Author Bootstrapper Application for a Bundle

Every bundle requires a bootstrapper application to drive the Burn engine. The BootstrapperApplication element is used to define a new bootstrapper application. The BootstrapperApplicationRef element is used to refer to a bootstrapper application that exists in a Fragment or WiX extension.

The WiX Standard Bootstrapper Application exists in the WixBalExtension.dll. The following shows how to use it in a bundle:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<Wix xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/wix/2006/wi">
  <Bundle>
    <BootstrapperApplicationRef Id="WixStandardBootstrapperApplication.RtfLicense" />
    <Chain>
    </Chain>
  </Bundle>
</Wix>

The WiX Standard Bootstrapper Application may not provide all functionality a specialized bundle requires so a custom bootstrapper application DLL may be developed. The following example creates a bootstrapper application using a fictional "ba.dll":

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<Wix xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/wix/2006/wi">
  <Bundle>
    <BootstrapperApplication SourceFile="path\to\ba.dll" />
    <Chain>
    </Chain>
  </Bundle>
</Wix>

Inside the BootstrapperApplication element and BootstrapperApplicationRef element, you may add additional payload files such as resources files that are required by the bootstrapper application DLL as follows:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<Wix xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/wix/2006/wi">
  <Bundle>
    <BootstrapperApplication SourceFile="path\to\ba.dll">
      <Payload SourceFile="path\to\en-us\resources.dll" />
      <PayloadGroupRef Id="ResourceGroupforJapanese" />
    </BootstrapperApplication>
    <Chain>
    </Chain>
  </Bundle>
</Wix>

This example references a payload file that is on the local machine named resources.dll, as well as a group of payload files that are defined in a PayloadGroup element inside a Fragment elsewhere.

The next step is to add installation packages to the chain.