Debugger

MSIStudio comes with MSIDebugger, a fully featured debugging environment for Windows Installer based setups. MSIDebugger allows you to step through the sequence tables of a .msi file as it is running and pause the setup at each point. The contents of the internal tables of the setup package can be examined as the setup progresses. This is an invaluable aid to creating a stable and solid setup package.

Sequences and Tables
The main screen of MSIDebugger displays the current action sequence table being debugged, the current set of tables contained in the setup package including temporary tables, and the current content of any selected table.

In the sequence list the current list of actions for this MSI are displayed. When stepping through the sequence table the next action to be executed will be highlighted. At any time during the install process the tables and their current data can easily be viewed.

Properties
In the properties window all the properties for the MSI will be displayed. An essential part of the debugging process is being able to view the current state of any properties being used. The list of properties is updated after each step in the sequence list. To make it visually easier the background of each property changes depending on if its value has changed or if a new property has been created.

Logging Information
The MSI Log window displays the logging information that msiexec uses to create a log for every install. This is another invaluable tool to aid the user as it contains details of actions that were called, their return values, any dialogs that were created etc. The main screen of MSIDebugger displays the current sequence to debug, the current set of tables and the current content of any selected table.

The log window not only displays the contents of the log, as each action is executed in the sequence logging information is automatically added to the log window. Using the log window in conjunction with the sequence action list the user can easily identify what action created a specific message.

Watch Window
The Watch window allows users to view the current value of any formatted objects or properties contained within the MSI at any point in time. This can be usefull in situations where you want to view certain properties or formatted types contents while not in the properties or tables window.

As the install progresses through the sequence the various properties and formatted types in the watch window are updated. Whenever an item's data in the watch window changes it is highlighted to infor the user of what has happened.