How to: Generate registry information for an installer
Applies to: 
Visual Studio 
Visual Studio for Mac
Note
This article applies to Visual Studio 2017. If you're looking for the latest Visual Studio documentation, see Visual Studio documentation. We recommend upgrading to the latest version of Visual Studio. Download it here
The RegPkg.exe utility can be used to generate a registration manifest for a managed VSPackage. The manifest can be incorporated into a Windows Installer setup package. RegPkg also can generate a file that can be included in a setup source file based on the Windows Installer XML toolset.
Important
RegPkg generates path names that are specific to your development system, so every time you use RegPkg, you must edit the output to use appropriate Windows Installer formatted properties. For example, the InprocServer32 value should be <SystemFolder>mscoree.dll and paths should use <#filekey> and <$componentkey>. Adjusting the output in this way supports computers with Windows installed on a different drive or in a different directory, localized directory names, and paths that users can choose. For more information, see Formatted in the Windows Installer SDK. If you follow RegPkg conventions for your development system paths—for example, file IDs of the form File_<filename>—you need make fewer changes.
To create a registration manifest
Run RegPkg with the /regfile switch. Provide any other switches, the name of the output file, and the path of the VSPackage.
For example, at the command prompt, you would type something like the following:
<Visual Studio SDK installation path>\VisualStudioIntegration\Tools\Bin\RegPkg /regfile:MyRegFile.reg MyPackage.dll
To view a registration manifest
Open the registration manifest in any text editor.
The following example is the registration manifest that RegPkg creates for the IronPython language service:
REGEDIT4 [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\VisualStudio\8.0\Languages] [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\VisualStudio\8.0\Languages\CodeExpansions] [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\VisualStudio\8.0\Languages\CodeExpansions\Python] @="{ae8ce01a-b3ff-4c19-8c80-54669c197f2c}" "DisplayName"="131" "IndexPath"="C:\\VSSDK80\\2006.07\\VisualStudioIntegration\\Samples\\IronPythonIntegration\\bin\\Release\\CodeSnippets\\SnippetsIndex.xml" "LangStringId"="python" "Package"="{1b05e2b4-7c21-4f63-910e-29fe55eb5f8b}" "ShowRoots"=dword:00000000 [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\VisualStudio\8.0\Languages\CodeExpansions\Python\ForceCreateDirs] "Python"="C:\\VSSDK80\\2006.07\\VisualStudioIntegration\\Samples\\IronPythonIntegration\\bin\\Release\\CodeSnippets\\Snippets\\;%MyDocs%\Code Snippets\Python\My Code Snippets\" [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\VisualStudio\8.0\Languages\CodeExpansions\Python\Paths] "Python"="C:\\VSSDK80\\2006.07\\VisualStudioIntegration\\Samples\\IronPythonIntegration\\bin\\Release\\CodeSnippets\\Snippets\\;%MyDocs%\Code Snippets\Python\My Code Snippets\" [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\VisualStudio\8.0\Packages] [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\VisualStudio\8.0\Packages\{1b05e2b4-7c21-4f63-910e-29fe55eb5f8b}] @="Microsoft.Samples.VisualStudio.IronPythonLanguageService.PythonPackage, IronPython.LanguageService, Version=1.0.2373.36479, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null" "InprocServer32"="C:\\WINNT\\system32\\mscoree.dll" "Class"="Microsoft.Samples.VisualStudio.IronPythonLanguageService.PythonPackage" "Assembly"="IronPython.LanguageService, Version=1.0.2373.36479, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null" [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\VisualStudio\8.0\Languages] [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\VisualStudio\8.0\Languages\File