Merge Modules Page
Merge modules are simplified MSI packages that contain Windows Installer components, and setup logic to be included in any number of MSI packages. A merge module cannot be installed alone because it lacks some necessary database tables that are present in an installation database. Merge modules also contain additional tables that are unique to themselves. To install the information delivered by a merge module with an application; the module must first be merged into the application's .msi file. You can merge an MSI package with as many modules as you want.
The project to which you add a merge module and the module itself
is merged at build time. Therefore, after the package is built the merge
module is not a separate element anymore.
Advanced Installer is using the Merge Modules support provided by the MergeMod COM server. This functionality comes with the Windows Installer SDK, in the mergemod.dll file.
If this file is not present on your machine, Advanced Installer notifies you with an exception at build time. For installing the MergeMod COM server follow the next steps:
- Download and install latest Windows Installer SDK from Microsoft Platform SDK.
- Open a command prompt in folder "C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\8.0\bin\x86".
- Call from command-line "regsvr32.exe mergemod.dll". The result must be "DllRegisterServer in mergemod.dll succeeded."
Make sure you call the "regsvr32.exe mergemod.dll" from an
elevated Command Prompt.
When you add a Merge Module, it is included in a feature and is
displayed on the Organization
page.
Adding a merge module
Use the toolbar button, the “Add Module...”
context menu item or press the Insert key. An Open
File dialog appears where you can choose the module file to merge into
your package. Advanced Installer extracts and displays some general information from
the module.
Advanced Installer shows you the dependencies (if any) of a merge module, none are
added automatically to the project, and no type of dependency check is
made at build time. However, Advanced Installer checks for module exclusions; if you
try to add two merge modules and one of them excludes the other, the
former is excluded from the build.
Adding a Visual Studio merge module
Use the toolbar button or the “Add Visual
Studio MSM” context menu item. A special dialog appears where
you can select the Visual Studio merge modules to be merged into your
package.
Most Visual Studio merge modules also require their corresponding
policy MSM files.
Adding a merge module from the repository
Use the “Add From Repository” context menu item. You can inspect the merge modules from the repository from the Repository Manager.
Exporting a merge module to the repository
Use the “Move To Repository” context menu item. You can inspect the merge modules from the repository from the Repository Manager.
Adding an Advanced Installer merge module
Use the
toolbar button or the
“Add Advanced Installer MSM” context menu item. A special
dialog appears where you can select the Advanced Installer merge modules
to be merged into your package.
Removing a merge module
Use the
toolbar button, the “Delete” list context menu item or press
the Delete key while a merge module is
selected.
Edit the merge module's properties
Use the “Properties” option from the context menu while a merge module is selected. The Edit Module Properties Dialog appears.
Configuring the merge process
Use the “Configure” context menu item or press the + key. The Configure Merge Module Dialog is displayed and allows you to configure the merge process.
You can create a merge module using a merge module project.
Explore the content of a merge module
Sometimes you want to know for sure what is included in a merge module. If so, the “Explore in Advanced Installer” option from the context menu can help. It imports the merge module in a separated Advanced Installer AIP project where you can examine its content in details.
Add dependencies of a merge module to the project
Some merge modules are dependent on other merge modules. If this is the case, you can observe these dependencies in the Dependencies column of the Merge Module view. If you decide to also include these dependencies in your project, Advanced Installer can help. Option “Add dependencies” from context menu tries to add automatically the dependencies of the selected merge module into the project. To achieve this, a search is performed in the directory where the selected merge module is placed. If a dependency cannot be found when you are notified. You can add by yourself these missed dependencies using the method described in Adding a merge module section.
Low MSM Compatibility
Enabling this option
sets Advanced Installer to not include in the final package empty
tables. This could result in breaking some custom actions from the
included merge modules, that would try to use other predefined empty
tables, which are not included in the output package.
Configure Merge Module Dialog
This dialog allows you to configure the merge process.
General
Feature
You can select the feature that will contain the merge modules' components after the merge process ends. By default, it is the Main Feature (you can use the button to select another one). The Feature Picker Dialog will pop up, allowing you to select a feature to reference.
Folder
You can select the parent folder for the merge module's "TARGETDIR" directory. By default, the Application Folder is selected. Use the button. The Folder Picker Dialog will pop up, allowing you to select a folder to reference.
Usually the "TARGETDIR" folder of a merge module is ".". This means
that all the files and folders from the merge module's "TARGETDIR" are
going to the selected folder.
Edit Module Properties Dialog
This dialog allows you to select the source file of the currently selected merge module.
Source Path
This field contains the actual path to the source file's location on the hard drive. You can use the button to select a different merge module source file.
Selecting a source file of a different merge module is equivalent to
removing the current merge module and adding the new one in the Merge Modules Page.
Select Merge Modules dialog
This dialog allows you to add predefined merge modules to your project. Simply select the merge modules you want and click .
Visual Studio merge modules
Visual Studio provides multiple merge modules with application run-times. These merge modules can be redistributed with your package to make sure that your product works on target machines.
All Visual Studio merge modules are placed in the Program Files\Common Files\Merge Modules folder. You can add them to your project by using this dialog.
To register a merge module with Visual Studio you can use the
"Register with Visual Studio" option in Registration Tab.
Advanced Installer merge modules
Through this dialog you can also add merge modules registered with Advanced Installer. These merge modules can be found in the ProgramData\Caphyon\Advanced Installer\Merge Modules folder.
To register a merge module with Advanced Installer you can use the
"Register with Advanced Installer" option in Registration Tab.