Windows 安装程序 XML (WiX) 模板

Question

I want to use WiX for building an install for a software. I have downloaded the last version WiX toolset and have seen the installer of the toolset. It looks really good (Window Tiles with animations and Icons) and I was wondering if this one has been built with WiX itself too? And is it possible to find a website with cool templates to be used?

Unfortunately every search in the internet combined with WiX and templates takes me to the Wix Websites building templates.

Answer 1

Indeed, that installer is built with Wix, but the UI is WPF if I am not mistaken. The EXE installer is a boostrapper which controls the UI ad launches the MSI installation silently in the background.

This is a very detailed article on how to write your own custom bootstrapper:

https://www.wrightfully.com/part-1-of-writing-your-own-net-based-installer-with-wix-overview/

The thing is that from my knowledge you will never find such templates for download. Usually they are custom designed for a certain installer and when you work so much on a design you don't want to make it easy for others to copy it.

If you are looking for building an installer fast and easy, but also reliable , you need to start looking at commercial software, like our tool Advanced Installer or the rest.

I know you will say the price for the Enterprise edition ( the one which includes a drag and drop Dialogs Editor ) is not small, but you must also remember that your time spent on manually writing the installer in Wix and .NET also costs a lot, in many cases much more than you pay for a license ( PS I think that's why we're all using Windows, not Linux, isn't it? Anyway this is another subject, it's better not to get into it. )

Here are a few screenshots with some templates from Advanced Installer: