WiX tricks and tips

Answer 1

Modify the "Ready to install?" dialog (aka VerifyReadyDlg) to provide a summary of choices made.

It looks like this:
alt text http://i46.tinypic.com/s4th7t.jpg

Do this with a Javascript CustomAction:

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Javascript code:

// http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa372516(VS.85).aspx
var MsiViewModify = 
    {
        Refresh          : 0,
        Insert           : 1,
        Update           : 2,
        Assign           : 3,
        Replace          : 4,
        Merge            : 5,
        Delete           : 6,
        InsertTemporary  : 7,   // cannot permanently modify the MSI during install
        Validate         : 8,
        ValidateNew      : 9,
        ValidateField    : 10,
        ValidateDelete   : 11
    };


// http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/sfw6660x(VS.85).aspx
var Buttons = 
    {
        OkOnly           : 0,
        OkCancel         : 1,
        AbortRetryIgnore : 2,
        YesNoCancel      : 3
    };

var Icons= 
    {
        Critical         : 16,
        Question         : 32,
        Exclamation      : 48,
        Information      : 64
    }

var MsgKind =
    {
        Error            : 0x01000000,
        Warning          : 0x02000000,
        User             : 0x03000000,
        Log              : 0x04000000
    };

// http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa371254(VS.85).aspx
var MsiActionStatus = 
    {
        None             : 0,
        Ok               : 1, // success
        Cancel           : 2,
        Abort            : 3,
        Retry            : 4, // aka suspend?
        Ignore           : 5  // skip remaining actions; this is not an error.
    };

function UpdateReadyDialog_CA(sitename)
{
    try 
    {
        // can retrieve properties from the install session like this:
        var selectedWebSiteId = Session.Property("MSI_PROPERTY_HERE");

        // can retrieve requested feature install state like this:
        var fInstallRequested   = Session.FeatureRequestState("F.FeatureName");

        var text1 = "This is line 1 of text in the VerifyReadyDlg";

        var text2 = "This is the second line of custom text";

        var controlView     = Session.Database.OpenView("SELECT * FROM Control");
        controlView.Execute();

        var rec             = Session.Installer.CreateRecord(12);
        rec.StringData(1)   = "VerifyReadyDlg";    // Dialog_
        rec.StringData(2)   = "CustomVerifyText1"; // Control - can be any name
        rec.StringData(3)   = "Text";              // Type
        rec.IntegerData(4)  = 25;                  // X
        rec.IntegerData(5)  = 60;                  // Y
        rec.IntegerData(6)  = 320;                 // Width
        rec.IntegerData(7)  = 85;                  // Height
        rec.IntegerData(8)  = 2;                   // Attributes
        rec.StringData(9)   = "";                  // Property
        rec.StringData(10)  = vText1;              // Text
        rec.StringData(11)  = "";                  // Control_Next
        rec.StringData(12)  = "";                  // Help
        controlView.Modify(MsiViewModify.InsertTemporary, rec);

        rec                 = Session.Installer.CreateRecord(12);
        rec.StringData(1)   = "VerifyReadyDlg";    // Dialog_
        rec.StringData(2)   = "CustomVerifyText2"; // Control - any unique name
        rec.StringData(3)   = "Text";              // Type
        rec.IntegerData(4)  = 25;                  // X
        rec.IntegerData(5)  = 160;                 // Y
        rec.IntegerData(6)  = 320;                 // Width
        rec.IntegerData(7)  = 65;                  // Height
        rec.IntegerData(8)  = 2;                   // Attributes
        rec.StringData(9)   = "";                  // Property
        rec.StringData(10)  = text2;               // Text
        rec.StringData(11)  = "";                  // Control_Next
        rec.StringData(12)  = "";                  // Help
        controlView.Modify(MsiViewModify.InsertTemporary, rec);

        controlView.Close();
    }
    catch (exc1)
    {
        Session.Property("CA_EXCEPTION") = exc1.message ;
        LogException("UpdatePropsWithSelectedWebSite", exc1);
        return MsiActionStatus.Abort;
    }
    return MsiActionStatus.Ok;
}


function LogException(loc, exc)
{
    var record = Session.Installer.CreateRecord(0);
    record.StringData(0) = "Exception {" + loc + "}: " + exc.number + " : " + exc.message;
    Session.Message(MsgKind.Error + Icons.Critical + Buttons.btnOkOnly, record);
}

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Declare the Javascript CA:

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Attach the CA to a button. In this example, the CA is fired when Next is clicked from the CustomizeDlg:

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Related SO Question: How can I set, at runtime, the text to be displayed in VerifyReadyDlg?