Merge modules merge modules are the windows installer standard for reusable setup logic and resources. Adding installshield prerequisites, merge modules, and. The builtin mechanism in windows installer intended to deploy prerequisites or components shared by many applications is a merge module. You can merge an msi package with as many modules as you want. It will list all modules containing the file your are looking for. In this case, you just need to create a deployment project for your application with visual studio and then add the merge modules for the gstreamer packages your application needs. Adding installshield prerequisites, merge modules, and objects to installscript projects. Makemsi is a freeware tool which enables you to easily and reliably create low overhead msi or windows installer based installers some user feedback. The msi that was created does not include installfiles in the installexecutesequence, even though the merge module has files to install. To create an application installer which includes ibm data server driver package merge module, complete the following steps.
Therefor i downloaded install shield limited edition. The project to which you add a merge module and the module itself is merged at build time. Windows installer merge modules for visual studio 6. The purpose of merge modules is to let you add selfcontained software modules to multiple installations. How to create a windows installer patch msp youtube. You need to use this guid when authoring the primary keys of database tables in the merge module. It can be included in your visual studio setup project and create a single setup file which includes both your application and crystal report runtime. A merge module is a set of components that are merged with a windows installer for applications that need them. But there is another mechanism capable of providing complete installation packages for other parties to use. Every file that is delivered to the target installation package by the merge module must be stored inside of a cabinet file embedded as a stream inside the.
The toolset provides both a command line environment that developers may either integrate into their oldstyle makefile build processes or use the newer msbuild technology from inside integrated development environments like. Creating a merge module project flexera product documentation. Create setup installer for projects in visual studio c. Creating installer with wix using merge modules ni. To do that you have to download the merge module msm. To install the information delivered by a merge module with an application. In this post i want to describe the issues and pain points i had when trying to generate a setup package for a complex product with many thousand of files. Development teams can build and distribute msm files that include installer components and functionality shared between applications. First off, i m using installaware express version 15 build 2. The following modulesequence tables only occur in merge modules. Each module is a collection of complete installation functionality. Are they distributed with commercial software presumably together with msi files.
When using wix, you create a merge module project by choosing the project template called merge module project under the windows installer xml node in the new project dialog window of visual studio. Windows installer previously known as microsoft installer, codename darwin is a software component and application programming interface api of microsoft windows used for the installation, maintenance, and removal of software. It is recommended that customers have service pack 6 for visual basic 6. How to create crystal reports installer using merge modules crystal reports uses merge modules to ensure the correct report components and assemblies are installed with your deployment project. Merge modules provide a standard method by which developers deliver shared windows installer components and setup logic to their applications. Developers wanting to use merge modules must obtain one of the freely distributed merge tools, such as mergemod. Merge modules cannot be installed alone, but must be used within the context of a windows installer. A merge modules is similar to an msi database but it cannot be installed by itself. Reusable developers can easily create suite installers, subinstallers, and. In the box of project types, click merge module project. Typically, a merge module or a collection of merge modules related by dependencies, installs a software product or portion of a product at runtime. Wix toolset wixusers installing files in a merge module. Merge modules provide you with a standard method by which you can deliver shared windows installer components and setup logic to your applications.
Challenges of supporting both 32bit and 64bit target. The following procedure describes the general steps to authoring merge modules. How to create crystal reports installer using merge modules. Merge modules are simplified msi packages that contain windows installer components, and setup logic to be included in any number of msi packages. A 64bit merge module can be merged into a 64bit package on a 32bit operating system. Obtain a software tool you can use to edit the merge module database.
It is designed to be merged with an existing msi database. Merge module database tables win32 apps microsoft docs. If, say, your product a depends on product b of another vendor, you can use their merge module meant to install their product and make it a part of your own so that both will be installed at the same time. Merge modules are fragment databases merged into the main msi database at compile time sort of static linking. Click the add button to add a merge module to your project. If no features exist in your installation project when you attempt to add a merge module or object, the create a new feature dialog box opens, enabling you to create a feature. It seems that merge module can only be merged into. The merge modules are pieces that can be put together to build a larger windows installer.
