WixApp -- A program That Prepares a Wix Source File

Update 11/19

Converted to Unicode. Modified to allow editing the solution and icon paths.

Update 8/23/19

When I moved a source from one directory to another WixApp choked on the change of directory. The obvious solution was to make the solution directory the base of all directory references.

Update 5/11/19

Moving the source files from the "SandBox" to "Sources" causes the wix file to be incorrect as it has buried paths. So some validation code has been added to flag things that are obviously incorrect. Message boxes pop up when Create is pressed to describe the issues.

Update 5/5/19

Added a nmake file for processing the help file.

This project started as a way to remember how to construct a decent installer using Wix. The syntax of Wix is just bizarre enough that every 6 months or so when I need to create one I had to learn it all over again. So WixApp was constructed to provide a simple method for construction a Wix input file. That is then compiled using Visual Studio in the normal way and an installer is created.

Wix is a very complex product, WixApp is very simple. There are only a few things that it can do:

• Accept files that need to be installed in Progarm Files (x86)
• Create Shortcuts (when requested) on the start menu and the desktop
• Create one or more directories as needed into which files are placed in Program Files
• It can create up to two levels of directories in Program Files and the Start Menu
• If requested it will append a path to the system path
• The version number may be retrieved from an executable for the installer to use during installation
• It will create an uninstaller that will remove all of the files and directories that it creates