[wix-users] MsiEvaluateCondition

[Douglas, Keith (STATCAN/STATCAN)]

This is an interesting approach, but I think that "injecting" all of that is too much work for my front end. I've built a front end to WiX for my fellow developers so they can use GUIs and what not to set properties and not type reams of XML and such. This also allows us to standardize things like (for example) a custom "creator" property etc. which otherwise would be more fallibly used.

Nevertheless I'll see if Lux or Nit has anything which might help.

Thanks,


Keith Douglas
Programmer Analyst | Programmeur analyste
Questionnaire Development Services - CAI Social | Services de développement de questionnaires - IAO Social
Jean Talon Building | Immeuble Jean-Talon / Floor | Étage 4 A-3
Statistics Canada | 170 Tunney's Pasture Driveway, Ottawa ON K1A 0T6
Statistique Canada | 170, promenade Tunney's Pasture, Ottawa ON K1A 0T6
Keith.Douglas at canada.ca
Telephone | Téléphone 613-854-5589
Facsimile | Télécopieur 613-951-4674
Government of Canada | Gouvernement du Canada 


-----Original Message-----
From: wix-users [mailto:wix-users-bounces at lists.wixtoolset.org] On Behalf Of Phill Hogland
Sent: November-30-15 9:50 AM
To: WiX Toolset Users Mailing List <wix-users at lists.wixtoolset.org>
Subject: Re: [wix-users] MsiEvaluateCondition

I have found using Lux/Nit to be helpful beyond just for testing immediate custom actions that I intend to use in my msi packages.  When I need to test a CA function that I may plan to use in a deferred action, or if I needed to test a Condition syntax, I create a simple immediate action to call the function and then drive it with a Lux test project.  Also we have windowed applications which are run as a service successfully, as long as they never show a modal dialog (or there is code that detects and responds to the modal dialog, in the non-interactive desktop).  If another application plans to use Windows messages to communicate with the service app then it must be in the same Winstation\desktop context.

-----Original Message-----
From: wix-users [mailto:wix-users-bounces at lists.wixtoolset.org] On Behalf Of Douglas, Keith (STATCAN/STATCAN)
Sent: Friday, November 27, 2015 2:23 PM
To: WiX Toolset Users Mailing List <wix-users at lists.wixtoolset.org>
Subject: [wix-users] MsiEvaluateCondition

I was looking at both the native MsiEvaluateCondition and its DTF counterpart for use in an Condition syntax validation tool for my WiX front end. I see that the first seems to require an open package, hence a legitimate package. By contrast the DTF version requires a Session to work in. I don't care about making sure Properties etc. are recognized or environment variables resolve, just that the syntax is correct. Is there another way to validate Condition syntax without using a package or Session (which I take it would require an installation context, which I don't want)? Not really a big deal if not, but it would be nice to understand the dependencies of the tools I build. (I do know the package does not have to be installed.)

In case it matters, the code idea I had to use the native method is - calling CheckMsiCondition for the purpose mentioned above:

    public static class NativeMethods
    {
        [DllImport("msi.dll", CharSet = CharSet.Unicode)] static extern uint MsiEvaluateCondition(int hInstall, string szCondition);
        [DllImport("msi.dll", CharSet = CharSet.Unicode)] static extern uint MsiOpenPackageEx(string szPackagePath, uint dwOptions, out int hProduct);
        [DllImport("msi.dll", CharSet = CharSet.Unicode)] static extern uint MsiCloseHandle(int hAny);

        public static bool CheckMsiCondition (string whatToCheck)
        {
            int handle;
            uint result = MsiOpenPackageEx("[path to some existing MSI deleted]", (uint)0, out handle); // Use demo MSI for now.
            result = MsiEvaluateCondition(handle, whatToCheck);
            MsiCloseHandle(handle);
            return (result == 0 || result == 1);
        }
    }

Finally, I note that calling MsiOpenPackageEx seems to provoke the standard msiexec UI for installing a product anyway. Would this rule out using the call in a service even if the appearance is temporary/not used?


Keith Douglas
Programmer Analyst | Programmeur analyste Questionnaire Development Services - CAI Social | Services de développement de questionnaires - IAO Social Jean Talon Building | Immeuble Jean-Talon / Floor | Étage 4 A-3 Statistics Canada | 170 Tunney's Pasture Driveway, Ottawa ON K1A 0T6 Statistique Canada | 170, promenade Tunney's Pasture, Ottawa ON K1A 0T6 Keith.Douglas at canada.ca Telephone | Téléphone 613-854-5589 Facsimile | Télécopieur 613-951-4674 Government of Canada | Gouvernement du Canada




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