Extensions] [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\VisualStudio\8.0\Languages\File Extensions\.py] @="{ae8ce01a-b3ff-4c19-8c80-54669c197f2c}" [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\VisualStudio\8.0\Languages] [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\VisualStudio\8.0\Languages\Language Services] [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\VisualStudio\8.0\Languages\Language Services\Python] @="{ae8ce01a-b3ff-4c19-8c80-54669c197f2c}" "Package"="{1b05e2b4-7c21-4f63-910e-29fe55eb5f8b}" "LangResID"=dword:00000064 "ShowMatchingBrace"=dword:00000001 "CodeSense"=dword:00000001 "MatchBraces"=dword:00000001 "EnableCommenting"=dword:00000001 "ShowCompletion"=dword:00000001 [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\VisualStudio\8.0\Packages] [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\VisualStudio\8.0\Packages\{1b05e2b4-7c21-4f63-910e-29fe55eb5f8b}] "ID"=dword:00000001 "MinEdition"="standard" "ProductVersion"="1.0" "ProductName"="Visual Studio Integration of IronPython Language Service" "CompanyName"="Microsoft Corporation" [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\VisualStudio\8.0\Services] [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\VisualStudio\8.0\Services\{923b4811-26e4-4347-ac8a-244762798e1c}] @="{1b05e2b4-7c21-4f63-910e-29fe55eb5f8b}" "Name"="IPythonLibraryManager" [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\VisualStudio\8.0\Services] [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\VisualStudio\8.0\Services\{ae8ce01a-b3ff-4c19-8c80-54669c197f2c}] @="{1b05e2b4-7c21-4f63-910e-29fe55eb5f8b}" "Name"="Python"
To create a Windows Installer XML toolset include file
Run RegPkg with the /wixfile switch. Provide any other switches, the name of the output file, and the path of the VSPackage.
For example, at the command prompt, you would type something like the following:
<Visual Studio SDK installation path>\VisualStudioIntegration\Tools\Bin\RegPkg /codebase /wixfile:IronPython.LanguageService.wxi ..\bin\Release\IronPython.LanguageService.dll
To view a Windows Installer XML toolset include file
Open the Windows Installer XML Toolset include file in any text editor.
The following example is the include file that RegPkg creates for the IronPython language service:
<Include> <Registry Root="HKLM" Key="Software\Microsoft\VisualStudio\8.0\Languages\IntellisenseProviders\IronPythonCodeProvider"> <Registry Name="GUID" Value="{9c1807ea-d222-4775-afa8-c092c580e451}" Type="string" /> <Registry Name="AddItemLanguageName" Value="Iron Python" Type="string" /> <Registry Name="DefaultExtension" Value=".py" Type="string" /> <Registry Name="ShortLanguageName" Value="IronPython;Python" Type="string" /> <Registry Name="TemplateFolderName" Value="IronPython" Type="string" /> </Registry> <Registry Root="HKLM" Key="Software\Microsoft\VisualStudio\8.0\Languages\CodeExpansions\Python" Value="{ae8ce01a-b3ff-4c19-8c80-54669c197f2c}" Type="string"> <Registry Name="DisplayName" Value="131" Type="string" /> <Registry Name="IndexPath" Value="C:\\VSSDK80\\2006.08\\VisualStudioIntegration\\Samples\\IronPythonIntegration\\Setup\\[$ComponentPath]\\CodeSnippets\\SnippetsIndex.xml" Type="string" /> <Registry Name="LangStringId" Value="python" Type="string" /> <Registry Name="Package" Value="{1b05e2b4-7c21-4f63-910e-29fe55eb5f8b}" Type="string" /> <Registry