Windows Installer XML 3.0

Document directory

• What
• Capacity
• Advantage
• Disadvantage
• Successful cases
• Resources
• Other

What

Wix is a set of tools that allows youCreate Windows Installer-based deployment packagesFor your application. The Wix toolset is based on a declarativeXML authoring Model. You can use Wix onCommand LineBy using the WIX tools orMsbuild. In addition, there is alsoWix Visual Studio plug-inThat supports vs2005, vs2008, and vs2010. the WIX toolset supports building the following types of Windows Installer files:Installer (. MSI)/patches (. MSP)/merge modules (. MSM)/transforms (. MST)

Wix supports a board spectrum of Windows Installer features. In addition, Wix also offers a setBuilt-in custom actionsThat can be used and ininitialized ated in Windows installer packages. The custom actions are offered inA set of Wix extensions.Some common Wix extensions include support for Internet Information System (IIS), Structured Query Language (SQL), the. NET Framework, Visual Studio, and Windows etc.

Note: Wix is the unique open source project of Microsoft hosted at SourceForge.

Capacity

1. 1. Create Windows Installer-based deployment packages

Installer (. MSI)/patches (. MSP)/merge modules (. MSM)/transforms (. MST)

2. Be able to be integratedMsbuild/Nant

Advantage

1.Free

2. Simpler Compared With InstallShield/installanyware

3.Built-inSetupWizards

4.Built-in Custom Actions

1. Internet Information System (IIS)
2. Structured Query Language (SQL)
3. Windows Service Installer
4. Modify xml configuration file
5. Install assembly to GAC and Local System

5. Visual Studio 2008/2010 integration support

6. Be able to integratedMsbuild/Nant

Disadvantage

1. learning curve: lack of enough resources and Examples

2. Lack of GUI support to create installer XML

3. a little difficult to customize setup UI

Successful cases

1. SQL Server 2005/2008

2. In Office 2007

Resources

1. Wix site: http://wix.sourceforge.net/

2. Tutorial: http://www.tramontana.co.hu/wix/

3. Manual: http://wix.sourceforge.net/manual-wix3/main.htm

Other

The idea of Wix and C ++ language look very alike. The following dimo-strates the idea,