Discussion:
[WiX-users] Compression in a Merge Module
Reuss, Matthias
2009-09-08 06:32:31 UTC
Permalink
Hello,

If I want to create a full MSI package, I can set the compression level in the <Media> child of the <Product> element.

Can I do similar things when I am creating a merge module? The <Module> element does not have a <Media> child...

Best regards

Matthias
Pally Sandher
2009-09-08 09:23:02 UTC
Permalink
As you say the Module element doesn't seem to have the Media child
element (http://wix.sourceforge.net/manual-wix3/wix_xsd_module.htm) but
it doesn't really matter. When the merge module is consumed into an MSI
its files will be compressed into the media table of the MSI and
therefore use the same level of compression as all the other files in
the MSI.

Unless you're passing large merge modules around & want to save on
bandwidth and/or disk space there's very little need for it & even in
those situations there's plenty of freely available tools to reduce the
file size (e.g. 7zip).

Palbinder Sandher
Software Deployment & IT Administrator
T: +44 (0) 141 945 8500
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-----Original Message-----
From: Reuss, Matthias [mailto:***@siemens.com]
Sent: 08 September 2009 07:33
To: wix-***@lists.sourceforge.net
Subject: [WiX-users] Compression in a Merge Module

Hello,

If I want to create a full MSI package, I can set the compression level
in the <Media> child of the <Product> element.

Can I do similar things when I am creating a merge module? The <Module>
element does not have a <Media> child...

Best regards

Matthias
Reuss, Matthias
2009-09-08 09:57:13 UTC
Permalink
Thanks for your response.

I may have started to handle the issue from the wrong side:

My project consists of several merge modules created with WiX and a "main" package, which is actually authored with InstallShield. The merge modules are not addressed in the InstallShield project, so I first build an MSI without merge modules (it contains a small CAB file), then one of the merge modules is merged in using the command-line version of Orca. Finally some settings (ProductName, ProductCode, Upgrade Code, PackageCode etc.) are adjusted corresponding to the merge module used.

Orca adds the files from the merge module to the CAB file orginally created by InstallShield and adjusts the Media table.

So I may have to control the compression of these files added by Orca. However, I have not found a way to achieve this. I did try to increase compression in the InstallShield project, however this did not influence the size of the final CAB file.

Best regards

Matthias
-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Gesendet: Dienstag, 8. September 2009 11:23
An: General discussion for Windows Installer XML toolset.
Betreff: Re: [WiX-users] Compression in a Merge Module
As you say the Module element doesn't seem to have the Media child
element
(http://wix.sourceforge.net/manual-wix3/wix_xsd_module.htm) but
it doesn't really matter. When the merge module is consumed
into an MSI
its files will be compressed into the media table of the MSI and
therefore use the same level of compression as all the other files in
the MSI.
Christopher Painter
2009-09-08 14:16:18 UTC
Permalink
I'm curious why you do it this way. InstallShield has Product Configurations and Release Flags that would alow you to build MSI's in various ways to address the variation points you describe. A limitation would be if you wanted to have the same feature tree but different module inclusions but even then the SAAuto interface would allow you to manipulate that as a prebuild authoring step.

Christopher Painter, Author of Deployment Engineering Blog
Have a hot tip, know a secret or read a really good thread that deserves attention? E-Mail Me
Subject: Re: [WiX-users] Compression in a Merge Module
Date: Tuesday, September 8, 2009, 4:57 AM
Thanks for your response.
I may have started to handle the issue from the wrong
My project consists of several merge modules created with
WiX and a "main" package, which is actually authored with
InstallShield. The merge modules are not addressed in the
InstallShield project, so I first build an MSI without merge
modules (it contains a small CAB file), then one of the
merge modules is merged in using the command-line version of
Orca. Finally some settings (ProductName, ProductCode,
Upgrade Code, PackageCode etc.) are adjusted corresponding
to the merge module used.
Orca adds the files from the merge module to the CAB file
orginally created by InstallShield and adjusts the Media
table.
So I may have to control the compression of these files
added by Orca. However, I have not found a way to achieve
this. I did try to increase compression in the
InstallShield  project, however this did not influence
the size of the final CAB file.
Best regards
Matthias
-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Gesendet: Dienstag, 8. September 2009 11:23
An: General discussion for Windows Installer XML
toolset.
Betreff: Re: [WiX-users] Compression in a Merge
Module
As you say the Module element doesn't seem to have the
Media child
element
(http://wix.sourceforge.net/manual-wix3/wix_xsd_module.htm)
but
it doesn't really matter. When the merge module is
consumed
into an MSI
its files will be compressed into the media table of
the MSI and
therefore use the same level of compression as all the
other files in
the MSI.
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Reuss, Matthias
2009-09-10 06:29:25 UTC
Permalink
Hi Christopher,

sorry for the late reply.

