From MSI to WiX, Part 7 - Customizing installation using Transforms

Artykuł
02/15/2008

The main page for the series is here.

Introduction

In previous blog we were using custom tables to store the data for different environments. Now, we will be using transforms to customize installation. In order to create a Transform we need a base installation database and extended installation database. Transform is the difference between base and extended installation databases.

Creating Base Installation Database

First, we need to create a Base installation which does not any customization data. Here is modified source Wix file from previous blog:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<Wix xmlns="https://schemas.microsoft.com/wix/2003/01/wi">

Media Id="1" Cabinet="CAB001.cab" CompressionLevel="high" EmbedCab="yes" />

Directory Id="TARGETDIR" Name="SourceDir">
<Directory Id="ProgramFilesFolder">
<Directory Id="INSTALLDIR" Name="Minimal" LongName="MinimalInstallation">

Component Id="Component1"
Guid="{A77C5B06-132D-4884-8E17-EA10A83C812D}">

File Id="ConsoleApp" DiskId="1" Name="ConsApp.exe" Source="ConsoleApp.exe" Vital="yes" KeyPath="yes" />

File Id="ConsoleApp.exe.config" DiskId="1" Name="ConsApp.exc" LongName="ConsoleApp.exe.config"
Vital="yes" Source="ConsoleApp.exe.config" />

XmlFile Id="SetKey1"
                                     Action="setValue"
                                     ElementPath="//appSettings/add[\[]@key='Key1'[\]]/@value"
                                     Value="[KEY1]"
                                     File="[INSTALLDIR]ConsoleApp.exe.config" />
<XmlFile Id="SetKey2"
                                     Action="setValue"
                                     ElementPath="//appSettings/add[\[]@key='Key2'[\]]/@value"
                                     Value="[KEY2]"
                                     File="[INSTALLDIR]ConsoleApp.exe.config" />
<XmlFile Id="SetKey3"
                                     Action="setValue"
                                     ElementPath="//appSettings/add[\[]@key='Key3'[\]]/@value"
                                     Value="[KEY3]"
                                     File="[INSTALLDIR]ConsoleApp.exe.config" />

Component>

Directory>
</Directory>
</Directory>

Feature Id="Feature1"
                      Title="Feature1 title"
                      Description="Feature1 description"
                      Level="1"
                    ConfigurableDirectory="INSTALLDIR" >
<ComponentRef Id="Component1" />
</Feature>

Product>
</Wix>

Here are commands to build Minimal.msi:

candle.exe Minimal.wxs
light.exe -out Minimal.msi Minimal.wixobj

Creating extended database using Orca

Create a copy of Minimal.msi and rename it to MinimalTest.msi. This will be our extended installation database for the test environment. Open MinimalTest.msi using Orca, click on Property table in the Tables window on the left. Add three new properties to the Property table:

Property	Value
KEY1	Test1
KEY2	Test2
KEY3	Test3

Save the installation database.

Now we need to generate a transform which will have just the difference between bae and extended database. To do that, we need to run this command (MsiTran.exe will be installed on your machine if you installed the Platform SDK/Windows Installer SDK):

MsiTran -g Minimal.msi MinimalTest.msi Test.mst

To install the product use this command:

msiexec /i Minimal.msi TRANSFORMS=Test.mst

Same procedure should be executed for any additional environment.

Automating the process of creating transforms

We can use Windows Installer Automation Interface to automate the process of cretaing transforms. Here is the script which creates both Test.mst and Dev.mst:

Option Explicit

Const msiOpenDatabaseModeReadOnly = 0

Const msiOpenDatabaseModeTransact = 1

Const msiViewModifyAssign = 3

Const msiTransformErrorNone = 0

Const msiTransformValidationNone = 0

On Error Resume Next

Dim installer : Set installer = Nothing

Dim Devs

Set Devs = CreateObject("Scripting.Dictionary")

Devs.Add "KEY1", "Dev1"

Devs.Add "KEY2", "Dev2"

Devs.Add "KEY3", "Dev3"

CreateTransform "Dev", Devs

Dim Test

Set Test = CreateObject("Scripting.Dictionary")

Test.Add "KEY1", "Test1"

Test.Add "KEY2", "Test2"

Test.Add "KEY3", "Test3"

CreateTransform "Test", Test

Wscript.Quit 0

Sub CreateTransform(TransformName, Values)

