[wix-users] How WixTools manage the upgrades?

[Christopher Painter]

Wi generally stands for Windows Installer aka Microsoft Installer / .MSI, a Platform service/SDK on the Windows platform.  WiX stands for Windows Installer XML.  A way of authoring MSI databases for installation by the Windows Installer service.

WiX basically is an XML/XSD based Domain Specific Language (DSL) that is used to describe an MSI database.  It is compiled and then linked into an .MSI database.

Other then say a bootstrapper (.exe) which can be used to chain multiple .exe and .msi installers together and some prebuilt custom actions created by WiX that add functionality to MSI,  WiX doesn't "install" anything.  Windows Installer installs the MSI generated by WiX.

See: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/msi/windows-installer-portal

I am a Windows Installer, Windows Installer XML, InstallShield, C#, .NET and Azure DevOps consultant.  Free one hour orientation and mentoring virtual sessions are available for those that need assistance.

________________________________
From: wix-users <wix-users-bounces at lists.wixtoolset.org> on behalf of Davide Perini via wix-users <wix-users at lists.wixtoolset.org>
Sent: Monday, August 17, 2020 1:02 PM
To: wix-users at lists.wixtoolset.org <wix-users at lists.wixtoolset.org>
Cc: Davide Perini <perini.davide at dpsoftware.org>
Subject: Re: [wix-users] How WixTools manage the upgrades?

I don't understand the purpose of Wix Toolset in this case.
Isn't Wix Toolset "a way to install software" in Windows?

In Windows I can uninstall the software I installed with wix, how can I
tell wix
to create an exe that does an inplace upgrade by removing the old
installation and installing a new version?

Isn't this something that wix can do?

Thanks,
Davide

Il 17/08/2020 19.36, Markus Kramer via wix-users ha scritto:
> Edwin,
> In an Major Upgrade, how do you specify the condition for a Custom Action
> that shall only execute in an upgrade?
>
> I tried
> *     Installed AND NOT REMOVE*
> but in a Major Upgrade, the Custom Action was skipped (Condition not met).
>
> Also, how do you schedule  RemoveExistingProducts early?
>
> Best Regards,
> Markus
>
> On Mon, Aug 17, 2020 at 4:58 PM Edwin Castro via wix-users <
> wix-users at lists.wixtoolset.org> wrote:
>
>> Do you mean WiX Toolset when you say WixTools? If yes, then you are
>> probably really asking how does the Windows Installer support upgrades? The
>> WiX Toolset is a collection of tools for authoring Windows Installer
>> packages.
>>
>> https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/msi/patching-and-upgrades
>>
>> You'll see the answer is "it depends on how you author your MSI package". I
>> understand that answer isn't very satisfying but it is a correct answer.
>>
>> I author my MSI packages to "uninstall the old version and install the new
>> version" by using a Major Upgrade and schedule RemoveExistingProducts
>> early.
>>
>> --
>> Edwin G. Castro
>>
>> On Sun, Aug 16, 2020, 16:10 Davide Perini via wix-users <
>> wix-users at lists.wixtoolset.org> wrote:
>>
>>> As title.
>>> How WixTools manage the upgrades?
>>>
>>> Suppose that I have a version 1.0 installed,
>>> what happen if I install version 1.1 on it?
>>>
>>> DOes it uninstall the old version and reinstall the new one?
>>>
>>> Thanks
>>> Davide
>>>
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