WiX Toolset Command-Line Tools for Windows

Introduction to the WiX command-line utilities

The WiX command-line tools are a free, Windows-focused toolkit that helps developers produce Windows Installer packages. These utilities provide a command-driven workflow for compiling, linking, and harvesting installer resources, enabling reproducible builds from scripts or CI pipelines. They are particularly useful when you need automation and fine-grained control over installer creation.

Principal capabilities

• Automated build and scripting support for integrating installer generation into continuous integration and other build systems.
• Native creation of Windows Installer artifacts such as MSI packages and merge modules (MSM).
• Seamless interoperability with popular development environments and build tools to fit into existing workflows.
• Scales to accommodate both single-developer projects and large, multi-repository enterprise builds.

Core utilities included

• heat — a tool for harvesting files, folders, and assemblies to generate WiX authoring fragments for complex install scenarios.
• light — the linker that takes compiled WiX outputs and produces final installer binaries.
• candle — the compiler that converts WiX source files into object files used by the linker.

Documentation, customization, and compatibility

Extensive documentation and examples are available to help you learn the toolset and implement custom installer behavior. The utilities allow detailed customization of install sequences and UI, which helps produce polished, user-friendly setups.

These tools run on modern Windows platforms (including builds such as Windows 8.1 Update 1) and are distributed at no cost, making them accessible for a wide range of projects from hobby work to enterprise deployments.