The Windows Installer Formatted data type is a string which can contain references to certain special other strings: Properties, folders, files, etc. During installation, these references are resolved into their respective values:

• the file references are replaced with the full path to the file on the target computer
• the folder references are replaced with the full path to the folder on the target computer
• the property references are replaced with the value of the respective properties

Syntax

References embedded in a Formatted string must respect the following syntax:

• [propertyname]
• [%environmentvariable]
• [#filekey]
• [&temporaryfile]
• [folderkey]

Additional rules

• [!filekey] is replaced by the full short path of the file when used in a registry value, an INI file or in a shortcut to an URL (when used anywhere else it's the same as [#filekey])
• [\x] is replaced by the character x; for example, to include a left bracket ([), use [\[]