The Build Master: Microsofts Software Configuration Management Best Practices

To improve your setup reliability the following should be done:

  • Decide which setup tool you will use: Wise, InstallShield, WiX, or another brand.

  • Track all files in your product in a spreadsheet or, better yet, a database. If you are using WiX, the files are listed in the .wxs file.

  • Build setup every day, and practice deploying your product to test machines every day. Do not release the build until setup has been created successfully.

  • Follow the example in Figure 13.1.

  • Start pushing the setup responsibility back to the developers who own the modules.

  • Read Rob Mensching's paper, "Using the WiX Toolset to Integrate Setup into Your Development Process," which is located at http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnwingen/html/wixsetup.asp.

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