Name="ShowRoots" Value="0" Type="integer" /> </Registry> <Registry Root="HKLM" Key="Software\Microsoft\VisualStudio\8.0\Languages\CodeExpansions\Python\ForceCreateDirs"> <Registry Name="Python" Value="C:\\VSSDK80\\2006.08\\VisualStudioIntegration\\Samples\\IronPythonIntegration\\Setup\\[$ComponentPath]\\CodeSnippets\\Snippets\\;%MyDocs%\Code Snippets\Python\My Code Snippets\" Type="string" /> </Registry> <Registry Root="HKLM" Key="Software\Microsoft\VisualStudio\8.0\Languages\CodeExpansions\Python\Paths"> <Registry Name="Python" Value="C:\\VSSDK80\\2006.08\\VisualStudioIntegration\\Samples\\IronPythonIntegration\\Setup\\[$ComponentPath]\\CodeSnippets\\Snippets\\;%MyDocs%\Code Snippets\Python\My Code Snippets\" Type="string" /> </Registry> <Registry Root="HKLM" Key="Software\Microsoft\VisualStudio\8.0\Languages\File Extensions\.py" Value="{ae8ce01a-b3ff-4c19-8c80-54669c197f2c}" Type="string" /> <Registry Root="HKLM" Key="Software\Microsoft\VisualStudio\8.0\Languages\Language Services\Python" Value="{ae8ce01a-b3ff-4c19-8c80-54669c197f2c}" Type="string"> <Registry Name="Package" Value="{1b05e2b4-7c21-4f63-910e-29fe55eb5f8b}" Type="string" /> <Registry Name="LangResID" Value="100" Type="integer" /> <Registry Name="ShowCompletion" Value="1" Type="integer" /> <Registry Name="ShowMatchingBrace" Value="1" Type="integer" /> <Registry Name="CodeSense" Value="1" Type="integer" /> <Registry Name="MatchBraces" Value="1" Type="integer" /> <Registry Name="EnableCommenting" Value="1" Type="integer" /> <Registry Name="DefaultToInsertSpaces" Value="1" Type="integer" /> </Registry> <Registry Root="HKLM" Key="Software\Microsoft\VisualStudio\8.0\Packages\{1b05e2b4-7c21-4f63-910e-29fe55eb5f8b}" Value="Microsoft.Samples.VisualStudio.IronPythonLanguageService.PythonPackage, IronPython.LanguageService, Version=1.0.2394.27719, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null" Type="string"> <Registry Name="InprocServer32" Value="[SystemFolder]mscoree.dll" Type="string" /> <Registry Name="Class" Value="Microsoft.Samples.VisualStudio.IronPythonLanguageService.PythonPackage" Type="string" /> <Registry Name="CodeBase" Value="[#File_IronPython.LanguageService.dll]" Type="string" /> <Registry Name="ID" Value="1" Type="integer" /> <Registry Name="MinEdition" Value="standard" Type="string" /> <Registry Name="ProductVersion" Value="1.0" Type="string" /> <Registry Name="ProductName" Value="Visual Studio Integration of IronPython Language Service" Type="string" /> <Registry Name="CompanyName" Value="Microsoft Corporation" Type="string" /> </Registry> <Registry Root="HKLM" Key="Software\Microsoft\VisualStudio\8.0\CLSID\{9c1807ea-d222-4775-afa8-c092c580e451}" Value="Microsoft.Samples.VisualStudio.IronPythonLanguageService.PythonIntellisenseProvider" Type="string"> <Registry Name="InprocServer32" Value="[SystemFolder]mscoree.dll" Type="string" /> <Registry Name="Class" Value="Microsoft.Samples.VisualStudio.IronPythonLanguageService.PythonIntellisenseProvider" Type="string" /> <Registry Name="CodeBase" Value="[#File_IronPython.LanguageService.dll]" Type="string" /> <Registry Name="ThreadingModel" Value="Both" Type="string" /> </Registry> <Registry Root="HKLM" Key="Software\Microsoft\VisualStudio\8.0\Services\{923b4811-26e4-4347-ac8a-244762798e1c}" Value="{1b05e2b4-7c21-4f63-910e-29fe55eb5f8b}" Type="string"> <Registry Name="Name" Value="IPythonLibraryManager" Type="string" /> </Registry> <Registry Root="HKLM" Key="Software\Microsoft\VisualStudio\8.0\Services\{ae8ce01a-b3ff-4c19-8c80-54669c197f2c}" Value="{1b05e2b4-7c21-4f63-910e-29fe55eb5f8b}" Type="string"> <Registry Name="Name" Value="Python" Type="string" /> </Registry> </Include>