A merge module cannot be installed alone because it lacks some necessary database tables that are present in. As described in the manual i created a new project and imported the old merge modul project with the instalshield wizard. Net application that is to be installed as a part of ibm data server driver merge module. Challenges of supporting both 32bit and 64bit target operating systems. You can then distribute the setup of your application. The following steps are creating a setup file for crystal reports client side installation using merge modules. A merge module is a special kind of windows installer database that contains the components needed to install a discrete software bundle. First, you create a setup project for windows applications to deploy a windows application that uses sap crystal reports, developer version for microsoft visual studio. Help and assistance in setup development with windows installer and installshield. Merge modules are windows installer databases with files and logic necessary to install third party runtimes or dependencies.
A 32bit merge module can be merged into 32bit or 64bit windows installer packages. This projects contain windows installer merge module projects that are not available in 20 anymore. The open msimsm wizard is a tool that converts existing installation projects. The following tables are required in every configurable merge module. If you do not create a feature, these two types of redistributables cannot. Windows installer documentation authoring merge modules windows installer. A x64 merge module can be merged only into x64 packages and an intel64 merge module can be merged only into intel64 packages. I downloaded the latest merge module from crystal reports from here. Installer projects are the ones that create full installation packages.
Note windows installer is the preferred way to deploy projects that use sap crystal reports. The wix toolset is a set of tools that build windows installation packages from xml source code. A merge module is similar in structure to a simplified windows installer. Authoring merge modules windows installer documentation. After you create a merge module you can use it in future advanced installer projects, by adding it in the merge modules page. A merge module is windows installer package, but cannot be installed on its own.
I m trying to deploy an application which uses crystal reports for vs 2010. Net dll from the specific folder, that is based on the framework used. A merge module msm file contains files, dlls, activex components, registry entries and some system configurations like environment variables that make up these runtimes. Merge modules simplify installation development flexera software. Merge module finder is a freeware tool that searches the merge modules on your local machine for a specific file or registry key. When a merge module is compiled in a windows installer setup file, it enables the deployment of specific dlls to computers that have a specific platform. A merge module cannot be installed alone, but must be merged into a standard windows installer installation during the creation. If you want your product to support both 32bit and 64bit target systems, note the following fundamental windows installer conflict when you are creating. To create a dependency, see how to add merge module reference to merge module project. You can help protect yourself from scammers by verifying that the contact is a microsoft agent or microsoft employee and that the phone number is an official microsoft global customer service number. Merge modules are the standard way for distributing windows installer components and setup logic. Advanced installer allows you to easily create merge modules. If your code depends on these libraries, such as comdlg32.
Tech support scams are an industrywide issue where scammers trick you into paying for unnecessary technical support services. Walking through the creation of a complex installer package 26 june, 2009. Merge modules are used to deliver shared code, files, resources, registry entries, and setup logic to applications as a single compound file. Microsoft recommends to use installshield for setup projects. A merge module cannot be installed alone, but must be merged into a standard windows installer installation during the creation of the installation. Before creating a setup project, make sure that the following files exist in the \program files\common files\ merge modules. Creating a new windows application deployment project with. Walking through the creation of a complex installer package. To expand on this slightly, the merge module holder object is an. The procedures in the following sections create merge module deployment projects for web sites or windows applications that use sap crystal reports, developer version for microsoft visual studio.
Then, add output files and merge modules necessary f. Click the remove button to remove a merge module that is already a part of your project. However, a merge module cannot be installed alone, it must be merged into an installation package using a merge tool. So my recommendation is to do similar steps explicitly so you do i. Merge modules provide a standard method by which developers deliver. The installation information, and optionally the files themselves, are packaged in installation packages, loosely relational databases.
Redistributing application components using merge modules. Windows installer merge modules merge module finder. Merge modules for service pack 6 for visual basic 6. Using 64bit merge modules win32 apps microsoft docs. Windows installer is a microsoft developed and backed installer format or technology for building reliable installation packages. Does anyone know how to fix this probable simple solution. I made a simple wix file with a reference to the merge module and a single feature that installs the module. How do i create a prerequisite package for windows installer.
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