Link to tool: CubMakr Online Tool

This is a quick demonstration of the new CubMakr Version 2 features. It covers custom ICE naming, integration with your application tracker and custom ICE routines.

Last week we released CubMakr V2, with a few new features.  You can find a quick video here.

One of the new features was simply being able to specify custom ICE references as opposed to all the ICE messages appearing as ALKANEICE01.  This was a request from Rory over at Rorymon.com.This can now be specified when you’re creating a new rule, at the very top:

If you’ve already created your rules you can edit each rule and change the name accordingly.  This is useful so that you can refer to specific ICE messages like you can with normal MSI validation (ICE33, ICE03 etc).  It also means you can set up a web page with references to your custom ICE messages and instructions on how they can be resolved.  Unfortunately, the HelpURL part of the ICE message no longer appears to be supported by most products so we can’t include this in the CubMakr toolset (sad face).

The second new feature in Version 2 is Advanced Scripting.  This is really interesting, as it enables advanced users to include their own custom VBScripts into the cub files.  These scripts can be used to perform custom ICE routines (which cannot be handled by CubMakr natively, such as detecting empty components) and even integrate with your own application tracking tools for real-time validation!!  The scripts can be sequenced to run before the CubMakr rules, or after the CubMakr rules.  An example of advanced scripting can be found here.

I thought I’d give a quick example of how advanced users can utilise advanced scripting in CubMakr.

Example 1: Integrating with your Application Tracker

The first example I want to show is how we can integrate the CubMakr with your in-house tracking tool.  Some places use Sharepoint to track applications, some places use a SQL Server back-end (ok…so does Sharepoint….but I believe the preferred approach for querying Sharepoint is to use CAML and you can find a VBScript example on my blog here).

I’ll let you read the commented code to see what the script does, but basically:

• In order to link your package to your tracker record, you’ll need a reference.  In this example I create a property in the MSI called ALKANEREF and set the value to the unique reference for my package.
• In the script, I read the value of ALKANEREF and then query the SQL Server database to retrieve various records (vendor, application and version).
• I then create a session property (i.e, not a property which will persist in my database) called ALKANEMANUFACTURER which we can then use as part of a CubMakr rule to validate (for example) the Manufacturer property value.

Because we want to set the ALKANEMANUFACTURER property before the CubMakr rules are run, we would obviously set this script to run before the CubMakr rules.  Here’s the script:

Dim objConnection : Set objConnection = CreateObject("ADODB.Connection") 
Dim objRecordSet : Set objRecordSet = CreateObject("ADODB.Recordset") 

'Connection string for our fictitious application tracker
objConnection.Open _ 
    "Provider=SQLOLEDB;Data Source=.\SQLExpress;" & _ 
        "Trusted_Connection=Yes;Initial Catalog=alkanetracker;" & _ 
             "User ID=alkanetest;Password=24rHj7Zz4OFNhYV;" 

Dim packagevendor : packagevendor = ""
Dim packageapplication : packageapplication = ""
Dim packageversion : packageversion = ""
Const adVarChar = 200
Const adParamInput = 1
Dim sql : sql = ""
Dim oView, oRecord

'First get the package reference.  We use Session.ProductProperty here because the ALKANEREF property is part of our MSI, and 
'not a property which has been created in the current in-memory session.
alkaneRef = Session.ProductProperty("ALKANEREF")

'select all columns for our package with the specified package reference
set cmd = CreateObject("ADODB.Command")
with cmd
    .ActiveConnection = objConnection
    .CommandText = "SELECT * FROM packages WHERE packagereference = ?"
    .Parameters.Append .CreateParameter("packagereference",adVarChar,adParamInput,50,alkaneRef)
end with
set objRecordSet = cmd.execute

Do While NOT objRecordSet.Eof
	packagevendor = objRecordSet("packagevendor") 
	packageapplication = objRecordSet("packageapplication") 
	packageversion = objRecordSet("packageversion") 

	'set ALKANEMANUFACTURER for our CubMakr rule.  Remember that Session.Property is read/write, Session.ProductProperty is read only!
	Session.Property("ALKANEMANUFACTURER") = packagevendor

	objRecordSet.MoveNext     
Loop

set cmd = nothing 
Set objConnection = Nothing
Set objRecordSet = Nothing

Example 2: Writing your own ICE routines

The second example I wanted to show you was writing your own custom ICE routines.  CubMakr is used to provide a simplified way of checking for certain entries within the windows installer tables and summary information stream.  It cannot handle more complex scenarios, such as checking for empty component, checking for duplicate registry entries etc.  For these scenarios there is now the facility to add your own custom ICE routines.  Here is an example of some custom ICE routines:

