[wix-users] Light fails to report UnresolvedReference (94) for custom table/compiler extension

[Jacques Eloff]

Hi

I've written a compiler extension. Everything seems to be working fine,
except during linking. In my table definition, I have a keyTable reference
to ChainPackage. I figured this is how to ensure that an ID in my table
exists in ChainPackage (and ultimately comes from an existing MsiPackage,
ExePackage, etc.)

The column definition in my table:

<columnDefinition name="Package"  type="string" length="0"
category="identifier" primaryKey="yes" keyTable="ChainPackage"
keyColumn="1" description="Reference to a ChainPackage entry in the
ChainPackage table."/>

The table is defined as bootstrapperApplicationData="yes",
createSymbols="yes". This seems to be what other tables do, e.g.
WixPackageProperties. In fact my column definition is identical to
WixPackageProperties insofar the ChainPackage reference is concerned.

However, when I reference an unknown package ID, everything links fine and
the table is created, although it has invalid information. I was expecting
Light to report an UnresolvedReference error, but it's not.

Is there something I might have overlooked? I noticed that ChainPackage is
marked as unreal. Is it possible that table definition is dropped by the
linker so my reference becomes moot?

Thanks,
Jacques