Install a New Virtual Directory to Default Web Site with WiX

Sometimes the internet is totally awesome and other times it’s a complete morass of “how come I can’t find anything?” Recently, I needed to build a quick installer that did nothing more than install new virtual directory under the ubiquitous Default Web Site. I thought installing a basic web site would have been a very common task and was sure there were fifty to sixty examples out there in the blogsphere. However, the internet failed me, which has to be the first time in recorded history that’s ever happened.

Fortunately, there was enough documentation out there that pointed me in the right direction. What’s below is the core .WXS file for an installer that meets the following requirements:

· Verifies that IIS is installed

· Finds the physical path for the Default Web Site

· Installs a specifically named virtual directory under Default Web Site

· Installs the files into a named directory under the Default Web Site physical path

As you can see, the WiX 3.5 code isn’t that exciting, but I thought it would be useful for new WiX developers to see and better yet, steal. Here’s the download for the entire project.

<?xml version=“1.0“ encoding=“UTF-8“?>
<Wix xmlns=“http://schemas.microsoft.com/wix/2006/wi“
     xmlns:iis=“http://schemas.microsoft.com/wix/IIsExtension“>
<!– The upgrade GUID ** DO NOT CHANGE!! **–>
<?define ProductUpgradeCode=”da7c5352-634c-408c-ad5c-5ff806106378″?>
<!– The product version. –>
<?define InstallVersion=”1.0.0.0″?>
<!– It’s aways a major upgrade here. –>
<Product Id=“*“
           Name=“Basic Web App Install Example“
           Language=“1033“
           Version=“$(var.InstallVersion)“
           Manufacturer=“John Robbins/Wintellect“
           UpgradeCode=“$(var.ProductUpgradeCode)“>
<Package Id=“*“
             Description=“A simple web site installation“
             Comments=“Just showing how it works.“
             Manufacturer=“John Robbins/Wintellect“
             InstallerVersion=“300“
             Languages=“1033“
             Compressed=“yes“
             SummaryCodepage=“1252“
             InstallPrivileges=“elevated“/>
 
    <!– Major upgrade checks. –>
<MajorUpgrade Schedule=“afterInstallInitialize“
                  DowngradeErrorMessage=“A later version of [ProductName] is
already installed. Setup will now exit.“/>
 
    <!– Check to see if IIS is installed. It it’s not, error out. –>
<Property Id=“IIS_MAJOR_VERSION“>
<RegistrySearch Id=“CheckIISVersion“
Root=“HKLM“
Key=“SOFTWAREMicrosoftInetStp“
                      Name=“MajorVersion“ 
                     Type=“raw“ />
</Property>
 
    <Condition Message=“IIS must be installed“>
      Installed OR IIS_MAJOR_VERSION
    </Condition>
 
    <!– Go find the IIS root directory from the registry. On most machines
that defaults to C:inetpubwwwroot. This will be the directory we
install into. –>
<Property Id=“IISROOT“>
<RegistrySearch Id=“IISROOT“
                      Type=“directory“
                      Root=“HKLM“
                      Key=“SoftwareMicrosoftInetStp“
                      Name=“PathWWWRoot“ />
</Property>
 
    <Condition Message=“IIS does not appear to be installed correctly, the
root directory is not set.“>
      Installed OR IISROOT
    </Condition>
 
    <!– Describe the media source (you always have to have this) –>
<Media Id=“1“ Cabinet=“media1.cab“ EmbedCab=“yes“ />
 
    <!– The root of life for any installer. –>
<Directory Id=‘TARGETDIR‘ Name=‘SourceDir‘>
<!– Install into the ISS root directory we found earlier. –>
<Directory Id=“IISROOT“ Name=‘WebDir‘>
<!– Here’s this installers install location. –>
<Directory Id=‘INSTALLDIR‘
                   Name=‘BasicWeb‘>
 
          <!– The component to define the Virtual Directory.–>
<Component Id=“WebVirtualDirComponent“
                     Guid=“D814F88F-6E0C-4365-A411-2F9807522C3D“>
<!– The virtual directory we are installing. –>
<!– The Alias attribute is the name thata will be put into IIS.–>
<!– The Directory attribute is the “Physical Path” property in
IIS and needs to tie to an ID specified in the setup. –>
<!– The WebSite attribute ties to a <WebSite> element in the
setup file. As this is an example of installing into the
“Default Web Site” that element is not under a component.–>
<iis:WebVirtualDir Id=“VDir“
                               Alias=“BasicWeb“
                               Directory=“INSTALLDIR“
                               WebSite=“DefaultWebSite“>
<!– Turn the Virtual Directory into a web application. –>
<iis:WebApplication Id=“TestWebApplication“
                                  Name=“BasicWeb“ />
</iis:WebVirtualDir>
<!– This is pretty important. If the CreateFolder isn’t there the
WebVirtualDir won’t get created as there’s no files in this
component.
http://www.mail-archive.com/wix-users@lists.sourceforge.net/msg03483.html –>
<CreateFolder/>
</Component>
</Directory>
</Directory>
</Directory>
 
    <!– Because I want to show an example of installing a web site under an
existing web site, “Default Web Site”, you have to keep this element
outside of a component. See the WiX documentation:
http://wix.sourceforge.net/manual-wix3/iis_xsd_website.htm.
Basically, outside a component means it’s a locator/searching. Inside
a component means it’s a creator. –>
<iis:WebSite Id=‘DefaultWebSite‘
                 Description=‘Default Web Site‘
                 Directory=‘INSTALLDIR‘>
<!– This element has to be here or WiX does not compile. It’s ignored
in this case. –>
<iis:WebAddress Id=“AllUnassigned“ Port=“80“ />
</iis:WebSite>


    <Feature Id=‘TestProductFeature‘ Title=‘Wix File Product Feature‘ Level=‘1‘>
<ComponentRef Id=‘WebVirtualDirComponent‘ />
<ComponentGroupRef Id=‘BASICWEBAPPFILES‘/>
</Feature>
</Product>
</Wix>

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