Retrieving version of an MSI file (built with WiX)

Question

I've created an MSI file with WiX. The source WiX file contains the version information like this:

<Product Id="..." 
   Name="..." 
   Language="1033" 
   Version="1.0.0.1" 
   Manufacturer="..." 
   UpgradeCode="...">

The MSI file seem to work OK: it installs, it uninstalls, it upgrades when I increase the version number, etc.

However, when I attempt to get the version information about this file by calling the MsiGetFileVersion() API, it returns error 1006 (ERROR_FILE_INVALID File does not contain version information.)

Hence my question: how to (programmatically, in C++) retrieve the version number of an MSI file? Or, to put it another way, where in the WiX file should the version information go in order to be retrievable via MsiGetFileVersion()?

More information: The same error occurs with MSI 3.0 on Windows XP and MSI 4.0 on Vista.

Answer 1

Found a solution: instead of calling MsiGetFileVersion(), call:

MSIHANDLE hProduct = NULL;
MsiOpenPackage( pszPath, &hProduct );

MsiGetProductProperty( hProduct, _T("ProductVersion"), pszVersion, &dwSizeVersion );

MsiCloseHandle( hProduct );

(error handling omitted)

Answer 2

For reference, here's a VBscript example that I'm using in my build process to grab such prior to creating a boostrapper.

Dim installer, database, view, result

Set installer = CreateObject("WindowsInstaller.Installer")
Set database = installer.OpenDatabase ("my.msi", 0)

Dim sumInfo  : Set sumInfo = installer.SummaryInformation("my.msi", 0)
sPackageCode =  sumInfo.Property(9) ' PID_REVNUMBER = 9, contains the package code.

WScript.Echo getproperty("ProductVersion")
WScript.Echo getproperty("ProductVersion")
WScript.Echo sPackageCode
WScript.Echo getproperty("ProductName")


Function getproperty(property)

    Set view = database.OpenView ("SELECT Value FROM Property WHERE Property='" & property & "'")
    view.Execute
    Set result = view.Fetch
    getproperty = result.StringData(1)

End Function

Answer 3

Just for completeness sake, ::MsiGetFileVersion() is a function that reads the version resource information from a PE file (.exe or .dll) the same way the Windows Installer does. That is important for build tools (such as the WiX toolset) to use so they populate the File/@Version information correctly. It will not get you the version information out of an MSI. As @sascha shows you could query the Property table for the "ProductVersion" or you could use the ::MsiGetProductProperty() which will do the same.