Windows Installer Editor Reference
381
Merge Modules and Transforms
See also:
Creating a Configurable Merge Module
on page 374
About the Merge Modules Page
The Merge Modules page lets you add merge modules to an installation, edit settings for
merge modules that you already added, and remove merge modules from an
installation.
See:
Adding a Merge Module to an Installation
on page 381
Editing Merge Module Details
on page 383
About Merge Modules
on page 364
Adding a Merge Module to an Installation
Use the Merge Modules page to add merge modules to an installation. By default, merge
modules are not installed with Windows Installer Editor. However, you can create merge
modules or use the Download Redistributables wizard to obtain third-party merge
modules.
See
Downloading Redistributable Files
on page 34.
When deploying software through a merge module, keep update considerations in mind.
Example: If you deploy MSDE through a merge module, end users cannot use
Microsoft’s MSDE security patches to update that installation of MSDE. Microsoft patches
only operate on software packages installed by Microsoft .MSIs. You would have to
incorporate the MSDE patch changes in an update to your own application and distribute
it to your end users. This could cause security and timing issues for your end users.
To add a merge module
1. Select Installation Expert > Merge Modules page.
2. From Current Feature, select a feature or condition. (Because any item you add
must be assigned to a specific feature, you cannot add an item when All Features
is selected.)
Items that you add to a feature are installed on the destination computer only if the
feature is installed. Items that you add to a condition are installed only if the feature
is installed and the condition is true.
3. Click Add at the right of the Merge Modules page.
The Select Merge Module dialog box appears and lists available merge modules in
the directories specified in Wise Options.
See
Setting Merge Module Directories
on page 48
.
(Requires a repository connection.) The Select Merge Module dialog box can also
include merge modules that are in the Software Manager database. You must have
access to the Software Manager database and the Read Merge Modules List From
Software Manager Database check box must be marked in Wise Options.
4. If the merge module you want is not in the list, do one of the following:
To add directories to search for merge modules, click Directories and the Merge
Modules tab from Wise Options appears. Click Add to add the directory that