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I'm very new to WiX based applications, and I need to create an MSI file where it has to check for .NET Framework 4.0 and SQL Server 2008. If they are not installed, I have to get them installed first and then have to install my application's EXE file and one more VBScript agent. It must be done like when you install WiX 3.7 setup (if we double click the setup file, it will show a UI as shown below!

WiX Toolset installation UI

Where do I start? Is there any step-by-step guide to develop this kind of application?

Yan Sklyarenko
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Selva
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1 Answers1

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You'll need the following projects. They can be created from project templates in Visual Studio. Each of them would probably have separate tutorials that you might find with a Web search.

  1. A WiX Setup project to build an .msi. The source files for such a project declare a WiX/Product. It could have conditions that check for .Net Framework4.0 and SQL Server 2008. If a check fails, installation of the .msi will fail, which is all that can be done in an .msi. The project would include your application .exe as a Component.

  2. A WiX Bootstrapper project to build an .exe. The source files for such a project declare a WiX/Bundle. In the bundle is a Chain of installers, which would include .Net Framework4.0, SQL Server 2008, your .msi, and your VBScript Agent.

  3. A WPF Library project to provide a BootstrapperApplication implementation with a custom UI for the bootstrapper project.

Your best bet is to consult the documentation, the WiX source code and various tutorials. Keep in the mind that tutorials might be out-of-date--in most cases WiX has gotten simpler with each version.

Tom Blodget
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  • Thanx for your guidence, I have questions , Is WIX would be the best one for deployment or is there any other? In order to create an Custom UI , i got no idea, even if i go through web there are tutorials for WIX3.5 but not much for WIX3.7... Now i got an another challenge to include rdl files(Reports).. Please suggest some of the best links that you know. thanks again – Selva Oct 14 '13 at 09:05