Property is not passed to "Install" stage

[PetrB]

Hello,

I have quite an urgent issues on my Advanced Installer (22.8) Enterprise version.

I have made a custom action DLL (using the Advanced Installer project in Visual Studio), so I can send data between custom actions and installer.

I have a few properties, which I parse from a config file and send to the installer before "Install" stage. During debugging I confirmed, the properties have values I expect them to have.

Here comes the problem. One of those properties has its value removed (set to empty - that is the default) at the start of the "Install" stage and when I send it to another custom action (deffered), its not there. This is not a problem of just one AI project. I have another project which does the exact same thing.

I though there was a problem with passing properties and its values to the install stage, but when I run the installer.exe in command line and set the property there, its successfully passed to the install stage.

I don't know if its important, but I test it during a major upgrade (first time install) -> I have a product installed, so its first uninstalled, so maybe there is a problem?

Attached are my properties (the property in question is "VENDOR")

Here is the code I use to set the properties (I have checked and they should be set - I even tried to show a message box in AI after the custom action and the value is there in the UI stage)

Code: Select all

public static int GetClientAppSettings(string aMsiHandle)
{
    var session = new MsiSession(aMsiHandle);

    try
    {
        var appdir = session.GetProperty(PropertyName.AppDir);
        if (!Directory.Exists(appdir))
            throw new DirectoryNotFoundException("Install folder does not exists!");

        var settingWrapper = new ClientAppSettingsWrapper();

        extractClient(appdir, settingWrapper);

        // Set properties back to AI
        // If a property is set through command line, do not override it
        var existingAppServer = session.GetProperty(PropertyName.AppServerName);
        if (existingAppServer == DefaultValues.NetworkAppServerName)
            session.SetProperty(PropertyName.AppServerName, settingWrapper.AppServerHost);

        var existingAppPort = session.GetProperty(PropertyName.AppServerPort);
        if (existingAppPort == DefaultValues.AppServerPort)
            session.SetProperty(PropertyName.AppServerPort, settingWrapper.AppServerPort);
        
        var existingVendor = session.GetProperty(PropertyName.Vendor);
        if (existingVendor == DefaultValues.Vendor)
            session.SetProperty(PropertyName.Vendor, settingWrapper.Vendor);
            
        var existingClientLanguage = session.GetProperty(PropertyName.Language);
        if (existingClientLanguage == DefaultValues.ClientLanguage)
            session.SetProperty(PropertyName.Language, settingWrapper.Language);
            
        var existingHeartbeat = session.GetProperty(PropertyName.HeartbeatNotificationDelay);
        if (existingHeartbeat == DefaultValues.HeartbeatNotificationDelay)
            session.SetProperty(PropertyName.HeartbeatNotificationDelay, settingWrapper.HeartbeatNotification);

        return (int)ExitCode.Success;
    }
    catch (Exception ex)
    {
        // log
        return (int)ExitCode.Error;
    }
}

Best Regards
PetrB

[PetrB]

For information, the problem is no longer urgent.

I managed to fix my case, by saving the properties to a file and then loading it when I need it.

Meaning, the properties no longer "travel" through the installer, but are saved on a disk.

-------------------------
The problem still persists, but I don't need a solution for the time being.

I also managed to find another property called "DOMAIN_NAME" (default empty) in a different aip project, that does the same as the "VENDOR".

Here is the order of actions I do to set/load the property.

1) I have a (immediate) custom action (the one in previous comment) that sets a property value after UI Senquences - MigrateFeatureStates
2) Just before Execute Sequences - Install Service is another (deffered) custom action, that gets the property and writes in in a file (but the value is no longer there)

Meaning somewhere between these two sequences, the value of the property is lost. (I used a MessageBox to show the property after it is set and it managed to correctly show the value I expected.)

Best Regards
PetrB

[Catalin]

Hello PetrB,

Thank you for your followup on this.

I am glad to hear that you managed to have this fixed yourself.

Also, thank your for sharing the solution with us - I am sure this will be of help for further users facing a similar scenario.

Regarding this specific issue, I have tried following this test-case:

1) I have a (immediate) custom action (the one in previous comment) that sets a property value after UI Senquences - MigrateFeatureStates
2) Just before Execute Sequences - Install Service is another (deffered) custom action, that gets the property and writes in in a file (but the value is no longer there)

but I'm afraid I am not able to reproduce this on my end.

If possible, in order for me to further test and investigate this on our end, could you please try to create a minimal sample project that reproduces this and forward it to me via email at support at advancedinstaller dot com?

The project should only contain the required resources - for example, if you are using a custom DLL, send that so I can build the AIP file on my end. Preferably, it would be great if you could replace the custom DLL with an inline script, for example, so I can have access to the source code of the custom action.

Best regards,
Catalin

[PetrB]

Hello,

I thought you would not be able to easily replicate the issues. That was the reason I fixed it in a diffrent way.

Unfortunately, I don't have time to create a sample project, for an issue that is quite hard to replicate, since I will be in a crunch time for a few months at the very least.

Best regards
PetrB

[Catalin]

Hello Petr,

Thank you for your followup on this.

Unfortunately, I don't have time to create a sample project, for an issue that is quite hard to replicate, since I will be in a crunch time for a few months at the very least.

That is alright. If you have time in the future and want to revisit this, please do not hesitate to re-open this thread.

Best regards,
Catalin