Question Folder browsing during setup

[leorob88]

Hi, I'm new here and my problem is easily explained.
If I create a setup project with VS2019 the graphic for the folder browsing during the setup is pretty old like it's Win95, I'd rather have one more "good-looking", perhaps one that adapts on the O.S. like the openfile dialog window. Also, one of the problems with this is you can actually select and view one folder at a time and not all other outer folders.
Some have suggested me Wix, but it's trial/license, while I need one for free (lasting a long time, that is). I've tried Advanced Installer but it says it doesn't work with my version of VS2019.

 

[Skydiver]

Wix is open source and free.

WiX Toolset News | WiX Toolset

Updates about the WiX Toolset

wixtoolset.org

Rob and Heath were very big proponents about making Wix open and available to all -- not just within Microsoft, but also externally. I'd be surprised if they suddenly did a 180 and started charging for these tools.

 

[Skydiver]

Moving out of WinForms forums and into Deployment since this is a setup question, not a WinForms question.

 

[leorob88]

Wix is open source and free.

WiX Toolset News | WiX Toolset

Updates about the WiX Toolset

wixtoolset.org

Rob and Heath were very big proponents about making Wix open and available to all -- not just within Microsoft, but also externally. I'd be surprised if they suddenly did a 180 and started charging for these tools.

I tried Wix (the first in the pic), that works apparently only if you download and install also the second one, but had only the template code and no option to change about the project and such, then i searched online and looked better, and saw in the extension list there's the proper editor and it's a trial, also i read online, in fact, that wix editor/designer is not for free.

 

[leorob88]

Wix is open source and free.

WiX Toolset News | WiX Toolset

Updates about the WiX Toolset

wixtoolset.org

Rob and Heath were very big proponents about making Wix open and available to all -- not just within Microsoft, but also externally. I'd be surprised if they suddenly did a 180 and started charging for these tools.

And this is what i get if install it: there's no Wix option in this menu

 

[Skydiver]

The beauty of Wix is that you don't even need Visual Studio. It is command line all the way. Someone trying to sell you a GUI is trying to make money on their wrapper and the free Wix toolset.

 

[leorob88]

The beauty of Wix is that you don't even need Visual Studio. It is command line all the way. Someone trying to sell you a GUI is trying to make money on their wrapper and the free Wix toolset.

Then i suppose i don't understand how it works...i think theoretically you can set things inside VS, but i can't, as you see.

 

[jmcilhinney]

Then i suppose i don't understand how it works

It is command line all the way.

Do you know what is meant by "commandline"? It means opening a command/console window (sometimes called a "DOS prompt" but it's not actually DOS these days) and typing in the commands you want to execute. You can do that from the Start menu but you can also do it within VS. If you right-click the project in the Solution Explorer, you can open a standard command window, a developer command window or a PowerShell window. You should do some research on the differences among those three, open the one you want and then execute the WiX commands you want. You will need to do some research to learn what those commands should be.

 

[leorob88]

Do you know what is meant by "commandline"? It means opening a command/console window (sometimes called a "DOS prompt" but it's not actually DOS these days) and typing in the commands you want to execute. You can do that from the Start menu but you can also do it within VS. If you right-click the project in the Solution Explorer, you can open a standard command window, a developer command window or a PowerShell window. You should do some research on the differences among those three, open the one you want and then execute the WiX commands you want. You will need to do some research to learn what those commands should be.

Ok, it seems more complex than i thought. I saw people in videos who used Wix to add/change properties/items in the project in VS, like you normally would add a resource, or change the setup parameters and such. I thought Wix basically could do mainly this kind of stuff in this same way. I'm a bit confused. The videos i saw, people can do this stuff in videos, i cannot and i don't understand why.

 

[jmcilhinney]

I suspect that you're missing this:

Wix Toolset Visual Studio 2019 Extension - Visual Studio Marketplace

I found that with a web search for "wix visual studio". WiX is not something that I've used myself in any form, commandline or otherwise.

 

[leorob88]

I suspect that you're missing this:

Wix Toolset Visual Studio 2019 Extension - Visual Studio Marketplace

I found that with a web search for "wix visual studio". WiX is not something that I've used myself in any form, commandline or otherwise.

No, i have both. But still i think things are a bit messed up. The only thing i need is "instead of having an old graphic folder browsing, having a more fresh one which properly lets you see and select folders like in a normal dialog". Someone suggested "Try out Wix". But: now it seems VS even doesn't see Wix projects anymore, although it's all installed (meaning, it doesn't give me the options to create wix-based projects); second thing, that's the only thing i need, and i keep seeing confused sources and info online, there are people who easily use VS to create Wix setup projects (which strangely i cannot) and some others who explain you have literally to create every element of your setup by code.
Like the graphics methods and functions, i'm quite disappointed and...surprised in a bad way, to see that i only need to change a simple control/element in a project and i have to do all this mess and stuff just for one simple task. It's like wanting to change your bed and having so to build up a whole new house (which i mean, come on, why cannot you just buy a new bed?).

 

[jmcilhinney]

If a user wants to change the way a button looks in your application, can they do that? I mean, come on, it's just a button, right?

 

[jmcilhinney]

I won't be installing WiX myself just to test it for you, so I can't tell what steps work for me, if any, but I would ask whether you started here and worked through the official documentation step by step. If you didn't, I have to wonder why not. If so, EXACTLY how and where did things not work?

 

[leorob88]

I won't be installing WiX myself just to test it for you, so I can't tell what steps work for me, if any, but I would ask whether you started here and worked through the official documentation step by step. If you didn't, I have to wonder why not. If so, EXACTLY how and where did things not work?

I will see to that. But i must say you linked me something i didn't see before. I mean, working in VS to create a simple control shouldn't take so much time and effort, it's just a dialog window...actually the fundamental question should be "why with VS2019 comes a folder dialog which seems to come out from Win95?". It's like you buy a car and it has a first '800 engine, or you buy a smartphone but the only thing it can do is calling and dialing numbers to call...it's kinda ridiculous to me, having a problem which VS could just "not create". However, thank you so far!

 

[Skydiver]

It's not VS2019 that comes with that folder dialog. It's the folder dialog that comes by default with the Windows Installer SDK. If you have a complaint, complain to Microsoft's Windows Installer group, not the Microsoft Visual Studio group.

Windows Installer - Win32 apps

Learn about the Windows Installer, versions 3.0 to 5.0, which is used to install applications or updates or services run on Windows.

docs.microsoft.com

Setup/installation receives the least amount of love in any company. In almost every company I've worked at and/or interacted with, setup work is shunted off to the interns and/or newbies. It's unexciting work that gets very little recognition. We have Rob and Heath to thank for investing their time and energy into trying to improve the situation by trying to provide better tools for creating setup without being forced into the cattle shoot that the company that makes InstallShield used to drive everyone into.