The setup is for a group of product catalogues (databases) that are issued by several manufacturers. The files are different for each manufacturer, but the structure and the setup logic are the same (mostly determined by the software that uses the databases).

I am developing a setup framework (IS project), containing the logic but nearly no files, and a tool that harvests a manufacturer's files into a WiX file, calls WiX to produce a merge module, calls Orca to merge the module into the setup framework, and adjusts some settings in the MSI package.

The manufacturers get the framework (as an MSI package) and the tool, then they build their setup and ship it to their customers.

This means that the merge modules are not present at InstallShield build time, so I cannot adress them in the IS project.

Now I got the issue that the compression in the final MSI package was considered poor.

Best regards

Matthias
-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Gesendet: Dienstag, 8. September 2009 16:16
An: General discussion for Windows Installer XML toolset.
Betreff: Re: [WiX-users] Compression in a Merge Module
I'm curious why you do it this way. InstallShield has
Product Configurations and Release Flags that would alow you
to build MSI's in various ways to address the variation
points you describe. A limitation would be if you wanted to
have the same feature tree but different module inclusions
but even then the SAAuto interface would allow you to
manipulate that as a prebuild authoring step.
Christopher Painter, Author of Deployment Engineering Blog
Have a hot tip, know a secret or read a really good thread
that deserves attention? E-Mail Me
--- On Tue, 9/8/09, Reuss, Matthias
Subject: Re: [WiX-users] Compression in a Merge Module
To: "General discussion for Windows Installer XML toolset."
Date: Tuesday, September 8, 2009, 4:57 AM
Thanks for your response.
I may have started to handle the issue from the wrong
My project consists of several merge modules created with
WiX and a "main" package, which is actually authored with
InstallShield. The merge modules are not addressed in the
InstallShield project, so I first build an MSI without merge
modules (it contains a small CAB file), then one of the
merge modules is merged in using the command-line version of
Orca. Finally some settings (ProductName, ProductCode,
Upgrade Code, PackageCode etc.) are adjusted corresponding
to the merge module used.
Orca adds the files from the merge module to the CAB file
orginally created by InstallShield and adjusts the Media
table.
So I may have to control the compression of these files
added by Orca. However, I have not found a way to achieve
this. I did try to increase compression in the
InstallShield  project, however this did not influence
the size of the final CAB file.
Best regards
Matthias
-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Gesendet: Dienstag, 8. September 2009 11:23
An: General discussion for Windows Installer XML
toolset.
Betreff: Re: [WiX-users] Compression in a Merge
Module
As you say the Module element doesn't seem to have the
Media child
element
(http://wix.sourceforge.net/manual-wix3/wix_xsd_module.htm)
but
it doesn't really matter. When the merge module is
consumed
into an MSI
its files will be compressed into the media table of
the MSI and
therefore use the same level of compression as all the
other files in
the MSI.
--------------------------------------------------------------
----------------
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Reports 2008 30-Day
trial. Simplify your report design, integration and
deployment - and focus on
what you do best, core application coding. Discover what's
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Crystal Reports now.  http://p.sf.net/sfu/bobj-july
_______________________________________________
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https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users
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Blair
2009-09-10 07:08:02 UTC
Permalink
If you are supplying both the tool and the framework MSI, why don't you just
go "wix-all-the-way" and do this:

Framework: supplied wixlib (instead of MSI) that contains Product element
Tool: harvests files into wixlib (instead of merge module)
Call light to link wixlibs into shipping MSI (instead of Orca)

Then you will have total control over the Media element that controls
compression/etc as well as faster build speeds/etc.

-----Original Message-----
From: Reuss, Matthias [mailto:***@siemens.com]
Sent: Wednesday, September 09, 2009 11:29 PM
To: ***@deploymentengineering.com; General discussion for Windows
Installer XML toolset.
Subject: Re: [WiX-users] Compression in a Merge Module

Hi Christopher,

sorry for the late reply.

The setup is for a group of product catalogues (databases) that are issued
by several manufacturers. The files are different for each manufacturer, but
the structure and the setup logic are the same (mostly determined by the
software that uses the databases).

