I want a setup project that saves the connection string the user selects via the mdac dialogs into the application configuration file.

I managed to get the following code :

public override void Install(System.Collections.IDictionary stateSaver)

base.Install(stateSaver);

MSDASC.DataLinks udl = new MSDASC.DataLinksClass();

ADODB.Connection conn = (ADODB.Connection)udl.PromptNew();

if (conn != null)

string ConnectionString = conn.ConnectionString;

string[] ConnectionStringParts = ConnectionString.Split(';');

SqlConnectionStringBuilder builder = new SqlConnectionStringBuilder();

foreach (string ConnectionStringPart in ConnectionStringParts)

string[] KeyValue = ConnectionStringPart.Split('=');

try

builder.Add(KeyValue[0], KeyValue[1]);

catch (Exception)

MessageBox.Show(builder.ConnectionString);

//now i need to figure out to save this stirng in the configuration file

//what is the path ? can I get to it via Context ?

//can I use the Configuration class ?

Yes. You should be able to use the configuration classes.

// Get the current configuration file.
System.Configuration.Configuration config = ConfigurationManager.OpenExeConfiguration(ConfigurationUserLevel.None);

// Get the section.

ConfigurationSection section = config.GetSection("mysection");

// Save the section.
config.Save();

sorry this does not work, I guess

System.Configuration.Configuration config = ConfigurationManager.OpenExeConfiguration(ConfigurationUserLevel.None);

is the problem. Does this statement give access to the configuration file of the application you are installing or to the configurationfile of the setup.exe ?

Now openexeconfiguration supports a filename as well. But how do I know where the setup is installing, what is the path the user selected for installation ?

Not sure if this is the best way but this is what I do; pass the install target directory to a custom actions project via the CustomActionData property like this:

/WebRoot="[TARGETDIR]\"

The MSI TARGETDIR is the directory the app was installed into. Then in the custom action project it can be accessed and used to get the config file like this:

string sConfigFile = Context.Parameters["WebRoot"].ToString() + "Web.config";   

System.IO.FileInfo oFileInfo = new System.IO.FileInfo(sConfigFile);
XmlNode oNode;

if (oFileInfo.Exists)
{
    //Loads the config file into the XML DOM.
    XmlDocument oMyXMLDoc = new XmlDocument();
    oMyXMLDoc.Load(oFileInfo.FullName);

     oNode = oMyXMLDoc.DocumentElement.SelectSingleNode("//whatever....");

    //modify xml nodes....

    // Save changes

   oMyXMLDoc.Save(oFileInfo.FullName);
}
else
{
   throw (new InstallException("Error updating web configuration file. Missing file: " + oFileInfo.FullName));
}