WiX Toolset Pills 15mg

What is a pill?

Each pill is a projects that addresses a small topic related to WiX Toolset.

Usually, each repository contains:

• The source code;
• A tutorial or an article containing explanations;
• Sample log files;
• other useful items.

How to use?

I) New to WiX Toolset?

Start by taking the repositories in the order suggested by “Learning Path” section.

1. Article/Tutorial and Code
   • In each repo, open the article (tutorial) and the Visual Studio project and read them side by side.
   • The article is written in markdown. You may use Typora or any other markdown editor you like.
2. Write the code (from scratch)
   • Next I suggest to write the entire installer project from scratch without using copy-paste. This may take somewhere between 15min and 30min.
   • You may look into the provided source code while writing your own project. Keep it opened in a second Visual Studio instance, but remember, no copy-paste is allowed !!!
3. Kata
   • Each pill can be exercised as kata. This is a Japanese term from martial arts. A kata is an exercise that is meant to be practiced again and again in order to create the reflexes needed in real combat.
   • Take the pill that you like and implement it once a day for a few days. For example, you may practice it for a week, then change the exercise and continue. This will help you get familiar with the aspects that are less intuitive.

II) Already have experience with WiX Toolset?

1. Playground
   • Need a quick playground where you can check some WiX Toolset features? Choose the pill that is the closest to what you need, download the repo and start playing with it.
2. Sample Logs
   • Each repo contains sample log files that you may easily inspect without the need to compile and run the installer from that repo.
3. Tutorials
   • Need to learn about some WiX Toolset feature? It may already exist a pill with a tutorial for that feature. Download it and read the tutorial in parallel with the code.

Learning Paths

Basic Path

• My First Installer (https://github.com/WiX-Toolset-Pills-15mg/My-First-Installer)
• Installer Properties (TBD)
• Immediate Custom Action (https://github.com/WiX-Toolset-Pills-15mg/Immediate-Custom-Action)
• Deferred Custom Action (https://github.com/WiX-Toolset-Pills-15mg/Deferred-Custom-Action)
• Rollback Custom Action (https://github.com/WiX-Toolset-Pills-15mg/Rollback-Custom-Action)
• Bundle with MSI Packages (https://github.com/WiX-Toolset-Pills-15mg/Bundle-with-MSI-Packages)
• Bundle with EXE Packages (TBD)

Custom Actions Path

• Immediate Custom Action (https://github.com/WiX-Toolset-Pills-15mg/Immediate-Custom-Action)
• Deferred Custom Action (https://github.com/WiX-Toolset-Pills-15mg/Deferred-Custom-Action)
• Rollback Custom Action (https://github.com/WiX-Toolset-Pills-15mg/Rollback-Custom-Action)
• Commit Custom Action (https://github.com/WiX-Toolset-Pills-15mg/Commit-Custom-Action)
• First-Sequence Custom Action (https://github.com/WiX-Toolset-Pills-15mg/First-Sequence-Custom-Action)
• Second-Sequence Custom Action (TBD)
• Once-Per-Process Custom Action (TBD)
• Impersonate User (https://github.com/WiX-Toolset-Pills-15mg/Impersonate-User)

Upgrade Path

• Major Upgrade (https://github.com/WiX-Toolset-Pills-15mg/Major-Upgrade)
• Minor Upgrade (TBD)
• Small Update (TBD)
• Patches (TBD)

Bundle Path

• Bundle with MSI Packages (https://github.com/WiX-Toolset-Pills-15mg/Bundle-with-MSI-Packages)
• Bundle with EXE Packages (TBD)
• Bundle with Custom GUI (https://github.com/WiX-Toolset-Pills-15mg/Bundle-with-Custom-GUI)
• Bundle Start Condition (https://github.com/WiX-Toolset-Pills-15mg/Bundle-with-Start-Condition)
• Upgrade
  • With MSI packages (TBD)
  • With EXE packages (TBD)
• Repair (TBD)
• Logging with MSI and EXE packages (TBD)
• Bundle Reboot Request
  • at the end (TBD)
  • after each package (TBD)