Windows Installer Editor Reference
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Debugger for Windows Installer
3. Set breakpoints if desired.
See
Setting and Clearing Debugger Breakpoints
.
4. To run the installation, do one of the following:
Run through the actions
Select Debug menu > Go. This executes all actions up to the first breakpoint, if
any. As each action is processed, a white arrow appears to its left. When the
installation pauses at a dialog box for end user input, the white arrow stops at
the next action to be processed.
Run one action at a time
Select Debug menu > Step Over or Step Into to execute only the action with the
arrow to its left. After the action is processed, the arrow moves to the next line
and the debugger waits for another command.
Use Step Into if the installation contains one or more custom actions that call
VBScript, and you have the VBScript Debugger or Visual Studio with InterDev
installed. This opens the VBScript Debugger or Visual Studio and lets you debug
the VBScript. When you are finished, you can return to the installation in the
Debugger for Windows Installer.
Step Over runs VBScript actions but does not open the VBScript Debugger.
Run to a selected action
Select the action, then select Debug menu > Run to Selection. This executes all
the actions up to the selected action. After the actions are processed, the arrow
moves to the selected action and the debugger waits for another command.
5. To stop the installation, select Debug menu > Stop Debugging or click Cancel in the
installation’s user interface.
Setting Properties and Applying Transforms in the Debugger
You can set properties and apply transforms to installations that you test in the
debugger by running the debugger (Debugger.exe) from the command prompt and
using standard Windows Installer command-line options.
Examples:
z
To change the value of a public property:
path\debugger.exe /package path\package_name INSTALLLEVEL=1
z
To apply a transform to the installation package using the TRANSFORMS property:
path\debugger.exe /package path\package_name
TRANSFORMS=path\transform_name.mst
For more information on using Windows Installer command-line options, search for
“Command-Line Options for the Microsoft Windows Installer Tool Msiexec.exe” in the
MSDN Library (
msdn.microsoft.com/library
).
Setting and Clearing Debugger Breakpoints
A breakpoint is a place in the installation where you temporarily halt the execution. You
set breakpoints in the Actions pane of the debugger. When you set a breakpoint and
then run the installation, it pauses at the breakpoint and waits for another command.
You can set multiple breakpoints.
