Creating an XML Search

The following article uses options that are available starting with the Enterprise edition and project type.

This tutorial will guide you step by step in the process of creating a valid and working XML custom search. This type of search operation can be useful during the installation, upgrade or removal process in order to copy or delete certain files or features based on the content of an XML file.

• 1. Create an XML file for the tutorial
• 2. Create an XML Search
• 3. Create the first XML locator
• 4. Create XML locators for the rest of the elements
• 5. Add two XML locators for the same element
• 6. Add your files to the project and organize them
• 7. Build the project
• 8. Video tutorial

We will start by creating a simple XML file which we are going to use throughout this tutorial to understand how XML Search operations work. In a real case scenario this will not be needed as the search operations will be defined using real XML files.

1. Create an XML file for the tutorial

First thing we will do is to create a new file, using a regular editor like Notepad and save this file as TutorialXMLfile.xml. In this example we will put it directly in C:\ but it can be moved to any folder you want. In this file we will paste the following code and save the file:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?>
<element1 value1="1">
  This is the tutorial text for element1
  <element2 value2="2">
    This is the tutorial text for element2
  </element2>
  <element3 value3="3">
    This is the tutorial text for element3
    <element4 value4="4">
      This is the tutorial text for element4
      <element5 value5="5">
       This is the tutorial text for element5
      </element5>
    </element4>
  </element3>
</element1>

2. Create an XML Search

Go to the Search Page page and create a new XML Search by using the toolbar button or the context menu.

In the "Path" field from the XML Search Properties panel write [WindowsVolume]TutorialXMLfile.xml. In the XML Search elements panel rename the RootElement to element1.

In this panel add four more elements, rename them and position them like in the image below:

3. Create the first XML locator

In this section we are going to define and test an XML Search locator for element1.

4. Create XML locators for the rest of the elements

In this section we are going to define four more XML search locators for four elements in order to better understand their use.

5. Add two XML locators for the same element

In this section we are going to add another XML Search locator for element4 in order to understand how multiple search operations assigned to a single element are performed.

Select element4 from the XML Search elements panel and add a new locator with the following options:

• Search field - Attribute name
• Value field - different_value
• Enable Store checkbox and from the combobox select Attribute value as the result type
• Write the property or click on the ... button to define the XMLPROP6 property, set its value to none and select it.

Test the new XML Search.

In this case the properties assigned to both the first and the second search operations aren't set (their value is the default none).

This is because the attribute different_value doesn't exist in our XML file, so the search will fail making all the other search operations assigned to element4 and all its child nodes to also fail.

In our example the properties XMLPROP4, XMLPROP5, XMLPROP6 will have the default value none.

6. Add your files to the project and organize them

In this tutorial we will add five txt files to the project, namely: file1.txt; file2.txt; file3.txt; file4.txt; file5.txt and we will put each file inside its own component.

Add your files to the project using the Files and Folders Page - Installer Project.

Organize them into features and components in the Organization Page.

On every component we will set the following install conditions:

• Component1:

XMLPROP1<>"none"

• Component2:

XMLPROP2<>"none"

• Component3:

XMLPROP3<>"none"

• Component4:

XMLPROP4<>"none" AND XMLPROP6<>"none"

• Component5:

XMLPROP5<>"none"

7. Build the project

Build the project and run it.

If you followed this tutorial step by step, upon installing the package you will see that only file1.txt; file2.txt; file3.txt are present in the installation folder. This is normal, as described above in Add two XML locators for the same element section. The files file4.txt, file5.txt will not be installed since the search operations associated with the parent node, element4, failed.

You can download a sample project from here (Advanced Installer Enterprise Edition is needed). Also, you can watch the example from the video tutorial:

8. Video tutorial