I am developing a setup framework (IS project), containing the logic but
nearly no files, and a tool that harvests a manufacturer's files into a WiX
file, calls WiX to produce a merge module, calls Orca to merge the module
into the setup framework, and adjusts some settings in the MSI package.

The manufacturers get the framework (as an MSI package) and the tool, then
they build their setup and ship it to their customers.

This means that the merge modules are not present at InstallShield build
time, so I cannot adress them in the IS project.

Now I got the issue that the compression in the final MSI package was
considered poor.

Best regards

Matthias
-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Gesendet: Dienstag, 8. September 2009 16:16
An: General discussion for Windows Installer XML toolset.
Betreff: Re: [WiX-users] Compression in a Merge Module
I'm curious why you do it this way. InstallShield has
Product Configurations and Release Flags that would alow you
to build MSI's in various ways to address the variation
points you describe. A limitation would be if you wanted to
have the same feature tree but different module inclusions
but even then the SAAuto interface would allow you to
manipulate that as a prebuild authoring step.
Christopher Painter, Author of Deployment Engineering Blog
Have a hot tip, know a secret or read a really good thread
that deserves attention? E-Mail Me
--- On Tue, 9/8/09, Reuss, Matthias
Subject: Re: [WiX-users] Compression in a Merge Module
To: "General discussion for Windows Installer XML toolset."
Date: Tuesday, September 8, 2009, 4:57 AM
Thanks for your response.
I may have started to handle the issue from the wrong
My project consists of several merge modules created with
WiX and a "main" package, which is actually authored with
InstallShield. The merge modules are not addressed in the
InstallShield project, so I first build an MSI without merge
modules (it contains a small CAB file), then one of the
merge modules is merged in using the command-line version of
Orca. Finally some settings (ProductName, ProductCode,
Upgrade Code, PackageCode etc.) are adjusted corresponding
to the merge module used.
Orca adds the files from the merge module to the CAB file
orginally created by InstallShield and adjusts the Media
table.
So I may have to control the compression of these files
added by Orca. However, I have not found a way to achieve
this. I did try to increase compression in the
InstallShield  project, however this did not influence
the size of the final CAB file.
Best regards
Matthias
-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Gesendet: Dienstag, 8. September 2009 11:23
An: General discussion for Windows Installer XML
toolset.
Betreff: Re: [WiX-users] Compression in a Merge
Module
As you say the Module element doesn't seem to have the
Media child
element
(http://wix.sourceforge.net/manual-wix3/wix_xsd_module.htm)
but
it doesn't really matter. When the merge module is
consumed
into an MSI
its files will be compressed into the media table of
the MSI and
therefore use the same level of compression as all the
other files in
the MSI.
--------------------------------------------------------------
----------------
Let Crystal Reports handle the reporting - Free Crystal
Reports 2008 30-Day
trial. Simplify your report design, integration and
deployment - and focus on
what you do best, core application coding. Discover what's
new with
Crystal Reports now.  http://p.sf.net/sfu/bobj-july
_______________________________________________
WiX-users mailing list
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users
--------------------------------------------------------------
----------------
Let Crystal Reports handle the reporting - Free Crystal
Reports 2008 30-Day
trial. Simplify your report design, integration and
deployment - and focus on
what you do best, core application coding. Discover what's new with
Crystal Reports now. http://p.sf.net/sfu/bobj-july
_______________________________________________
WiX-users mailing list
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
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on
what you do best, core application coding. Discover what's new with
Crystal Reports now. http://p.sf.net/sfu/bobj-july
Reuss, Matthias
2009-09-10 07:15:02 UTC
Permalink
Hi Blair,

Thanks for your proposal.

However, we are not yet ready to get rid of InstallScript for our CA code.

