dotdot06
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2021 11:52 am

Converting Wix Project

Mon Mar 22, 2021 12:18 pm

Hi, I have just recently purchased Advanced Installer and trying to convert a WIX installer project but I am running into problems, first I have tried it through the AI program and it produces an error at the Select WIX Preprocessor dialog.
wixImport.png
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I am new and don't have much coding skills and don't no much about WIX other then tutorials and such please be gentle on me, as you can see when I click next it produces an error, I dont know what the define preprocessor variables are or how to use them...

So I have tried to convert my project through Visual Studios 2019 and I get this error,
WixConvertVisualProject.png
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I have looked in the folder specified ...Advanced Installer\Repository\ but their is no folder called \dictionaries\

In the AI app I have looked in the repository manager but under each folder their is no content?
RepositoryManager.png
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How do I add content here? and will it fix the problem? also I am running the professional version of AI or at least I think it is as that what I payed for and then just logged in instead of adding key. Any help on this matter would be greatly appreciated,

Thank you,

Scott.

Daniel
Posts: 8237
Joined: Mon Apr 02, 2012 1:11 pm
Contact:  Website

Re: Converting Wix Project

Tue Mar 23, 2021 7:12 pm

Hi Scott and welcome to our forums,

I am not so sure why the WiX project import fails, but the quickest way to get your setup project created should be through our Visual Studio extension.

Can you please send us your VS solution (SLN file) and all of the project files it includes (only the project definition files without the source code files) by email at support at advancedinstaller dot com so we can investigate them? Also, if you could give us a short step by step test case you follow until you reach the "Error opening file" ...\Common.ail" error, this will be great.

All the best,
Daniel
Daniel Radu - Advanced Installer Team
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dotdot06
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2021 11:52 am

Re: Converting Wix Project

Wed Mar 24, 2021 11:44 am

Hi Daniel as I mentions in my first post I am converting a WIX project and that I have tried this through both AI and visual studios.

here are the steps I have done to try this In visual studios

1. open project in visual studios.
2. right click on WIX project.
step2.png
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3. click convert project to Advanced Installer.
step3.png
step3.png (217.28KiB)Viewed 43459 times
4. Error message appears the moment I click convert project.
step4.png
step4.png (7.16KiB)Viewed 43459 times
the files you talk about ? the definition files not sure witch ones you refer to as this is a C# project I would assume all of it is source? as stated in my previous post I am newish to all this lol, I can send the SNL file but I am unsure what other files you would like to Include... is it the WIX project files?

Also I just done a test by creating a blank WIX setup project and converting it and it works fine as intended so somewhere in my WIX setup is playing funky games...

let me know I can send the WIX setup files( *.wxs, *.wxl, *.wixproj) with the (SNL file).

Thank you for the help,

Scott.

Daniel
Posts: 8237
Joined: Mon Apr 02, 2012 1:11 pm
Contact:  Website

Re: Converting Wix Project

Thu Mar 25, 2021 10:32 am

Hi Scott,

Yes, please send us the SLN file, the WIX setup files( *.wxs, *.wxl, *.wixproj) and also the .csproj file of your C# project. These should be enough for us to further investigate on this.

As a side note, can you please try this workaround:

1. open your solution in Visual Studio

2. remove WiX setup project from your solution

3. add a new Advanced Installer setup project by following the steps 2-3 from our "Create an installer from Visual Studio" article

and let me know how this works for you?

All the best,
Daniel
Daniel Radu - Advanced Installer Team
Follow us: Twitter - Facebook - YouTube

dotdot06
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2021 11:52 am

Re: Converting Wix Project

Fri Mar 26, 2021 9:24 am

Hi Daniel,

I have sent the files as requested let me know how they go, at this stage I don't have time to try your work around, as soon as I do I will give it a go thanks again for your help on this matter.

Scott

Daniel
Posts: 8237
Joined: Mon Apr 02, 2012 1:11 pm
Contact:  Website

Re: Converting Wix Project

Tue Mar 30, 2021 5:58 pm

Hi Scott,

We have tested the scenario and replicated the behavior. This seems to be an issue of our Advanced Installer extension, thank you for helping us to isolate it. We will try to add a fix in the future and notify you on this forum's thread.

Until then, as a workaround solution, please proceed like this:

1. open your solution in Visual Studio

2. in "Solution Explorer" pane right click on your WiX setup project and choose "Remove"

3. right click on your solution item in "Solution Explorer" pane and choose "Add -> New Project -> Advanced Installer Project"

4. open the created Advanced Installer project, go to "Files and Folders" view and use [Add Project Output] button to add the primary output of your c# app project

5. save and build your setup project

Hope this helped.

All the best,
Daniel
Daniel Radu - Advanced Installer Team
Follow us: Twitter - Facebook - YouTube

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