Summary
This articles discusses merge modules in the Repackager
Synopsis
With installations in general it is recommend to use merge modules whenever possible, especially when dealing with shared components. This sentiment is also true when repackaing applications. This article will discuss the merge module settings found in the Repackager as well as their functionality.
Discussion
The Repackager has two settings to note in regards to merge modules. The first setting will be enabled by default, and this is in line with best practice of using merge modules whenever possible. This setting is the ?Replace files with merge modules whenever possible.? This setting can be found in the Repacakger itself once you have opened a Repackager project file, the .irp. This setting is location under Repackaged Output > Advanced Settings. With this enabled the Repacakger will check the included files if it can be replaced with an included merge module. These modules are located by default in ? [ProgramFIlesFolder]AdminStudio\VERSION\Repackager\Modules\i386?. If it does find an appropriate merge module it will exclude the files itself, and instead include the merge module. There may be some cases where you do not want your files to automatically be replaced by merge modules, but in general you will want to leave this enabled.
The next setting will also be found in the Repacakger itself once you have opened a Repackager project file, the .irp. This setting is located in the Tools > Options menu. In the Options menu there is a ?Merge Modules? tab. If you have additional merge modules you would to be used when building your MSI you can specify their location here. If you have multiple locations to specify then you can specify more than one directory separated with commas.
Additional Information
For more information on this topic you can refer to the following helpnet articles:
Repackaging Wizard Best Practices
Specifying Additional Merge Module Directories
Options Dialog Box
