[wix-users] Dynamic Name and ID values

[Hoover, Jacob]

While instance transforms are possible, WixStdBA doesn't support them out of the box.  I've dabbled in the concept, and then quickly backed off due to the enormous complexity and risk you introduce.  While it may sound simpler, you would have to be a Windows installer expert and have all your install/upgrade/patch/uninstall paths automated with unit/integration tests to be able to safely do it.  In the end, it's much easier to have a bundle per flavor that allows for full usage and leverage of WiX and Windows Installer.


-----Original Message-----
From: wix-users [mailto:wix-users-bounces at lists.wixtoolset.org] On Behalf Of Farrukh Waheed via wix-users
Sent: Tuesday, September 26, 2017 1:56 AM
To: WiX Toolset Users Mailing List <wix-users at lists.wixtoolset.org>
Cc: Farrukh Waheed <farrukh1 at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [wix-users] Dynamic Name and ID values

When you compile values (Product and Upgrade code etc.) into an msi, you can't dynamically change it, however, using Transforms, it might be possible, but it is not a very good solution.

In our company, we are building 4 different flavors of a product, based upon 4 Configurations (Visual Studio solution) for different scenarios and these can be installed side by side. Generating separate msi's for each flavor, also allows us to generate and deliver patches, small updates, and major upgrades very easily. That is why we avoid transforms and have separate builds for each flavor.

We have developed our custom Managed Bootstrapper which gives the user options to select which flavors they would like to install. The same bootstrapper can be used to detect the already installed and show the user same interface while marking the installed ones and allowing the user to uninstall and install others.






On 26 September 2017 at 11:26, Nir Bar via wix-users < wix-users at lists.wixtoolset.org> wrote:

> Nearest I can think of is using MSI transforms for different flavors 
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> --Independent WiX Expert. Creator of-
> https://JetBA.net - Native and WPF WiX BootstrapperApplication 
> Frameworks
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