Share via

Product and package schema reference

  • Article

Applies to: yesVisual Studio noVisual Studio for Mac

Note

This article applies to Visual Studio 2017. If you're looking for the latest Visual Studio documentation, see Visual Studio documentation. We recommend upgrading to the latest version of Visual Studio. Download it here

A product file is an XML manifest that describes all of the external dependencies required by a ClickOnce application. Examples of external dependencies include the .NET Framework and the Microsoft Data Access Components (MDAC). A package file is similar to a product file but is used to install the culture-dependent components of a dependency, such as localized assemblies, license agreements, and documentation.

The product and packages file consists of either a top-level Product or Package element, each of which contains the following elements.

Element Description Attributes
<Product> Element Required top-level element for product files. None
<Package> Element Required top-level element for package files. Culture

Name

EULA
<RelatedProducts> Element Optional element for product files. The other products that this product either installs or depends upon. None
<InstallChecks> Element Required element. Lists the dependency checks to perform on the local computer during installation. None
<Commands> Element Required element. Executes one or more installation checks as described by InstallChecks, and denotes which package to install should the check fail. None
<PackageFiles> Element Required element. Lists the packages that might be installed by this installation process. None
<Strings> Element Required element. Stores localized versions of the product name and error strings. None

Remarks

The package schema is consumed by Setup.exe, a stub program generated by the MS Build bootstrapping task that contains little hard-coded logic of its own. The schema drives every aspect of the installation process.

InstallChecks the tests that setup.exe should perform for the existence of a given package. PackageFiles lists all of the packages that the setup process might have to install, should a given test fail. Each Command entry under Commands executes one of the tests described by InstallChecks, and specifies which PackageFile to run should the test fail. You can use the Strings element to localize product names and error messages, so that you can use one single installation binary to install your application for any number of languages.

Example

The following code example demonstrates a complete product file for installing the .NET Framework.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>

<Product
  xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/2004/01/bootstrapper"
  ProductCode="Microsoft.Net.Framework.2.0"
>

    <RelatedProducts>
        <IncludesProduct Code="Microsoft.Windows.Installer.2.0" />
    </RelatedProducts>

    <!-- Defines list of files to be copied on build -->
    <PackageFiles>
        <PackageFile Name="instmsia.exe" HomeSite="InstMsiAExe" PublicKey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
        <PackageFile Name="WindowsInstaller-KB884016-v2-x86.exe" HomeSite="Msi30Exe" PublicKey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
        <PackageFile Name="dotnetfx.exe" HomeSite="DotNetFXExe" PublicKey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
        <PackageFile Name="dotnetchk.exe"/>
    </PackageFiles>

    <InstallChecks>
        <ExternalCheck Property="DotNetInstalled" PackageFile="dotnetchk.exe" />
        <RegistryCheck Property="IEVersion" Key="HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer" Value="Version" />
    </InstallChecks>

    <!-- Defines how to invoke the setup for the .NET Framework redist -->
    <!-- TODO: Needs EstrimatedTempSpace, LogFile, and an update of EstimatedDiskSpace -->
    <Commands Reboot="Defer">
        <Command PackageFile="instmsia.exe"
                 Arguments= ' /q /c:"msiinst /delayrebootq"'
                 EstimatedInstallSeconds="20" >
            <InstallConditions>
                <BypassIf Property="VersionNT" Compare="ValueExists"/>
                <BypassIf Property="VersionMsi" Compare="VersionGreaterThanOrEqualTo" Value="2.0"/>
            </InstallConditions>
            <ExitCodes>
                <ExitCode Value="0" Result="SuccessReboot"/>
                <ExitCode Value="1641" Result="SuccessReboot"/>
                <ExitCode Value="3010" Result="SuccessReboot"/>
                <DefaultExitCode Result="Fail" FormatMessageFromSystem="true" String="GeneralFailure" />
            </ExitCodes>
        </Command>
        <Command PackageFile="WindowsInstaller-KB884016-v2-x86.exe"
                 Arguments= '/quiet /norestart'
                 EstimatedInstallSeconds="20" >
          <InstallConditions>
              <BypassIf Property="Version9x" Compare="ValueExists"/>
              <BypassIf Property="VersionNT" Compare="VersionLessThan" Value="5.0.3"/>
              <BypassIf Property="VersionMsi" Compare="VersionGreaterThanOrEqualTo" Value="3.0"/>
              <FailIf Property="AdminUser" Compare="ValueEqualTo" Value="false" String="AdminRequired"/>
          </InstallConditions>
          <ExitCodes>
              <ExitCode Value="0" Result="Success"/>
              <ExitCode Value="1641" Result="SuccessReboot"/>
              <ExitCode Value="3010" Result="SuccessReboot"/>
              <DefaultExitCode Result="Fail" FormatMessageFromSystem="true" String="GeneralFailure" />
          </ExitCodes>
        </Command>
        <Command PackageFile="dotnetfx.exe"
             Arguments=' /q:a /c:"install /q /l"'
             EstimatedInstalledBytes="21000000"
             EstimatedInstallSeconds="300">

            <!-- These checks determine whether the package is to be installed -->
            <InstallConditions>
                <!-- Either of these properties indicates the .NET Framework is already installed -->
                <BypassIf Property="DotNetInstalled" Compare="ValueNotEqualTo" Value="0"/>

                <!-- Block install if user does not have admin privileges -->
                <FailIf Property="AdminUser" Compare="ValueEqualTo" Value="false" String="AdminRequired"/>

                <!-- Block install on Windows 95 -->
                <FailIf Property="Version9X" Compare="VersionLessThan" Value="4.10" String="InvalidPlatformWin9x"/>

                <!-- Block install on Windows 2000 SP 2 or less -->
                <FailIf Property="VersionNT" Compare="VersionLessThan" Value="5.0.3" String="InvalidPlatformWinNT"/>

                <!-- Block install if Internet Explorer 5.01 or greater is not present -->
                <FailIf Property="IEVersion" Compare="ValueNotExists" String="InvalidPlatformIE" />
                <FailIf Property="IEVersion" Compare="VersionLessThan" Value="5.01" String="InvalidPlatformIE" />

                <!-- Block install if the platform is not x86 -->
                <FailIf Property="ProcessorArchitecture" Compare="ValueNotEqualTo" Value="Intel" String="InvalidPlatformArchitecture" />
            </InstallConditions>

            <ExitCodes>
                <ExitCode Value="0" Result="Success"/>
                <ExitCode Value="3010" Result="SuccessReboot"/>
                <ExitCode Value="4097" Result="Fail" String="AdminRequired"/>
                <ExitCode Value="4098" Result="Fail" String="WindowsInstallerComponentFailure"/>
                <ExitCode Value="4099" Result="Fail" String="WindowsInstallerImproperInstall"/>
                <ExitCode Value="4101" Result="Fail" String="AnotherInstanceRunning"/>
                <ExitCode Value="4102" Result="Fail" String="OpenDatabaseFailure"/>
                <ExitCode Value="4113" Result="Fail" String="BetaNDPFailure"/>
                <DefaultExitCode Result="Fail" FormatMessageFromSystem="true" String="GeneralFailure" />
            </ExitCodes>

        </Command>
    </Commands>
</Product>

See also