Installation/Deployment: Script to Fix Square Bracket Handling Bug in WISE for Windows Installer

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Author: Jon Loomes
Platform: Windows NT, Windows 2000
Type: VBScript

DESCRIPTION: This script addresses a bug in WISE for Windows Installer 3 where if a registry entry in an MSI package has a value that contains square brackets e.g. [value], then WISE will interpret everything in between the brackets as an MSI property and attempt to resolve it via the Property table. This results in incorrect registry values begin written when the package is installed. In order to make WISE interpret square brackets literally, it is necessary to use the following syntax: [\[]<mystring>[\]]

This script walks through the Registry table in an MSI package, and fixes values in square brackets as it comes across them. It writes the changes it makes to an Excel spreadsheet to enable you to check for errors.

This bug is fixed in the next release of WISE for Windows Installer (apparently)...

Download the script.
Scroll down to view the script.

Option Explicit

Dim databasePath, szTableName, objFS
Const msiOpenDatabaseModeReadOnly = 0
Const msiOpenDatabaseModeTransact = 1

set objFS = CreateObject( "Scripting.FileSystemObject" )

Dim argNum, argCount:argCount = Wscript.Arguments.Count
If (argCount < 1) Then
    databasePath = InputBox("Please enter the Msi file name including path",,"C:\testing\MYMSI.msi")
    if databasePath = "" then
        Fail "Cancel Selected"
    end if
else
    databasePath = Wscript.Arguments(0)
End If

'    Enter the Table name to update
szTableName = InputBox("Please enter the Table name to check",,"Registry")
if szTableName = "" then
    Fail "Cancel Selected"
end if

if (not objFS.FileExists(databasePath)) then Fail "File does not exist"

' Dump Changes to an excel spreadsheet so it can be analysed
dim objXL, intIndex: intIndex = 2
set objXL = CreateObject( "Excel.Application" )
objXL.Visible = TRUE
objXL.WorkBooks.Add
objXL.Cells(1, 1).Value = "Replacement String"
objXL.Rows(1).Font.Bold = True


' Export the Registry Table
TableImpExp szTableName, "Export"

' Process it to change source
Const ForReading = 1, ForWriting = 2, ForAppending = 8
Dim InpFile, OutpFile, objRegExp, szLine, szOutputLine, DeleteFile
    Set objRegExp = new RegExp
    objRegExp.pattern = "\[*\]"
    objRegExp.ignorecase = TRUE

    Set InpFile = objFS.OpenTextFile("C:\test.txt" , ForReading)
    Set OutpFile = objFS.OpenTextFile("C:\test1.txt" , ForWriting, True)
    While(InpFile.AtEndOfStream <> True)
        szLine = InpFile.readline
        if (objRegExp.Test(szLine)) then
szOutputLine = FixLine(szLine)
        else
szOutputLine = szLine
        end if
        OutpFile.WriteLine(szOutputLine)
    Wend
    InpFile.close
    OutpFile.close

' Import the Registry Table
TableImpExp szTableName, "Import"

'Delete the temporary files created
Set DeleteFile = objFS.GetFile("C:\test.txt")
DeleteFile.Delete
Set DeleteFile = objFS.GetFile("C:\test1.txt")
DeleteFile.Delete

wscript.Echo "Operation Complete"
Wscript.Quit 0

'This function parses a line looking for [] combinations and checks property and fixes
Function FixLine(szLine)
dim iLSquareOff,iLSquareCurr,iRSquareOff,iRSquareCurr,szLReplace, szRReplace
dim szLLeave, szRLeave, szProperty, szMatchFound
iLSquareCurr=1:iRSquareCurr=1
szLReplace="[\[]":szRReplace="[\]]"
szLLeave="[":szRLeave="]"
FixLine = ""
do
    iLSquareOff = instr(iLSquareCurr,szLine,"[") + 1
    iRSquareOff = instr(iRSquareCurr,szLine,"]")
    if iRSquareOff=0 then
        Fixline = FixLine & mid(szLine,iRSquareCurr)
        exit do
    end if
    Fixline = FixLine & mid(szLine,iRSquareCurr,(ILSquareOff - IRSquareCurr -1))
'    Need to put a fix in here for cases like [\]] or [\[] etc
    szProperty = mid(szLine,iLSquareOff,(IRSquareOff -ILSquareOff))
    szMatchFound = msiPropertyExists(szProperty)
    if (szMatchFound = "") then
        FixLine = FixLine & szLReplace & szProperty & szRReplace
    objXL.Cells(intIndex, 1).Value = szLReplace & szProperty & szRReplace
    intIndex = intIndex + 1
    else
        FixLine = FixLine & szLLeave & szProperty & szRLeave
    end if
    iRSquareOff = iRSquareOff + 1
    ILSquareCurr = ILSquareOff
    IRSquareCurr = IRSquareOff
loop
end function

' This function checks the property table in the MSI database for szProperty
Function msiPropertyExists(szProperty)
' Process SQL statements
Dim query, view, record, message, szFirstChar
    msiPropertyExists="TRUE"
    szFirstChar = mid(szProperty,1,1)
'    Check for special characters in the first position
    if szFirstChar = "!" then Exit Function
    if szFirstChar = "$" then Exit Function
    if szFirstChar = "~" then Exit Function
    if szFirstChar = "#" then Exit Function
    if szFirstChar = "\" then Exit Function
    if szProperty = "SHELLNOOP" then Exit Function
    msiPropertyExists="" ' Set to false after passing the tests above
' Connect to Windows installer object
Dim openMode : openMode = msiOpenDatabaseModeTransact
On Error Resume Next
Dim installer : Set installer = Nothing
Set installer = Wscript.CreateObject("WindowsInstaller.Installer") : CheckError

' Open database
Dim database : Set database = installer.OpenDatabase(databasePath, openMode) : CheckError

    query = "Select Property FROM Property WHERE Property='" & szProperty & "'"
    Set view = database.OpenView(query) : CheckError
    view.Execute : CheckError
    Set record = view.Fetch
'    Big kludge here but should work. When found record is defined otherwise use ""
    msiPropertyExists=record.StringData(1)
    If openMode = msiOpenDatabaseModeTransact Then database.Commit

end function

sub TableImpExp(szTable, ImpExp)

' Connect to Windows installer object
Dim openMode : openMode = msiOpenDatabaseModeTransact
On Error Resume Next
Dim installer : Set installer = Nothing
Set installer = Wscript.CreateObject("WindowsInstaller.Installer") : CheckError

' Open database
Dim database : Set database = installer.OpenDatabase(databasePath, openMode) : CheckError

if ImpExp = "Import" then
' Import the updated table into the database
database.import "C:\", "test1.txt"
end if
if ImpExp = "Export" then
' Export the table to a file
database.export szTable , "C:\", "test.txt"

end if


If openMode = msiOpenDatabaseModeTransact Then database.Commit
end Sub

Sub CheckError
    Dim message, errRec
    If Err = 0 Then Exit Sub
    message = Err.Source & " " & Hex(Err) & ": " & Err.Description
    If Not installer Is Nothing Then
        Set errRec = installer.LastErrorRecord
        If Not errRec Is Nothing Then message = message & vbLf & errRec.FormatText
    End If
    Fail message
End Sub

Sub Fail(message)
    Wscript.Echo message
    Wscript.Quit 2
End Sub

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