Windows Installer Editor Reference
60
Working With Wise Installation Files
See
Using the Dialogs Page
on page 402.
z
If applicable, a Readme file and a license agreement file.
File Types
In Windows Installer Editor, you can create and edit different types of Windows Installer
database files. You can work in the Windows Installer database file or in a project file
that contains instructions for compiling the Windows Installer database file.
See
Project Files and Database Files
on page 61.
Following are the types of Windows installer files.
Extension
Description
.MSI
Windows Installer database, which is a distributable installation. The .MSI extension is
associated with the Windows Installer executable, MSIExec.EXE. When an .MSI is
opened, Windows Installer executes it, thereby installing the application. You can open
and edit an .MSI in Windows Installer Editor. However, options that have to do with
creating an .MSI, such as those on the Releases, Release Settings, and Media pages,
are unavailable.
You can convert an .MSI to a project file (.WSI).
See
MSI to WSI Conversion
on page 356.
.WSI
Windows Installer project file, which describes an .MSI but does not store contents. It
is in the same format as an .MSI. You edit a .WSI in Windows Installer Editor and
compile it to the corresponding .MSI. The .WSI file is smaller than an .MSI and you can
set multiple options for the output of the .MSI.
.MSM
Windows Installer merge module, which is a pre-compiled library of components (files,
registry changes, and other system changes) that installs a discrete part of your
application. It cannot be run alone, but must be merged with an .MSI during the .MSI
compile.
See
About Merge Modules
on page 323.
.WSM
Windows Installer merge module project, which describes an .MSM, but does not store
merge module contents. You edit a .WSM in Windows Installer Editor and compile it to
the corresponding .MSM.
See
About Merge Modules
on page 323.
.MST
Windows Installer transform, which changes a Windows Installer package at run time
and must be applied from the command line. See
About Transforms
on page 341.
.MSP
Windows Installer patch, which updates an existing installed application. Patches
contain only the differences between the old and new versions of an application.
Create a patch with the Patch Creation tool, which creates an .MSP file that you
distribute to end users.
See Patch Creation in the Wise Package Studio Help.
.PCP
Windows Installer patch project, which describes and compiles to a Windows Installer
patch. A .PCP file is created from the Patch Creation tool.
See Patch Creation in the Wise Package Studio Help.