Regards,

Matthias
-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Gesendet: Donnerstag, 10. September 2009 09:08
An: 'General discussion for Windows Installer XML toolset.';
Betreff: Re: [WiX-users] Compression in a Merge Module
If you are supplying both the tool and the framework MSI, why
don't you just
Framework: supplied wixlib (instead of MSI) that contains
Product element
Tool: harvests files into wixlib (instead of merge module)
Call light to link wixlibs into shipping MSI (instead of Orca)
Then you will have total control over the Media element that controls
compression/etc as well as faster build speeds/etc.
-----Original Message-----
Sent: Wednesday, September 09, 2009 11:29 PM
Installer XML toolset.
Subject: Re: [WiX-users] Compression in a Merge Module
Hi Christopher,
sorry for the late reply.
The setup is for a group of product catalogues (databases)
that are issued
by several manufacturers. The files are different for each
manufacturer, but
the structure and the setup logic are the same (mostly
determined by the
software that uses the databases).
I am developing a setup framework (IS project), containing
the logic but
nearly no files, and a tool that harvests a manufacturer's
files into a WiX
file, calls WiX to produce a merge module, calls Orca to
merge the module
into the setup framework, and adjusts some settings in the
MSI package.
The manufacturers get the framework (as an MSI package) and
the tool, then
they build their setup and ship it to their customers.
This means that the merge modules are not present at
InstallShield build
time, so I cannot adress them in the IS project.
Now I got the issue that the compression in the final MSI package was considered poor.
Best regards
Matthias
-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Gesendet: Dienstag, 8. September 2009 16:16
An: General discussion for Windows Installer XML toolset.
Betreff: Re: [WiX-users] Compression in a Merge Module
I'm curious why you do it this way. InstallShield has
Product Configurations and Release Flags that would alow you
to build MSI's in various ways to address the variation
points you describe. A limitation would be if you wanted to
have the same feature tree but different module inclusions
but even then the SAAuto interface would allow you to
manipulate that as a prebuild authoring step.
Christopher Painter, Author of Deployment Engineering Blog
Have a hot tip, know a secret or read a really good thread
that deserves attention? E-Mail Me
--- On Tue, 9/8/09, Reuss, Matthias
Subject: Re: [WiX-users] Compression in a Merge Module
To: "General discussion for Windows Installer XML toolset."
Date: Tuesday, September 8, 2009, 4:57 AM
Thanks for your response.
I may have started to handle the issue from the wrong
My project consists of several merge modules created with
WiX and a "main" package, which is actually authored with
InstallShield. The merge modules are not addressed in the
InstallShield project, so I first build an MSI without merge
modules (it contains a small CAB file), then one of the
merge modules is merged in using the command-line version of
Orca. Finally some settings (ProductName, ProductCode,
Upgrade Code, PackageCode etc.) are adjusted corresponding
to the merge module used.
Orca adds the files from the merge module to the CAB file
orginally created by InstallShield and adjusts the Media
table.
So I may have to control the compression of these files
added by Orca. However, I have not found a way to achieve
this. I did try to increase compression in the
InstallShield  project, however this did not influence
the size of the final CAB file.
Best regards
Matthias
-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Gesendet: Dienstag, 8. September 2009 11:23
An: General discussion for Windows Installer XML
toolset.
Betreff: Re: [WiX-users] Compression in a Merge
Module
As you say the Module element doesn't seem to have the
Media child
element
(http://wix.sourceforge.net/manual-wix3/wix_xsd_module.htm)
but
it doesn't really matter. When the merge module is
consumed
into an MSI
its files will be compressed into the media table of
the MSI and
therefore use the same level of compression as all the
other files in
the MSI.
--------------------------------------------------------------
----------------
Let Crystal Reports handle the reporting - Free Crystal
Reports 2008 30-Day
trial. Simplify your report design, integration and
deployment - and focus on
what you do best, core application coding. Discover what's
new with
Crystal Reports now.  http://p.sf.net/sfu/bobj-july
_______________________________________________
WiX-users mailing list
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users
--------------------------------------------------------------
----------------
Let Crystal Reports handle the reporting - Free Crystal
Reports 2008 30-Day
trial. Simplify your report design, integration and
deployment - and focus on
what you do best, core application coding. Discover what's new with
Crystal Reports now. http://p.sf.net/sfu/bobj-july
_______________________________________________
WiX-users mailing list
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users
--------------------------------------------------------------
--------------
--
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Reports 2008 30-Day
trial. Simplify your report design, integration and
deployment - and focus
on
what you do best, core application coding. Discover what's new with
Crystal Reports now. http://p.sf.net/sfu/bobj-july
_______________________________________________
WiX-users mailing list
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users
--------------------------------------------------------------
----------------
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Reports 2008 30-Day
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deployment - and focus on
