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WiX – the most powerful set of tools for installing Windows applications.

  2. Why WiX

An installation framework that works the way you do

WiX was designed to fit naturally into the software development process. Rather than relying on proprietary binary files, WiX uses XML text files for seamless integration into any source control system. And, with built-in support for MSBuild, you can create installation packages using tools you already know.

  • View and edit the installer package with a text editor.
  • Easily track changes in the installer source code.
  • Quickly fix bugs on build machines without installing a specialized editor.
  • Merge changes simply and intuitively.
An installation framework that works the way you do
Use the installation technology that companies like Microsoft rely on

Use the installation technology that companies like Microsoft rely on

Virtually every product group within Microsoft uses WiX – from Microsoft Office and Visual Studio to SQL Server and Exchange. But they aren’t the only ones. Apple, EMC, IBM, Twitter, and thousands of other companies also depend on WiX.

FireGiant co-founder and CEO, Rob Mensching, worked at Microsoft on installation technology for 14 years. During his tenure, he helped numerous product groups ensure WiX could meet the company’s diverse and demanding requirements. Having run the gauntlet at Microsoft, WiX is sure to meet the challenge of any software team.

Clean, compact, and correct output

WiX is the only installer technology that provides complete control of the MSI output.

  • WiX enables the full capabilities of the underlying Windows Installer platform.
  • You can control exactly what goes into the MSI, if desired.
  • Unlike competing technologies, WiX adds the minimal required data to each generated MSI.
  • Features such as smart cabbing ensure the most compact output by removing duplicate files from cabinet files.
Clean, compact, and correct output
Scales naturally from the smallest projects to the largest

Scales naturally from the smallest projects to the largest

Big and small companies choose WiX because it lets them use a single installation technology for any-sized project. WiX allows you to create a fully functional MSI from a single XML file or distribute the source among hundreds of files and reusable fragments.

Competing installation technologies just don’t scale. The inability to use basic source control features, such as viewing and merging, creates fundamental roadblocks for large-scale installations. With WiX, the source code for the installer works like the source code for the rest of the product. Its compile and link model allows for distribution among many developers. Reusable blocks of logic can be distributed in source code format using fragments or encapsulated in binary format using compiled libraries (.wixlibs). Companies can even create multiple product SKUs (e.g., express, professional, ultimate) from a single code base.

Going beyond the Windows Installer

WiX is far more than a thin veneer on top of the Windows Installer. With features such as the Burn engine, you can create rich UI experiences with familiar and powerful tools like WinForms and WPF.

  • Bundles enable the creation of a single installation experience from multiple packages.
  • The Burn engine does the heavy lifting when building highly customized user experiences – as that with Visual Studio 2012, which uses WiX and WPF.
  • Packages can be downloaded on demand from the Internet during setup – providing customers with easy access to the necessary prerequisites.
  • Add-on bundles allow for easy integration of out-of-band product releases into the original installer.

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Going beyond the Windows Installer