Have an MSI installer

[fesch]

Someone mailed to ask if we could provide an MSI installer, which would allow an easy deployment in larger Windows environments.

Searching the net, I found the WiX Toolset, which I will try to get into ...

https://www.firegiant.com/wix/tutorial/

[fesch]

I've succeeded in using the WiX Toolset to create an MSI package that makes a silent install of Structorizer onto the disk.

I've not yet found the right switches to install in user mode, so Upla updates are disabled by default. I think this is tine for a deployment in a large Windows network, especially as Structorizer is not big in size.

All others should use the Inno generated EXE installer, which offer a GUI with all the features ;)

[codemanyak]

I've not yet found the right switches to install in user mode, so Upla updates are disabled by default.

So, the administrator would have to reinstall Structorizer each time a new version is published?

All others should use the Inno generated EXE installer, which offers a GUI with all the features ;)

Well, but to offer two different Windows installers with different update service might confuse users as they may usually tend to prefer the msi package. Requires a lot of documentation.
And what about installation of both? Would they interfere? I hoped that the msi package might be functionally compatible with the Inno installer and would ideally accept the latter as an equivalent product, i.e. recognise the product as already installed such that it could simply replace the former installer.

[fesch]

Yes, but such deployments are made server-side. Kind of a one-click action ...

No, the installers do not detect each other, even though I've used the same application ID and GUID :-( As far as I've read in the documentation, WiX should be able to do more or less the same thing Inno can, but I need to learn how to implement it.

For now, I've just got a POC that WiX is working, so I continue to dig into it ...

[fesch]

After having read the entire weekend about how to create an MSI installer using the WIX Toolkit, I finally succeeded. Here come the first draft.

In fact, I copied the strings from the Inno installer and tried to mimic is behaviour.

Structorizer.zip

[fesch]

Small fixes ...

Structorizer.zip

P.S.: Yes, I know that there is a upla[0..2].ini file that is not needed inside the installation directory, but I did not yet get the right command to delete it :-(

[codemanyak]

Sorry. Both your first and your second msi draft abort with an error on Windows 10, which is also reproducible on Vista (just out of curiosity):

I don't blame you. I had also tried to work my way through the WiX tutorial: It seems powerful, but the explanations about e.g. installation directories and conditions, and in particular the configuration syntax weren't so obvious to understand, that I had to give it up for now in favour of more urgent tasks. 😞

[fesch]

Ok, I'll try to debug tomorrow on some other machine than mine ;)

[LittleITworld]

any updates or ways to install structorizer silent?

[codemanyak]

@LittleITworld
Um, no. I am afraid none of us has found the time to push this any further. Maybe both of us thought the other one might occupy with it, maybe it didn't seem that important. Sorry for having neglected this request in favour of the many others.