Windows Installer XML Toolset (WiX, pronounced "wicks") is a free software toolset that builds Windows Installer packages from XML. It consists of a command-line environment that developers may integrate into their build processes to build MSI and MSM packages. WiX was the first Microsoft project to be released under an open-source license, the Common Public License.[2][3] It was also the first Microsoft project to be hosted on an external website.[2]
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| Original author(s) | Rob Mensching, Microsoft |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | .NET Foundation |
| Initial release | 5 April 2004[1] |
| Stable release | 5.0.0 / 5 April 2024 |
| Repository | github |
| Written in | C++, C# |
| Operating system | Windows |
| Type | Software development tools |
| License | Microsoft Reciprocal License |
| Website | wixtoolset |
After its release in 2004, Microsoft has used WiX to package Office 2007, SQL Server 2005, Visual Studio 2005/2008, and other products.[4][3]
WiX includes Votive, a Visual Studio add-in that allows creating and building WiX setup projects using the Visual Studio IDE. Votive supports syntax highlighting and IntelliSense for .wxs source files and adds a WiX setup project type .wixproj to Visual Studio.[5]
History
WiX was the first Microsoft project to be released under an open-source license, the Common Public License.[2][3] Initially hosted on SourceForge, it was also the first Microsoft project to be hosted externally.[2]
On June 6, 2010, WiX moved from SourceForge to CodePlex.[6] On August 14, 2012, Microsoft transferred the WiX copyright to the Microsoft-sponsored Outercurve Foundation.[7] At the same time, the license was changed from the Common Public License to the Microsoft Reciprocal License.[8] On May 4, 2016, WiX was transferred to the .NET Foundation.[9]
Since Visual Studio 2012, the traditional setup project type has been removed from Visual Studio (available only as an extension since Visual Studio 2013). WiX is a recommended alternative.[10]
Functions
WiX is a toolset designed to build Windows Installer (.msi) packages using the command line.[5] It comes with the following tools:[7][5][11]
- Candle: compiles source files into object files
- 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
- Burn: coordinates dependency installer
