How to Pass Parameters to Windows Installer Xml(WiX) Customization(Custom Action)

We will use sample product.wxs file again in this example

Create an xml file: product.wxs (copied from wix.chm) as below
This wix file will create an MSI file to copy readme.txt into %sysdrv%/program files/test program/

<?xml version='1.0'?>
<WiX xmlns='http://schemas.microsoft.com/wix/2003/01/wi'>
   <Product Id='12345678-1234-1234-1234-123456789012' Name='Test Package' Language='1033'
            Version='1.0.0.0' Manufacturer='Microsoft Corporation'>
      <Package Id='12345678-1234-1234-1234-123456789012'
                Description='My first Windows Installer package'
                Comments='This is my first attempt at creating a Windows Installer database'
                Manufacturer='Microsoft Corporation' InstallerVersion='200' Compressed='yes' />
 
      <Media Id='1' Cabinet='product.cab' EmbedCab='yes' />
 
      <Directory Id='TARGETDIR' Name='SourceDir'>
         <Directory Id='ProgramFilesFolder' Name='PFiles'>
            <Directory Id='MyDir' Name='TestProg' LongName='Test Program'>
               <Component Id='MyComponent' Guid='12345678-1234-1234-1234-123456789012'>
                  <File Id='readme' Name='readme.txt' DiskId='1' src='readme.txt' />
               </Component>
            </Directory>
         </Directory>
      </Directory>
 
      <Feature Id='MyFeature' Title='My 1st Feature' Level='1'>
         <ComponentRef Id='MyComponent' />
      </Feature>
      <InstallExecuteSequence>
         <Custom Action="test" Sequence='1'/>
      </InstallExecuteSequence>

      <Binary Id='Customization.vbs' src='Customization.vbs'/>
      <CustomAction Id='test' BinaryKey='Customization.vbs' VBScriptCall='Hello' Return='check'/>
   </Product>
</WiX>

Create a customization VBS code: Customization.vbs

                function Hello
                   msgbox Session.Property("MYPARAM")
                end function

In the above VBS customization code, Session.Property is being used to retrieve to properties defined in your MSI.
If the property MYPARAM is not defined in your wxs file, you can directly it as a command line parameter
like below. MSI will automatically append it into its property list.

Compile:
```
c:\wix\candle product.wxs
```
Link:
```
c:\wix\light product.wixobj 
```
Test your MSI:
```
c:\wix\msiexec /i product.msi MYPARAM="WiX is cool."
```
You will see the setup code pops up a dialog with the message "WiX is cool."

You can control when the CustomAction should be run by using attributes: Before, After or Sequence. For example:


     <InstallExecuteSequence>
         <Custom Action="test" After='InstallFinalize'/>    Note: "test" will run after "InstallFinalize"
      </InstallExecuteSequence>

You can also specify a condition for a custom action that should only be run at install or uninstall:
$ComponentName > 2 Note: run at install
$ComponentName = 2 Note: run at uninstall
```
     <InstallExecuteSequence>
         <Custom Action="test" After='InstallFinalize'><![CDATA[ $MyComponent > 2 ]]> </Custom>  
      </InstallExecuteSequence>
      
```

How to Pass Parameters to Windows Installer Xml(WiX) Customization(Custom Action)

See also