[wix-users] Unable to correctly specify a variable for WiX within Visual Studio

[Jon Earle]

I am not seeing "output wxs files are automatically added to the compiler's file list"... is there anything I have to fiddle to make that happen?

> From: phill.hogland at rimage.com
> To: wix-users at lists.wixtoolset.org
> Date: Wed, 9 Mar 2016 19:24:33 +0000
> Subject: Re: [wix-users] Unable to correctly specify a variable for WiX within Visual Studio
> 
> HeatDirectory goes in the .wixproj file (or in a .Targets file that is improted into a .wixproj), generally after the PropertyGroup(s) related to selecting Configurations and before the first ItemGroup.  HeatDirectory is a MSBuild 'Target' defined by the wix build process.  There are many advantages over calling heat on the command line in my view.  The output wxs files are automatically added to the compiler's file list, and I don't have to do anything to manage whether the files are out of date and need to be rebuilt.  I used to call heat with a batch file, using the WiX define targets and Tasks is a much better approach.  As for the the VS pre-Build those are VS specific.  VS uses MSBuild to build a project and WiX integrates with MSBuild (and with VS projects).  Personally I avoid the VS specific Targets and us default MSBuild or WiX targets, which allows me to do a lot of build process customization and integration.  
>