'initialise variables and constants

Const msiMessageTypeError =  &H01000000
Const msiMessageTypeWarning = &H02000000
Const msiMessageTypeUser = &H03000000

Dim messageIceName, messageDescription, messageDescriptionAddition, messageType, messageTable, messageColumn
'Message Types
'0	MessageFail
'1	MessageError
'2	MessageWarning
'3	MessageInfo

'call Custom ICEs in this order
Call checkEmptyComponents()
Call checkNoKeypath()
Call noDuplicateRegistry()

'This function checks for empty components
Function checkEmptyComponents()

	'Here we specify:
	'The name of the ICE message
	messageIceName = "EXAMPLE01"
	'The type of ICE message (see top of script)
	messageType = 2
	'The description we want to show in the ICE message
	messageDescription = "'[1]' is an empty component.  Please delete."	
	'The table that the ICE message relates to
	messageTable = "Component"
	'The column where the issue resides
	messageColumn = "Component"

	Dim componentsView, componentsRec, tableView, tableRec, dataView, dataRec

	Dim emptyComponent : emptyComponent = True
	Dim tempComponent : tempComponent = ""

	If Session.Database.TablePersistent("Component") = 1 Then

		Set componentsView = Session.Database.OpenView("Select `Component` From `Component` ORDER BY `Component`")
		componentsView.Execute
		Set componentsRec = componentsView.Fetch
		Do While Not componentsRec is Nothing

			tempComponent = componentsRec.StringData(1)

			'list the tables that have 'Component_' (foreign key) columns
			Set tableView = Session.Database.OpenView("SELECT `Table` FROM `_Columns` WHERE `Name`= 'Component_' AND `Table` <> 'FeatureComponents'") 
			tableView.Execute
			Set tableRec = tableView.Fetch
			Do While Not tableRec is Nothing

				emptyComponent = True
				Set dataView = Session.Database.OpenView("SELECT  `Component_` FROM `" & tableRec.StringData(1) & "`  WHERE `Component_`='" & tempComponent & "'")
				dataView.Execute
				If Not dataView.Fetch is Nothing Then 'this table has a some data belonging to some component
					'component contains data
					emptyComponent = False
					'skip component and move to next
					Exit Do
				End If

				Set tableRec = tableView.Fetch
			Loop

			If emptyComponent Then				
				componentsRec.StringData(0) = messageIceName & Chr(9) & messageType & Chr(9) & messageDescription & Chr(9) & "" & Chr(9) & messageTable & chr(9) & messageColumn & chr(9) & "[1]"
				Session.Message msiMessageTypeUser,componentsRec
			End If

			Set componentsRec = componentsView.Fetch
		Loop

		Set tableRec = Nothing
		Set tableView = Nothing
		Set componentsView = Nothing
		Set componentsRec = Nothing
		Set dataView = Nothing

	End If	

	'return success
	checkEmptyComponents = 1
  End Function

  'This function checks for components without a keypath, and if a keypath is available, suggests it.
  Function checkNoKeypath()

	Dim keypathView, keypathRec, blnKeypathSet, tempView, tempRec

    messageIceName = "EXAMPLE02"
	messageType = 2
	messageDescription = "Component '[1]' does not have a keypath set."
	messageTable = "Component"
	messageColumn = "Component"

	If Session.Database.TablePersistent("Component") = 1 Then

		'find all components which do not have Keypaths
		Set keypathView = Session.Database.OpenView("SELECT `Component`,`ComponentId`, `Attributes` FROM `Component` WHERE `KeyPath` IS Null")
		keypathView.Execute
		Set keypathRec = keypathView.Fetch
		Do Until keypathRec Is Nothing

			'initiate this to false
			blnKeypathSet = False	
			messageDescriptionAddition = " No suitable keypath entries were found."

			If Session.Database.TablePersistent("File") = 1 Then
				'Check file table			
				Set Tempview = Session.Database.OpenView("SELECT `File`,`Component_` FROM `File` WHERE `Component_`='" & keypathRec.StringData(1) & "'")
				Tempview.Execute
				Set tempRec  = Tempview.Fetch
				If Not tempRec Is Nothing Then

					blnKeypathSet = True
					messageDescriptionAddition = " A suitable keypath may be '" & tempRec.StringData(1) & "' in the File table."					

