[wix-users] use WixVariables recursively?

[Rob Mensching]

I always prefer bind paths: http://wixtoolset.org/documentation/manual/v3/howtos/general/specifying_source_files.html

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-----Original Message-----
From: wix-users <wix-users-bounces at lists.wixtoolset.org> On Behalf Of Reuss, Matthias via wix-users
Sent: Friday, July 27, 2018 2:37 AM
To: WiX Toolset Users Mailing List <wix-users at lists.wixtoolset.org>
Cc: Reuss, Matthias <matthias.mr.reuss at sivantos.com>
Subject: [wix-users] use WixVariables recursively?

Hello,

For setting some source paths, I have used preprocessor variables so far, which I set up recursively:

  <?define ProjectRoot="$(var.SolutionDir)..\"?>
  <?define OutputFolder="$(var.ProjectRoot)Output"?>
  <?define CustomDllPath="$(var.OutputFolder)\Installation\bin\$(var.Configuration)\"?>

Now I would like to use WixVariables instead. I put these together with some other globally valid elements into a wixlib:

<Fragment>
    <WixVariable Id="ProjectRoot" Value="$(var.SolutionDir)\.."/>
    <WixVariable Id="OutputFolder" Value="!(wix.ProjectRoot)\output"/>
    <WixVariable Id="CustomDllPath" Value="!(wix.OutputFolder)\Installation\bin\$(var.Configuration)"/>

    <Binary Id="CustomAction.dll" SourceFile="!(wix.CustomDllPath)\MyCustomActions.CA.dll" /> </Fragment>

In my product.wxs file, I then refer this fragment:


    <CustomAction Id="MyCA" BinaryKey="CustomAction.dll" DllEntry="MyCA" Execute="firstSequence" />

    <InstallExecuteSequence>
      <Custom Action="MyCA" After="AppSearch" />
    </InstallExecuteSequence>

This gives me the light error
error LGHT0103: The system cannot find the file '!(wix.OutputFolder)\Installation\bin\Release\MyCustomActions.CA.dll'.

If I modify my wixlib to not use the WixVariables recursively:
<Fragment>
    <WixVariable Id="ProjectRoot" Value="$(var.SolutionDir)\.."/>
    <WixVariable Id="OutputFolder" Value="$(var.SolutionDir)\..\output"/>
    <WixVariable Id="CustomDllPath" Value="$(var.SolutionDir)\..\output\Installation\bin\$(var.Configuration)"/>

    <Binary Id="CustomAction.dll" SourceFile="!(wix.CustomDllPath)\MyCustomActions.CA.dll" /> </Fragment>

my product builds fine.

So it seems to me that the binder does not resolve these WixVariables recursively, which would be very helpful e.g. in order to define a source directory tree.

I have not found anything about this in the documentation.

Is there another possibility to define a source directory tree without having to rely on preprocessor variables?

Best regards

Matthias Reuss

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