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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 & functionaliti...
Bogdan Mitrache's avatar
Bogdan Mitrache
Iron 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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