How to use util:CloseApplication in Bundle?

[dongyi-cai-mctlg]

Question

Hello, according to the documentation, https://docs.firegiant.com/wix/schema/util/closeapplication/
util:CloseApplication can be used in Bundle, however, when I added it, there is a lot of warnings, and CloseApplication doesn't work.

3>Bundle.wxs(22): Warning WIX1150 : The binder doesn't know how to place the following symbol into the output: SymbolName: 'WixCloseApplication', Id: 'CloseAppBundle'
3>UtilExtension_Platform.wxi(118): Warning WIX1150 : The binder doesn't know how to place the following symbol into the output: SymbolName: 'CustomAction', Id: 'Wix4CloseApplications_X64'
3>UtilExtension_Platform.wxi(118): Warning WIX1150 : The binder doesn't know how to place the following symbol into the output: SymbolName: 'WixSuppressModularization', Id: ''
3>UtilExtension_Platform.wxi(119): Warning WIX1150 : The binder doesn't know how to place the following symbol into the output: SymbolName: 'CustomAction', Id: 'Wix4CloseApplicationsDeferred_X64'
3>UtilExtension_Platform.wxi(119): Warning WIX1150 : The binder doesn't know how to place the following symbol into the output: SymbolName: 'WixSuppressModularization', Id: ''
3>UtilExtension_Platform.wxi(123): Warning WIX1150 : The binder doesn't know how to place the following symbol into the output: SymbolName: 'WixAction', Id: 'InstallExecuteSequence/Wix4CloseApplications_X64'
3>UtilExtension_Platform.wxi(399): Warning WIX1150 : The binder doesn't know how to place the following symbol into the output: SymbolName: 'Binary', Id: 'Wix4UtilCA_X64'
3>UtilExtension_Platform.wxi(109): Warning WIX1150 : The binder doesn't know how to place the following symbol into the output: SymbolName: 'CustomAction', Id: 'Wix4CheckRebootRequired_X64'
3>UtilExtension_Platform.wxi(109): Warning WIX1150 : The binder doesn't know how to place the following symbol into the output: SymbolName: 'WixSuppressModularization', Id: ''
3>UtilExtension_Platform.wxi(113): Warning WIX1150 : The binder doesn't know how to place the following symbol into the output: SymbolName: 'WixAction', Id: 'InstallExecuteSequence/Wix4CheckRebootRequired_X64'
3>wixstd.wixlib: Warning WIX1150 : The binder doesn't know how to place the following symbol into the output: SymbolName: 'WixAction', Id: 'InstallExecuteSequence/InstallFinalize'
3>wixstd.wixlib: Warning WIX1150 : The binder doesn't know how to place the following symbol into the output: SymbolName: 'WixAction', Id: 'InstallExecuteSequence/InstallFiles'

What I'm trying to do, is to simply abort installation and show error message, when specific exe is still running. How do I do that in bundle?

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[cookesan]

Those warnings are the clue: this authoring is producing MSI symbols, but the binder is building a Burn bundle.

util:CloseApplication is implemented through Windows Installer custom actions such as WixCloseApplications, deferred actions, InstallExecuteSequence, and a custom-action binary. A Burn Bundle does not have an MSI InstallExecuteSequence, so the binder has nowhere to place symbols like CustomAction, WixAction, and Binary at the bundle level.

If the check belongs to the MSI package, put util:CloseApplication in that MSI authoring. For example, use it with PromptToContinue="yes" and a Description if you want the MSI to abort/retry/continue when the exe is running.

If the check must happen before the bundle applies any packages, implement it in the bootstrapper application layer instead. With WixStdBA, there is not a generic built-in "process is running" bundle condition equivalent to CloseApplication; a custom BA or package-level check is the normal route.

[dongyi-cai-mctlg]

I see, thanks. We do need it before bundle applies any packages. So that means we need a custom BA then.

I do still have a feature request, make something like util:ProcessSearch, so that it searches a process named "abc.exe" and assign variable name just like other searches.

[robmen]

I'm pretty sure Bundles do not support the CloseApplications element. That must be a doc bug.

[dongyi-cai-mctlg]

OK, is there a way to detect a specific exe is running at the beginning of opening a bundle? Rewrite an entire custom bootstrapper just for this is overwelming.

[dongyi-cai-mctlg]

I'll post my own answer. I found a way to just create the feature without re-writing the whole bootstrapper application.

There is undocumented "BAFunction" aka bootstrapper application function. But a new C++ project is involved. There is even an example about how to do it in the repo:
https://github.com/wixtoolset/wix/blob/main/src/ext/Bal/Samples/bafunctions/WixSampleBAFunctions.cpp

Create C++ dynamic library project, implement it according to the project, and then add dll payload like this in the bundle:

 <Payload Name="MyBAFunction.dll"
          SourceFile="..\path\to\MyBAFunction.dll"
          bal:BAFunctions="true" />

The C++ project should reference this nuget package: WixToolset.WixStandardBootstrapperApplicationFunctionApi