' Create a copy of base database

Dim fso

Set fso = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject") : CheckError

fso.CopyFile "Minimal.msi", TransformName & ".msi" : CheckError

Set fso = Nothing

' Add additional properties to the copy

Dim database

Dim view

Dim record

Set installer = Wscript.CreateObject("WindowsInstaller.Installer") : CheckError

Set database = installer.OpenDatabase(TransformName & ".msi", msiOpenDatabaseModeTransact) : CheckError

Set view = database.OpenView("SELECT `Property`,`Value` FROM Property") : CheckError

view.Execute : CheckError

Dim keys : keys = Values.Keys

dim items : items = Values.Items

Dim i

For i = 0 To Values.Count - 1

Set record = installer.CreateRecord(2)

record.StringData(1) = keys(i)

record.StringData(2) = items(i)

view.Modify msiViewModifyAssign, record : CheckError

view.Close

Set view = Nothing

database.Commit : CheckError

Set database = Nothing

' Create a Transform

Dim database1 : Set database1 = installer.OpenDatabase("Minimal.msi", msiOpenDatabaseModeReadOnly) : CheckError

Dim database2 : Set database2 = installer.OpenDatabase(TransformName & ".msi", msiOpenDatabaseModeReadOnly) : CheckError

Dim transform : transform = TransformName & ".mst"

database2.GenerateTransform database1, transform : CheckError

database2.CreateTransformSummaryInfo database1, transform, msiTransformErrorNone, msiTransformValidationNone : CheckError

Set database1 = Nothing

Set database2 = Nothing

Set installer = Nothing

End Sub

Sub CheckError

If Err = 0 Then Exit Sub

Dim message, errRec

message = Err.Source & " " & Hex(Err) & ": " & Err.Description

If Not installer Is Nothing Then

Set errRec = installer.LastErrorRecord

If Not errRec Is Nothing Then message = message & vbNewLine & errRec.FormatText

End If

Wscript.Echo message

Wscript.Quit 2

End Sub

Embedding Transforms into installer database

Instead of shipping installer database and a separate transform file to a customer we can embed the Transform to an installer database and ship just one file. In fact, we can embed multiple transforms in the database. Here is the fragment of updated version of Transforms generating script from previous section:

' Create a Transform

Dim database1 : Set database1 = installer.OpenDatabase("Minimal.msi", msiOpenDatabaseModeReadOnly) : CheckError

Dim database2 : Set database2 = installer.OpenDatabase(TransformName & ".msi", msiOpenDatabaseModeReadOnly) : CheckError

Dim transform : transform = TransformName & ".mst"

database2.GenerateTransform database1, transform : CheckError

database2.CreateTransformSummaryInfo database1, transform, msiTransformErrorNone, msiTransformValidationNone : CheckError

Set database1 = Nothing

Set database2 = Nothing

' Embed Transform into the database

Set database = installer.OpenDatabase("Minimal.msi", msiOpenDatabaseModeTransact) : CheckError

Set view = database.OpenView("SELECT `Name`,`Data` FROM _Storages") : CheckError

view.Execute : CheckError

Set record = installer.CreateRecord(2)

record.StringData(1) = TransformName

record.SetStream 2, TransformName & ".mst" : CheckError

view.Modify msiViewModifyAssign, record : CheckError

database.Commit : CheckError

Set database = Nothing

The command line to install the product applying the Transform will look like this:

msiexec /i Minimal.msi TRANSFORMS=:Dev

msiexec /i Minimal.msi TRANSFORMS=:Test

Comments

Anonymous
March 11, 2008
PingBack from http://ozgrant.com/2008/03/11/customising-your-wix-msi-with-transform-files/
Anonymous
October 08, 2008
Hi sir, I have a question?I have to create a msi which is having a same product but having three button through which we can install three separate instance of same product.The product contains three windows service one asp web project one windows utility.Could you please help me for making this successful. Thanks.
Anonymous
October 08, 2008
Hi sir, I have a question?I have to create a msi which is having a same product but having three button through which we can install three separate instance of same product.The product contains three windows service one asp web project one windows utility.Could you please help me for making this successful.
Anonymous
June 07, 2010
Hi, Is there a wix 2.0 tool to create the transforms? I see that torch tool does the work in Wix 3.0, but I want to see if it can be done with Wix 2.0 tools. -Pratap.

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From MSI to WiX, Part 7 - Customizing installation using Transforms

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