The Definitive Guide to Windows Installer

by Phil Wilson

Overview

When a company builds and ships software, the installation process is often the first opportunity for a customer to view the the product and the company—and the installation experience can make or break a lasting impression. So this book is ideal for companies and developers who want to impress their clientele.

This book covers every aspect of using the Windows Installer, the underlying installer technology in Windows. A valuable tool for you software developers, this book helps ensure thorough and reliable installation for your customers. Most other books for software developers end too abruptly and omit critical information, like how to create the necessary installation software. But The Definitive Guide to Windows Installer picks up where the other books trail off.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781590592977
Publisher:	Apress
Publication date:	04/29/2004
Series:	The Expert's Voice in Net Series
Edition description:	Softcover reprint of the original 1st ed.
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	7.01(w) x 9.25(h) x 0.30(d)

About the Author

Phil Wilson graduated from the University of Aston in Birmingham, U.K. with a bachelor's degree in chemistry, but he preferred computers to test tubes and eventually worked for 15 years on developing operating systems for Burroughs and Unisys mainframes. Phil started programming for Windows in the early 1990s and has developed in MFC, ATL COM, Visual Basic, and C#. He has been involved in installation design and technology for about eight years, and he became a Microsoft "Most Valuable Professional" for Windows Installer in 2003. To get away from computers, he plays and records guitar, and enjoys camping in the California desert.

Table of Contents

at a Glance.- 1 Installations Past, Present, and Future.- 2 Building an MSI File: Visual Studio and Orca.- 3 COM in the Windows Installer World.- 4 Searches and Conditions.- 5 Sequences of Events and Custom Actions.- 6 How Do You Fix It?.- 7 ASP.NET Setups.- 8 Installing.NET Assemblies.- 9 Installation Design.- 10 Windows Services.- 11 The GAC and Updating Assemblies.- 12 Updates Using Patches.- 13 Installation Environments.- 14 How-Tos, Tips, and Gotchas.- 15 Exploring the Installer APIs.- 16 Tools and Futures.