Visual Studio Package (Votive)

Votive is the code name for the WiX Visual Studio package that allows you to easily create WiX projects, edit WiX files using IntelliSense, and compile/link your project.

Installation

To install the package you must run Votive.msi, which comes bundled with the WiX binaries and gets built as part of the WiX source.

If you have the VSIP SDK installed, you can build the the debug version of Votive.msi, which will install Votive into the Experimental Hive of Visual Studio. This will allow your retail version of Visual Studio to continue to work as before (see the "Developing for Votive" topic for an explanation of the experimental hive).

Developing for Votive

If you want to contribute code to the Votive project or debug Votive, you must download and install the VSIP SDK, available at http://www.vsipdev.com/downloads/. You will need the VSIP SDK 2003 and the VSIP SDK 2003 Extras, installed in that order. The SDK is fairly non-invasive and will create an "Experimental Hive" in the registry that will keep your retail version of Visual Studio 2003 unaffected.

To start debugging Votive, set your breakpoints then just hit "F5" in the Wix.sln for Visual Studio. The custom build actions in the Votive project will set up and register Votive on the experimental hive, so running the Votive.msi is not required, nor suggested.

Getting Started

Rob Mensching has written an excellent MSDN article on using Votive to get started in WiX.