• 👉 Overview
• 👀 What ?
• 🧐 Why ?
• ⛏️ How ?
• ⏳ When ?
• ⚙️ Technical Explanations
• 🖇️ References

👉 Overview

👀 What ?

Windows Installer XML (WiX) is a free toolset that builds Windows installation packages from XML source code. It supports a variety of Windows features including installation, modification, and removal of software applications.

🧐 Why ?

Creating an MSI file is crucial for the systematic distribution and installation of Windows applications. With WiX, developers can create an installer package that ensures the correct installation of an application and its components, thus eliminating potential issues related to incorrect installation.

⛏️ How ?

To create an MSI with WiX, follow these steps: \n1. Download and install WiX Toolset.\n2. Create a new WiX project in Visual Studio.\n3. Add references to your project.\n4. Create a Product.wxs file and define product details.\n5. Define the directory structure and components.\n6. Define the feature elements.\n7. Build the WiX project to generate the MSI file.

⏳ When ?

The use of WiX became popular when Microsoft released it as an open-source project in 2004. It continues to be widely used due to its flexibility, control and the fact that it uses a declarative XML-based language to describe how to build an MSI package.

⚙️ Technical Explanations

WiX operates by building Windows Installer (MSI) packages from XML files. These XML files describe the structure of the software system, including files, directories, and components. The WiX toolset uses this system description and the results from compiling source code to produce an MSI file. The MSI file is a database of all the installation parameters and is read by the Windows Installer service for the correct installation of the software. This approach ensures that the software is installed accurately and in accordance with the developer's instructions, reducing potential issues and simplifying software distribution and installation.

🖇️ References