what you do best, core application coding. Discover what's new with
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Christopher Painter
2009-09-10 14:02:46 UTC
Permalink
I would agree with Blair. While I use a combination of InstallShield and WiX to do what I describe, your scenario where the customer builds the final package rather then your internal build team would lend me to suggest that you'd want to ship all WiX to your customers.
Subject: RE: [WiX-users] Compression in a Merge Module
Date: Thursday, September 10, 2009, 2:08 AM
If you are supplying both the tool
and the framework MSI, why don't you just
Framework: supplied wixlib (instead of MSI) that contains
Product element
Tool: harvests files into wixlib (instead of merge module)
Call light to link wixlibs into shipping MSI (instead of
Orca)
Then you will have total control over the Media element
that controls
compression/etc as well as faster build speeds/etc.
-----Original Message-----
Sent: Wednesday, September 09, 2009 11:29 PM
General discussion for Windows
Installer XML toolset.
Subject: Re: [WiX-users] Compression in a Merge Module
Hi Christopher,
sorry for the late reply.
The setup is for a group of product catalogues (databases)
that are issued
by several manufacturers. The files are different for each
manufacturer, but
the structure and the setup logic are the same (mostly
determined by the
software that uses the databases).
I am developing a setup framework (IS project), containing
the logic but
nearly no files, and a tool that harvests a manufacturer's
files into a WiX
file, calls WiX to produce a merge module, calls Orca to
merge the module
into the setup framework, and adjusts some settings in the
MSI package.
The manufacturers get the framework (as an MSI package) and
the tool, then
they build their setup and ship it to their customers.
This means that the merge modules are not present at
InstallShield build
time, so I cannot adress them in the IS project.
Now I got the issue that the compression in the final MSI
package was
considered poor.
Best regards
Matthias
-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Gesendet: Dienstag, 8. September 2009 16:16
An: General discussion for Windows Installer XML
toolset.
Betreff: Re: [WiX-users] Compression in a Merge
Module
I'm curious why you do it this way. 
InstallShield has
Product Configurations and Release Flags that would
alow you
to build MSI's in various ways to address the
variation
points you describe.  A limitation would be if
you wanted to
have the same feature tree but different module
inclusions
but even then the SAAuto interface would allow you to
manipulate that as a prebuild authoring step. 
Christopher Painter, Author of Deployment Engineering
Blog
Have a hot tip, know a secret or read a really good
thread
that deserves attention? E-Mail Me
--- On Tue, 9/8/09, Reuss, Matthias
Subject: Re: [WiX-users] Compression in a Merge
Module
To: "General discussion for Windows Installer XML
toolset."
Date: Tuesday, September 8, 2009, 4:57 AM
Thanks for your response.
I may have started to handle the issue from the
wrong
My project consists of several merge modules
created with
WiX and a "main" package, which is actually
authored with
InstallShield. The merge modules are not
addressed in the
InstallShield project, so I first build an MSI
without merge
modules (it contains a small CAB file), then one
of the
merge modules is merged in using the command-line
version of
Orca. Finally some settings (ProductName,
ProductCode,
Upgrade Code, PackageCode etc.) are adjusted
corresponding
to the merge module used.
Orca adds the files from the merge module to the
CAB file
orginally created by InstallShield and adjusts
the Media
table.
So I may have to control the compression of these
files
added by Orca. However, I have not found a way to
achieve
this. I did try to increase compression in the
InstallShield  project, however this did not
influence
the size of the final CAB file.
Best regards
Matthias
-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Gesendet: Dienstag, 8. September 2009 11:23
An: General discussion for Windows Installer
XML
toolset.
Betreff: Re: [WiX-users] Compression in a
Merge
Module
As you say the Module element doesn't seem
to have the
Media child
element
(http://wix.sourceforge.net/manual-wix3/wix_xsd_module.htm)
but
it doesn't really matter. When the merge
module is
consumed
into an MSI
its files will be compressed into the media
table of
the MSI and
therefore use the same level of compression
as all the
other files in
the MSI.
--------------------------------------------------------------
----------------
Let Crystal Reports handle the reporting - Free
Crystal
Reports 2008 30-Day
trial. Simplify your report design, integration
and
deployment - and focus on
what you do best, core application coding.
Discover what's
new with
Crystal Reports now.  http://p.sf.net/sfu/bobj-july
_______________________________________________
WiX-users mailing list
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users
       
--------------------------------------------------------------
----------------
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Crystal
Reports 2008 30-Day
trial. Simplify your report design, integration and
deployment - and focus on
what you do best, core application coding. Discover
what's new with
Crystal Reports now.  http://p.sf.net/sfu/bobj-july
_______________________________________________
WiX-users mailing list
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wix-users
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
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Reports 2008 30-Day
trial. Simplify your report design, integration and
deployment - and focus
on
what you do best, core application coding. Discover what's
new with
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