View source for WiX

{{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]]
| developer = [[.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++]], [[C Sharp (programming language)|C#]]
| operating system = [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]]
| platform = 
| size = 
| language = 
| language count = <!-- Number only -->
| language footnote = 
| genre = [[Software development tools]]
| license = [[Microsoft Reciprocal License]]
| alexa = 
| website = {{URL|wixtoolset.org}}
| standard = 
| AsOf = 
}}
'''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 [[Windows Installer|MSI]] and MSM packages. WiX was the first [[Microsoft]] project to be released under an [[open-source license]], the [[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]]}}</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]], [[SQL Server 2005]], [[Visual Studio 2005]]/[[Microsoft Visual Studio#Visual Studio 2008|2008]], 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]] add-in that allows creating and building WiX setup projects using the Visual Studio [[Integrated development environment|IDE]]. Votive supports [[syntax highlighting]] and [[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]] project to be released under an [[open-source license]], the [[Common Public License]].<ref name="cw"/><ref name=":0" /> Initially hosted on [[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]]. On August 14, 2012, Microsoft transferred the WiX copyright to the Microsoft-sponsored [[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]] to the [[Microsoft Reciprocal License]]. On May 4, 2016, WiX was transferred to the [[.NET Foundation]].

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.<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>

==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 code|source files]] into [[Object file|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 [[Software development kit|SDK]]
* Burn: coordinates dependency installer

==See also==
{{Portal|Free and open-source software}}
*[[List of installation software]]
*[[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:C Sharp software]]
[[Category:Free and open-source software]]
[[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]]