[cmake-developers] [Patch 5/5] Improved WIX support

[Nils Gladitz]

On 08/12/2016 11:50 AM, Stuermer, Michael SP/HZA-ZSEP wrote:

>
>> Patch 5 seems to implement patching of FeatureRef rather than the original
>> Feature elements.
>> I am not sure if this is what you intended but this could be error prone given
>> that there could in theory be any number (0-n) FeatureRef elements for any
>> corresponding Feature element.
>>
>> Nils
> The intention was to be able to add custom components that are added as extra .wxs source files to certain features. If there are more convenient ways to do this I will be happy to change the implementation or adapt my WIX project. But so far this seemed to be a very easy and intuitive solution: the additional component references are added in the same place where all other component references are added as well.

I understand the general intention but not why you elected to patch 
FeatureRef elements instead of the Feature elements themselves.

This would not be any more convenient but would certainly match 
expectations and be less ill defined.
e.g. when I specify a patch for a Feature I expect that the Feature with 
the given ID gets patched.

Arguments against patching a FeatureRef instead are:
- There can be n FeatureRef elements for any Feature element in which 
case it would not be obvious if the patch should be applied to one 
(which?) or all of these
- While similar FeatureRef and Feature don't take the same Child elements
- You can already define your own FeatureRef elements (referencing any 
of the pre-existing Feature elements if wanted) without having to use 
the patch mechanism

Nils