Ensure required install actions for a dll are executed without duplicating code?

You should be able to add an installer class to your DLL then register the DLL for execution of custom actions in a setup project. If you have tried this and encountered problems, could you please be more specific about which version of Visual Studio and which type of setup project you are using?

Ah, I can indeed do this. My problem before was, that I had not included the dll project output in the setup project, and somehow I had gotten it into my head, that since the dll project was not executable, I would not be able to do so. Sometimes, all it takes is for someone to say that something is easy to do, and then one can see the solution immediately.Thanks.

– Boris Oct 14 at 15:15.

I just have a MyApplication. Installation assembly where I put a custom action that creates the event source. All my setup projects reference this assembly and invoke its custom action.

You create a simple batch file or a powershell script to create the log file that you want to create. You could make an installer for the dll file(or even the entire solution it doesn't matter.) You can then invoke the batch file that you just wrote from the installer. Refer here .

This way, you are not duplicating the creation logic for a dependent files/resources; and you can use the same batch file for multiple setup projects basically(provided they use the same resources.) I hope this answers your question. One step further, what environment are your clients on? Are they still on Win XP(SP2 or before)?

If that is the case, you have to do something similar to what you already have in mind right now. However, if that is not the case, if your clients are on Win 7, You could use nuget to publish your bins(Refer here). I admit that this is still looked at as a source code sharing solution.

But I believe that the approach can be extended to publishing binaries too.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.