  separate entries in the
Add/Remove Programs list.

 

We have a solution at the moment but it is a hybrid approach with a
Delphi written front end which gathers the installation details and then
passes them as parameters to a WiX written MSI and uses MSI Transforms
to achieve the multiple instances! It works quite well, but we would
like a purely WiX solution going forward.

 

Thanks in advance,

Carl

 

Carl Caulkett - Developer, Inspired Signage Group

AMX <http://www.amx.com/>  - 6th Floor, Salisbury House, London Wall,
London, EC2M 5QQ

Main Office [phone]

[hidden email] <mailto:[hidden email]>

P   Please consider the environment before deciding to print this email

 


AMX

AMX UK
Auster Road
Clifton Moor
York, North Yorkshire
United Kingdom
YO30 4GD

[phone] office
[phone] fax

AMX South
6th Floor Salisbury House
London Wall
London
United Kingdom
EC2M 5QQ

[phone] office
[phone] fax

AMX Belgium
Boerenkrijglaan, 96a
B-2260
Westerlo
Belgium


+ 32 (0) 1454 2763 office
+ 32 (0) 1454 2766 fax

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[Heath Stewart-2]

Instancing is a feature of MSI covered in the Windows Installer SDK. WiX v3
does add fairly simple support to build embedded instance transforms for
known instances. See the documentation for the InstanceTransforms element.
This and child Instance elements allow you to define unique property values
as well.

Patching these instances means building patches against each instanced
ProductCode. Or you can also produce a patch where the Validation element
does not target the ProductCode (by default it does).

On Fri, Jul 3, 2009 at 9:05 AM, Carl Caulkett
<[hidden email]>wrote:

> Hello,
>
>
>
> Does anyone know of a way to create an installation using WiX where the
> user can specify a particular instance for the installation and for this
> to be controlled at the WiX level rather than delving down into the
> murky depths of MSI?
>
>
>
> In other words supposing we have an installer which installs application
> "A", can the user run the installer and specify that she wants to
> install instance "A1" in a particular folder, and then later come along
> and run the installer again, this time specifying the installation of
> instance "A2" in a different folder, with the result that there are two
> separate installations of the "A" application, one instance called "A1",
> the other called "A2", and, crucially,  separate entries in the
> Add/Remove Programs list.
>
>
>
> We have a solution at the moment but it is a hybrid approach with a
> Delphi written front end which gathers the installation details and then
> passes them as parameters to a WiX written MSI and uses MSI Transforms
> to achieve the multiple instances! It works quite well, but we would
> like a purely WiX solution going forward.
>
>
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> Carl
>
>
>
> Carl Caulkett - Developer, Inspired Signage Group
>
> AMX <http://www.amx.com/>  - 6th Floor, Salisbury House, London Wall,
> London, EC2M 5QQ
>
> Main Office [phone]
>
> [hidden email] <mailto:[hidden email]>
>
> P   Please consider the environment before deciding to print this email
>
>
>
>
> AMX
>
> AMX UK
> Auster Road
> Clifton Moor
> York, North Yorkshire
> United Kingdom
> YO30 4GD
>
> [phone]     office
> [phone]     fax
>
> AMX South
> 6th Floor Salisbury House
> London Wall
> London
> United Kingdom
> EC2M 5QQ
>
> [phone]     office
> [phone]     fax
>
> AMX Belgium
> Boerenkrijglaan, 96a
> B-2260
> Westerlo
> Belgium
>
>
> + 32 (0) 1454 2763      office
> + 32 (0) 1454 2766      fax
>
> ######################################################################
> Attention:
> This e-mail message is privileged and confidential. If you are not the
> intended recipient please delete the message and notify the sender.
> Any views or opinions presented are solely those of the author.
>
> This email was scanned and cleared by NetIQ MailMarshal.
> ######################################################################
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> _______________________________________________
> WiX-users mailing list
> [hidden email]
> https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users
>

--
Heath Stewart
Deployment Technologies Team, Microsoft
http://blogs.msdn.com/heaths
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