				End If
				Set Tempview = Nothing
				Set tempRec = Nothing
			End If

			If Not blnKeypathSet Then
				If Session.Database.TablePersistent("Registry") = 1 Then 
					Set Tempview = Session.Database.OpenView("SELECT `Registry`, `Component_` FROM `Registry` WHERE `Component_`='" & keypathRec.StringData(1) & "'")
					Tempview.Execute
					Set tempRec = Tempview.fetch
					If Not tempRec is Nothing Then	

						blnKeypathSet = True
						messageDescriptionAddition = " A suitable keypath may be '" & tempRec.StringData(1) & "' in the Registry table."

					end If
					Set Tempview = Nothing
					Set tempRec = Nothing
				End If
			End If

			If Not blnKeypathSet Then
				If Session.Database.TablePersistent("ODBCDataSource") = 1 Then
				'check ODBCDataSource table 
					Set Tempview = Session.Database.OpenView("SELECT `DataSource`, `Component_` FROM `ODBCDataSource` WHERE `Component_`='" & keypathRec.StringData(1) & "'")
					Tempview.Execute
					Set tempRec = Tempview.fetch
					If Not tempRec is Nothing Then

						blnKeypathSet = True						
						messageDescriptionAddition = " A suitable keypath may be '" & tempRec.StringData(1) & "' in the ODBCDataSource table."

					end If
					Set Tempview = Nothing
					Set tempRec = Nothing
				End If
			End If

			keypathRec.StringData(0) = messageIceName & Chr(9) & messageType & Chr(9) & messageDescription & messageDescriptionAddition & Chr(9) & "" & Chr(9) & messageTable & chr(9) & messageColumn & chr(9) & "[1]"
			Session.Message msiMessageTypeUser,keypathRec

			Set keypathRec = keypathView.Fetch
		Loop
	End If

	Set keypathRec = Nothing
	Set keypathView = Nothing

	Set TempRec = Nothing
	Set Tempview = Nothing

	checkNoKeypath = 1

  End Function

  'This function checks that we do not have any duplicate registry.  Duplicate registry items usually occur when users start to import
  'registry and they're not being careful!
  Function noDuplicateRegistry()

    messageIceName = "EXAMPLE03"
	messageType = 2
	messageTable = "Registry"
	messageColumn = "Registry"

	Dim registryView, registryRecord, duplicateView, duplicateRecord, tempRecord

	If Session.Database.TablePersistent("Registry") = 1 And Session.Database.TablePersistent("Component") = 1  Then

		Set registryView = Session.Database.OpenView("SELECT `Registry`,`Key`,`Name`,`Value`,`Component_` FROM `Registry`")
		registryView.Execute
		Set registryRecord = registryView.Fetch
		Do Until registryRecord Is Nothing

			Set duplicateView = Session.Database.OpenView("SELECT `Registry` FROM `Registry` WHERE `Key`=? AND `Name`=? AND `Value`=? AND `Registry` <> ?")

			Set tempRecord = Session.Installer.CreateRecord(4)    
			tempRecord.StringData(1) = registryRecord.StringData(2)    
			tempRecord.StringData(2) = registryRecord.StringData(3)
			tempRecord.StringData(3) = registryRecord.StringData(4)  
			tempRecord.StringData(4) = registryRecord.StringData(1) 		
			duplicateView.Execute(tempRecord)
			Set tempRecord = Nothing

			Set duplicateRecord = duplicateView.Fetch
			While not duplicateRecord is Nothing

				if not isMSMData(registryRecord.StringData(1)) and not isMSMData(duplicateRecord.StringData(1)) Then

					messageDescription = "Registry entry '[1]' is a duplicate of registry entry '" & duplicateRecord.StringData(1) & "'.  Please investigate."
					registryRecord.StringData(0) = messageIceName & Chr(9) & messageType & Chr(9) & messageDescription & Chr(9) & "" & Chr(9) & messageTable & chr(9) & messageColumn & chr(9) & "[1]"
					Session.Message msiMessageTypeUser,registryRecord

				end If
				Set duplicateRecord = duplicateView.Fetch
			Wend

			Set registryRecord = registryView.Fetch
		Loop

	End If

	Set registryView = Nothing
	Set registryRecord = Nothing
	Set duplicateView = Nothing
	Set duplicateRecord = Nothing

	noDuplicateRegistry = 1

End  Function

'returns true if tempData contains MSM decoration
Function isMSMData(tempData)
	isMSMData = False
	Dim Match
	Dim regEx : Set regEx = New RegExp
	regEx.MultiLine = vbTrue
	regEx.global = vbTrue
	regEx.Pattern = "[A-Za-z0-9]{8}_[A-Za-z0-9]{4}_[A-Za-z0-9]{4}_[A-Za-z0-9]{4}_[A-Za-z0-9]{12}"
	For Each Match in regEx.Execute(tempData)
		isMSMData = True
	Next
	Set regEx = Nothing
End Function

Link to tool: CubMakr Online Tool

This is a quick (kind of) demonstration of the CubMakr online tool. It goes through a few examples of how cub files can be generated easily without any scripting knowledge required.