[wix-users] using DTF, who to deserialize CustomActionData created with WcaWriteStringToCaData (and related)

[Phill Hogland]

I have a WixExtension where I created a C++ immediate CA to read my custom table data and schedule my deferred CA.   Because I need to make use of a .Net API, I created my first DTF C# deferred CA (rather than a C++ CA using WcaUtil as I have done in the past).  However all of the DTF examples that I have found deserialize CustomActionData into a Dictionary<string,string> of paired strings keyname1=value1 keyname2=value2


I prefer to use the WcaUtil functions WcaWriteStringToCaData and WcaWriteIntegerToCaData in the immediate CA.  I am looking for advice on how to desterilize this in the C# deferred CA.


On a related issue, while I defined MMsiBreak on the remote VM with VS Remote Debug tools installed, when it prompts at the MMsiBreak point, it always provides a process ID that is related to a process named rundll32.exe, and even after I attach to that process and close the dialog the debugger does not actually attach to the code and hit any of the defined breakpoints.  I have checked to make sure that DEBUG is defined and symbols are available.  In C++ we had to modify our approach to debugging because of the 3.10.2 introduction of the clean room.  Is that the issue that I am hitting here with MMsiBreak and is there any advice on how to attach the debugger.  I also tried to add System.Diagnostics.Debugger.Launch() and System.Diagnostics.Debugger.Break() to the code but they don't seem to have an impact either.


Any advice would be appreciated!

Phill