[wix-users] CustomAction does not seem to be called from the msi

[Andreas Hirth]

Hi Urban,

write a verbose log when testing your MSI with /l*v <logfile.log>. The 
verbose log will tell you exactly if your custom action is called at 
all. In your code you can use the WcaLog function (or is it a macro?) to 
write custom messages to the log which is very useful for debugging. If 
you have troubles understanding the log, post it here.

Best,
Andreas

Am 07.02.2017 um 09:13 schrieb Urban Olars:
> Hi,
>
> I am trying to learn how to write custom actions in C++ and how to use them
> in my msi installation project. Unfortunately with no luck so far. I have
> looked at numerous examples I have found on internet but still have not
> found out what I am doing wrong. I kindly ask for input from someone on
> this mailing list. Thank you in advance.
>
>
> This is part of the code in my *.wxs file:
> <Binary Id="CAICRoot"
> SourceFile="..\CustomActions\CustomActions\bin\Release\CustomActions.dll" />
> <CustomAction Id="IronCADRootDirectory" BinaryKey="CAICRoot"
> DllEntry="GetICRootDir" Execute="firstSequence" HideTarget="no" />
>
> <InstallExecuteSequence>
> <Custom Action='IronCADRootDirectory' Before='InstallInitialize'/>
> <RemoveExistingProducts Before="InstallInitialize"></RemoveExistingProducts>
> </InstallExecuteSequence>
>
> <Condition Message="IronCAD root directory not found. Installation
> aborting">
> <![CDATA[ICROOTDIR]]>
> </Condition>
> ...
> ...
>
>
> This is part of the code in my custom action dll:
> UINT __stdcall GetICRootDir(MSIHANDLE hInstall)
> {
> MessageBox(NULL , _T("It got called!") , _T("Title") , MB_OK);
> HRESULT hr = S_OK;
> UINT er = ERROR_SUCCESS;
> // Initialize WiX Custom Action
> hr = WcaInitialize(hInstall, "GetICRootDir");
> ExitOnFailure(hr, "Failed to initialize");
> WcaLog(LOGMSG_STANDARD, "Initialized.");
>
> if (hr == ERROR_SUCCESS)
> {
> LPWSTR lpwString = L"C:\\Program Files\\IronCAD";           // This is just
> for testing. In reality I will look it up in the registry and cut away part
> of the string
> hr = ::WcaSetProperty(TEXT("ICROOTDIR"), lpwString);
> ExitOnFailure(hr, "Failed to set property");
> }
> ...
> ...
>
>
> My msi project builds without errors but when I run the msi file, it always
> stops at the condition message. Obviously, no property called ICROOTDIR has
> been set. I added code for a message box in the custom dll so I should know
> that the function at least gets called but this message box has never
> showed up so far. My assumption is therefore that I have missed something
> fundamental so the custom dll never even gets called.
>
> I have added the entrypoint in the *.def file of my custom dll project:
> LIBRARY "CustomActions"
>
> EXPORTS
>
> GetICRootDir
>
>
> I haven't learnt yet how to log what is happening but I guess I will have
> to unless someone of you can see right away what the problem is.
>
>
>
> Regards
> Urban Olars
>
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