CODEWITHSUNDEEP
listboxwixwindows-installer
Roman Kuzyk
Roman Kuzyk

Reputation: 341

Wix: ListBox value limitation

Value field in ListBox table has String[64] type. Is there posible to expand this 64-characters limitation? I need to store some directory pathes there.

Upvotes: 1

Views: 593

Answers (1)

Christopher Painter
Christopher Painter

Reputation: 55581

It's probably (never tried) possible in WiX to override the default schema of he ListBox table. I know in InstallShield I just go to the direct editor and adjust it. WiX has a template schema that is used to build the MSI and you might be able to use the Table element to redefine it. Or it might just give you an error message saying you are defining a well known table.

However, I'm not sure if there would be any side effects in the ListBox control if you exceed 64 char. I don't see anything in the MSI SDK saying what's allowed so I guess your milage may vary.

Here's a trick that you might like though. It's called the evil twin dialog trick. See, in MSI there's a bug that UI elements don't refresh very well and this trick works around it. Consider this:

Dialog1 with ListBox associated to property TESTPROP and Items One value 1 and Two value 2. Textlabel that displayes [TESTPROP].

When start the dialog the text label is empty after clicking a row in the listbox. Click back and next and suddenly it has the expected text of 1 and 2.

Now create a clone of this dialog ( Dialog2 ) and put a control event on the Listbox of dialog1 that says NewDialog Dialog2 condition=1 and put a control event on the Listbox of dialog2 that says NewDialog Dialog1 condition = 1

Now when you run it the screen refreshes ( although with a big of an ugly flicker ) See it looks like it's the same dialog only it's really the evil twin dialog that's being transitioned to so that the data refreshes correctly.

Now for extra credit use your custom actions to do something like this

ListBox Item 1 Text C:\Pro...Foo\Bob value LISTBOXDIRPROP1 ListBox Item 2 Text C:\Pro...Foo\Ed value LISTBOXDIRPROP2

Property LISTBOXDIRPROP1 = C:\Program Files\Foo\Bob Property LISTBOXDIRPROP2 = C:\Program Files\Foo\Ed

Then set your TextLabel to display [[TESTPROP]]. This tells it to get deference the value of the value of the property. In other words, TESTPRO = LISTBOXDIRPROP1 = C:\Proggram Files\Foo\Bob

This trick would allow you to display a line that fits the 64 char constraint yet gives additional information when the user selects it.

Upvotes: 1

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