We have a small merge module that installs an assembly and it's config file into the GAC and another assembly into INSTALLDIR on the target system. There are two pieces of functionality that I need and am having a little trouble with each: 1) I need to set the value in the config file to whatever value INSTALLDIR is. 2) I need to execute the install method on the assembly going in to the GAC.
For the first one, must I write some cusotm scripts to edit XML or is there something built in to handle simple file config settings during install? I don't see anything in the Merge Module InstallShield UI.
For the second one, When I tell the component it has a .NET Install method, compilation failes with the note that I should manually call InstallUtil.exe instead of using the built-in framework because the Assembly won't be in the GAC during the time it would normally be executed (InstallShield KB# Q200348). I need a little help doing that; I can add a custom exe action to the Merge Module, but A) I don't know the location of InstallUtil, B) How do I reference my assembly's location and C) I don't know where to sequence it to ensure the file will be down already; in a Merge Module, I don't see InstallFinalize or anything like that.
thanks in advance to anyone that can help; I imagine these are somewhat common issues but I dug for about 30 minutes and couldn't find a solution posted.
1. The XML File change view can help you change the xml file at runtime from the main project (the project that consumes this merge module). The merge module type project does not have this functionality.
2. InstallUtil.exe is a utility that is installed as apart of the .Net framework. Do a quick search on MSDN to find out where to locate it, it is somewhere under the C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework.
To locate files, the general technique is to use the system search method, look in the left pane of the installshield IDE 'System Search' this will location files for you and associate their paths with a property value.
