WiX4 Custom BA - is it possible?

[oleg-shilo]

Is there any working example for Managed Custom BA for WiX 4.

The only information available for that is in WiX4 documentation. It states the following:

Even though the WixBA is not currently shipping, it is still available at https://github.com/wixtoolset/wix4/tree/develop/src/test/burn/WixToolset.WixBA. You can basically see a step-by-step example of upgrading a v3 MBA by looking at the history of that folder and WixToolset.WixBA.csproj. Another folder that might be useful is https://github.com/wixtoolset/wix4/tree/develop/src/test/burn/TestData/TestBA.

The link(s) above help with building the assembly with the BA but there is no guidance on how to embed this BA in the bundle.
This leaves developers with no working E2E code sample (WiX Bundle+BA project). My numerous attempts to solve it for the community have failed.
Does anyone solve it?

I have created the test project:
https://github.com/oleg-shilo/wixsharp/tree/wix-v4-master/Source/src/WixSharp.Samples/Wix%23%20Samples/Bootstrapper/WiX4-Spike/Bundle1

The sample can be built but fails to load at runtime:

[...][...]i000: Loading managed bootstrapper application.
[...][...]e000: Error 0x8013101b: Failed to create the bootstrapper application.
[...][...]e000: Error 0x8013101b: Failed to create the managed bootstrapper application.
[...][...]e000: Error 0x8013101b: Failed to create BA.
[...][...]e000: Error 0x8013101b: Failed to load BA.
[...][...]e000: Error 0x8013101b: Failed while running

[kerrywicks]

I don't have an example I can share, but I've converted a Wix3 BA to Wix 4. I had a quick glance at your repo, and I think you need to set up an AssemblyInfo.cs for your WixBA project, with the following:

[assembly: BootstrapperApplicationFactory(typeof(WixBAFactory))]

[oleg-shilo]

Unfortunately, it is not the cause.

The attribute is set. The assembly I am using (WixToolset.WixBA) is the BA recommended by the WiX team and it does have its attribute set. I use it without any change.

[kerrywicks]

I had some time to have a poke at this to get it working. I think it's your config file (which isn't included in your source code when I looked at your branch).

Create WixBA.BootstrapperCore.config under WixToolset.WixBA. It's contents should be the same as what you can find in the example code here: https://github.com/wixtoolset/Bal.wixext/blob/master/src/test/examples/FullFramework4MBA/WixToolset.Mba.Host.config

If you did a copy/paste from the file above, replace this line:

<host assemblyName="Example.FullFramework4MBA" />

with

<host assemblyName="WixToolset.WixBA" />

That should get you up and running.

[oleg-shilo]

Unfortunately, it's not it.

I, in fact, used that WixBA.BootstrapperCore.config locally. I only accidentally missed it when committing the repo.
I added it now (https://github.com/oleg-shilo/wixsharp/blob/wix-v4-master/Source/src/WixSharp.Samples/Wix%23%20Samples/Bootstrapper/WiX4-Spike/Bundle1/WixToolset.WixBA/WixBA.BootstrapperCore.config)

Did you say "a poke at this to get it working"? If it is the case can you just share the complete working project?
I feel that is is something very simple and I just cannot see it.

[kerrywicks]

I no longer have the working project - I literally took 10 minutes of my spare time, added the config file, built the bootstrapper in Debug x86, the package in debug x64 (as that is the output you were using in the bundle), and the bundle in debug x86, and it worked. I have since deleted it, as it was taking up more space than I liked and the fix for your issue seemed pretty simple. I made no other changes. Your config seems correct now.

If you're using visual studio, I'd advise doing a full solution 'clean', as sometimes a build/rebuild fails to clean out older builds with the Wix stuff, I've found. If you're doing a rebuild, I'd advise trying to get everything built on the same configuration.

If you're still struggling after that, I'd recommend having a look at the example projects here: https://github.com/wixtoolset/Bal.wixext/tree/master/src/test/examples as they seem to be a bit simpler than what you're working with at the moment.

[oleg-shilo]

Bingo!
Thank you for the hint. The problem was in the Platform setting but the code itself was OK all along.

This is the config that I was trying to use (did not work):

And this change made it work:

Thank you for your help. Really appreciate it.

[kerrywicks]

I'm glad you got it working in the end - good luck with the rest!

[oleg-shilo]

Adding the project to assist others:
Bundle1.zip

[Shivapatne]

do you have this example for Wix 5?

[oleg-shilo]

No, I don't.

Wix5 brings very positive but breaking changes around custom BA. The problem is that at the time of Wix5 release it did not have any example of a custom BA app. So WixSharp did not migrate to new BA architecture and falls back to Wix4 compiler when it detects that user is trying to build a custom BA

I am not sure if WiX team has now provided the guidance/example of custom BA for Wix5. If they did then it can definitely be integrated into WiSharp.

[oleg-shilo]

Good news. there is a sample: https://wixtoolset.org/docs/fivefour/oopbas/

Note for myself :)
This sample is still for the WiX4 in-process BA, not the new one: https://github.com/wixtoolset/wix/tree/HEAD/src/test/burn/WixToolset.WixBA###

I will schedule this as a new feature for the next release.