Settings file to be used in WIX and InstallShield

Question

Hi,

I've create a setup with WIX and i have a wxi file where i define some properties for the installer. Some of them are read by a custom action and used there. So the variables defined in the wxi file are set as some basic properties values in the main file.

Config File:

<?define MyVariable="fileName.txt" ?>

Main File:

 <Property Id="MyVariableProperty" Value="$(var.MyVariable)"/>

Now i want to create the same setup but using InstallShiled, and i want to use the same file with all the settings, or a similar one in order to avoid duplicating the same information.

My question is how can this be achieved ? What kind of file i should use in order to be able to read the values from it and set them as properties without any custom actions involved, in both WIX and InstallShield.

Thanks.

Answer 1

This is a build automation issue and I know 2 paths to solve it.

1) Place the properties in merge modules and then use product configurations and release flags to drive which module gets merged into the installer.

2) Write a build step that parses the XPIs out of the wxs/wxi and updates the installer project. This can be done with the IS COM Automation Interface, DTF ( Binary ISM ) and XPath DOM ( XML ISM ).