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Raoul12's avatar
Raoul12
Copper Contributor
Aug 27, 2019

Build a MSIX package from the msi of an Excel vsto complement

MSIX packaging tool does produce a msix package from the msi of an Excel  (2016) vsto complement but the built package doesn't seem to install properly neither appear in "applications & functionalities" menu.

Any light on this topic?

Thanks

  • Bogdan Mitrache's avatar
    Bogdan Mitrache
    Steel Contributor
    Aug 28, 2019

    Hi Raoul12 

     

    I see you clarified where you can see the installed msix packaged apps and how you can uninstall them.

     

    Regarding extensions/add-ins that is a little bit complicated. First, the main app for which you deploy the extension should also be packaged as an MSIX package, otherwise, I don't see how the MSIX container of your add-in will interact with the main app.

     

    Then, regarding how the OS handles the connection between the main app and its add-ins we suspect Microsoft will rely on the optional packages support from MSIX, but we haven't seen any other announcements on this topic lately. Another announcement/demo/promise was demo-ed in 2018 by MSFT.

    From my perspective, optional packages seem very similar with modification packages (I may be missing something) so, to be honest, I don't understand why the separation between.

     

     

    • Raoul12's avatar
      Raoul12
      Copper Contributor
      Aug 28, 2019

      Thanks for your remarks. Optional package seems interesting


      I have been a little further on the topic.
      Now the package installs properly on my computer and create a folder in programfiles\windowsapps includind a vsto file. If I copy the folder on my deksktop the addin installs. I doesn't work on another computer probably because of a certificate issue.
      I am not sure how clean this approach is.


      Uninstall issue was due to a corrupted initial project.

      Raoul

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