# WiX

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> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/WiX.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WiX
> Source revision: 1350586155
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

{{Short description|Windows Installer creation toolset}}
{{About|a software installation tool|the website builder tool|Wix.com|other uses|Wix (disambiguation){{!}}Wix|}}
{{Infobox software
| name = WiX Toolset
| logo = WiX logo (2016, black).svg
| logo size = x64px
| logo alt = 
| screenshot = <!-- Image name is enough -->
| caption = 
| screenshot alt = 
| collapsible = 
| author = Rob Mensching, [Microsoft](/source/Microsoft)
| developer = [.NET Foundation](/source/.NET_Foundation)
| released = {{Start date and age|2004|04|05|df=yes}}
| discontinued = 
| latest release version = 6.0.0
| latest release date = {{Start date and age|2025|04|07|df=yes}}
| latest preview version = 
| latest preview date = 
| repo = {{URL|https://github.com/wixtoolset}}
| programming language = [C++](/source/C%2B%2B), [C#](/source/C_Sharp_(programming_language))
| operating system = [Windows](/source/Microsoft_Windows)
| platform = 
| size = 
| language = 
| language count = <!-- Number only -->
| language footnote = 
| genre = [Software development tools](/source/Software_development_tools)
| license = [Microsoft Reciprocal License](/source/Microsoft_Reciprocal_License)
| alexa = 
| website = {{URL|wixtoolset.org}}
| standard = 
| AsOf = 
}}
'''Windows Installer XML Toolset''' ('''WiX''', pronounced "wicks") is a [free software](/source/free_software) toolset that builds [Windows Installer](/source/Windows_Installer) packages from [XML](/source/XML). It consists of a command-line environment that developers may integrate into their build processes to build [MSI](/source/Windows_Installer) and MSM packages. WiX was the first [Microsoft](/source/Microsoft) project to be released under an [open-source license](/source/open-source_license), the [Common Public License](/source/Common_Public_License).<ref name="cw">{{cite web |last=Lawson |first=Stephen |date=6 April 2004 |title=Microsoft goes open source with WiX tool |url=https://www.computerworld.com/article/1580079/microsoft-goes-open-source-with-wix-tool.html |access-date=15 April 2024 |website=[Computerworld](/source/Computerworld)}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Bisson |first=Simon |date=2021-12-01 |title=Using WiX to build Windows installers |url=https://www.infoworld.com/article/3642378/using-wix-to-build-windows-installers.html |access-date=2024-05-04 |website=InfoWorld |language=en}}</ref> It was also the first Microsoft project to be hosted on an external website.<ref name="cw" />

After its release in 2004, Microsoft has used WiX to package [Office 2007](/source/Office_2007), [SQL Server 2005](/source/SQL_Server_2005), [Visual Studio 2005](/source/Visual_Studio_2005)/[2008](/source/Microsoft_Visual_Studio), and other products.<ref>{{cite web |last=Robbins |first=John |date=18 October 2007 |title=WiX: Hints for New Users (Part 1 of 3) |url=http://www.wintellect.com/blogs/jrobbins/wix-hints-for-new-users-part-1-of-3 |work=Wintellect |access-date=16 February 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222022121/http://www.wintellect.com/blogs/jrobbins/wix-hints-for-new-users-part-1-of-3|archive-date=22 February 2014}}</ref><ref name=":0" />

WiX includes Votive, a [Visual Studio](/source/Visual_Studio) add-in that allows creating and building WiX setup projects using the Visual Studio [IDE](/source/Integrated_development_environment). Votive supports [syntax highlighting](/source/syntax_highlighting) and [IntelliSense](/source/IntelliSense) for {{mono|.wxs}} source files and adds a WiX setup project type {{mono|.wixproj}} to Visual Studio.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Ramirez |first=Nick |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IxD182o_jQMC&q=Windows+Installer+XML+Toolset |title=WiX: A Developer's Guide to Windows Installer XML : Create a Hassle-free Installer for Your Windows Software Using WiX |date=2010-10-18 |publisher=Packt Publishing Ltd |isbn=978-1-84951-373-9 |language=en}}</ref>

==History==
WiX was the first [Microsoft](/source/Microsoft) project to be released under an [open-source license](/source/open-source_license), the [Common Public License](/source/Common_Public_License).<ref name="cw"/><ref name=":0" /> Initially hosted on [SourceForge](/source/SourceForge), it was also the first Microsoft project to be hosted externally.<ref name="cw" />

On June 6, 2010, WiX moved from SourceForge to [CodePlex](/source/CodePlex). On August 14, 2012, Microsoft transferred the WiX copyright to the Microsoft-sponsored [Outercurve Foundation](/source/Outercurve_Foundation).<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Ramirez |first=Nick |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=S5VFSs_iKywC&q=Windows+Installer+XML+Toolset |title=WiX 3.6 - A Developer's Guide to Windows Installer XML |date=2012-01-01 |publisher=Packt Publishing Ltd |isbn=978-1-78216-043-4 |language=en}}</ref> At the same time, the license was changed from the [Common Public License](/source/Common_Public_License) to the [Microsoft Reciprocal License](/source/Microsoft_Reciprocal_License). On May 4, 2016, WiX was transferred to the [.NET Foundation](/source/.NET_Foundation).

Visual Studio 2012 removed the traditional setup project type.  However, due to user feedback, an MSI setup project type was made available as a free extension starting with Visual Studio 2013. WiX is one of a set of recommended alternatives.<ref>{{cite web |last=Hodges |first=Buck |date=17 March 2011 |title=Visual Studio setup projects (vdproj) will not ship with future versions of VS |url=https://devblogs.microsoft.com/buckh/visual-studio-setup-projects-vdproj-will-not-ship-with-future-versions-of-vs/ |access-date= 22 September 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Visual Studio Installer Projects Extension|url=https://devblogs.microsoft.com/visualstudio/visual-studio-installer-projects-extension/}}</ref>

==Functions==
WiX is a toolset designed to build Windows Installer (.msi) packages using the command line.<ref name=":1" /> It comes with the following tools:<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Johnson |first=Bruce |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wjcKAwAAQBAJ&dq=Windows+Installer+XML+Toolset&pg=PA961 |title=Professional Visual Studio 2013 |date=2014-03-05 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |isbn=978-1-118-83205-9 |language=en}}</ref>

* Candle: compiles [source files](/source/Source_code) into [object files](/source/Object_file)
* Light: combines object files into a .msi file
* Lit: creates libraries that can be linked by Light.exe
* Dark: decompiles a .msi file into WiX code
* Heat: creates a WiX source file
* Pyro: creates Patch files (.msp) without needing the Windows Installer [SDK](/source/Software_development_kit)
* Burn: coordinates dependency installer

==See also==
{{Portal|Free and open-source software}}
*[List of installation software](/source/List_of_installation_software)
*[Shared Source Initiative](/source/Shared_Source_Initiative)

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
*{{Official website}}
*[http://osdir.com/Article380.phtml Interview with Rob Mensching of Microsoft's WiX Project]

{{Microsoft FOSS}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wix}}
Category:Free installation software
Category:Free software programmed in C++
Category:Free software programmed in C Sharp
Category:Free software projects
Category:Microsoft development tools
Category:Microsoft free software
Category:Windows-only free software
Category:XML-based standards
Category:2004 software

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [WiX](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WiX) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WiX?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.