If you copy all these fragments together (or, to spare some elbow grease, download the SampleFirst archive), you can build the installer package with the commands:
candle.exe SampleFirst.wxs light.exe SampleFirst.wixobj
You should get no error message from either tool, and you should find a SampleFirst.msi file in your folder upon completion. If not, check for typos everywhere. Please, also note that the required syntax of the .wxs files might undergo some minor changes as the WiX toolset develops. The tutorial always assumes the most current version of the toolset and the samples should all compile without any error message straight out of the box (provided you correct the invalid GUIDs as described earlier). If you do receive compiler errors or warnings, please, compare your toolset version to the current one available for download.
To test your first installer, simply click on it. It will not greet you or offer any options, just show a progress dialog for a few seconds. But as soon as it finishes without errors, you should be able to find your three files in \Program Files\Acme\Foobar 1.0 all right. Note that the actual files deployed are 1-byte placeholder files, so the installed “application” will, naturally, refuse to run...
To remove this huge application again, go to Control Panel > Add or Remove Programs, locate Foobar 1.0 in the list, click Remove (Change will accomplish nothing at this stage). Both the three files and the Acme\Foobar 1.0 subfolders should evaporate.
If you experience any problems—or just for fun—start the installer with logging turned on:
msiexec /i SampleFirst.msi /l* SampleFirst.log
or even
msiexec /i SampleFirst.msi /l*v SampleFirst.log
The log will be rather verbose (especially in the second case) but it will pinpoint the error that might cause the installation to fail.
During testing, you might find it more convenient to remove the package without having to mouse your way into Add or Remove Programs. Just enter the command instead:
msiexec /x SampleFirst.msi
Very good tutorial, simple
Very good tutorial, simple and clear, helped me a lot, thank you !
this does not make sense
In the entire tutorial up to this point there is no mention of candle.exe or light.exe. They are not referenced in the xml file. All of a sudden they are used to compile the program. I would currently be better off if I had not wasted any time trying to make sense of this tutorial.
I totally agree, a little
I totally agree, a little lost at the moment.
I'd like to move away from windows setup projects but it's a little daunting when I can't get the sample installation to compile.
Oli
(Where is Candle.exe)
In the bin directory
In the bin directory. But if you don't like the command line approach and only feel at home in an IDE, create a WiX setup project there. The source code will be the same but the IDE will handle all aspects of the building process.
Entire? Up to?
And what about the very beginning of the very first section of the tutorial? It starts with those tools right away. :-)
No, they're not referenced. Just like no compiler or linker is ever referenced in your C, C++, C#, Pascal, Basic or whatever source file.