imported>Helpful Raccoon: remove PROD and add sources

2025-03-02T20:35:45Z

remove PROD and add sources

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{{Refimprove|date=February 2013}}
A '''merge module''' is a special kind of [[Windows Installer]] database that contains the components needed to install a discrete [[software]] bundle.<ref name="MSDN_Merge_Modules">{{cite web|title=Merge Modules documentation on Dev Center|url=http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/aa369820%28v=vs.85%29.aspx|access-date=5 September 2012}}</ref><ref name="f664">{{cite book |last=Wilson |first=P. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YeHCnlIe6q8C&pg=PA41 |title=The Definitive Guide to Windows Installer |publisher=Apress |year=2004 |isbn=978-1-4302-0676-7 |series=Expert's voice in .NET |page=41 |access-date=2025-03-02}}</ref><ref name="t855">{{cite book |last=Stiefel |first=M. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IgBx6RRO0WcC&pg=PA262 |title=Application Development Using C# and .NET |last2=Oberg |first2=R.J. |publisher=Prentice Hall PTR |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-13-093383-6 |series=Integrated .NET Series |page=262 |access-date=2025-03-02}}</ref><ref name="l497">{{cite book |last=Griffiths |first=I. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4EFRAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA193 |title=Mastering Visual Studio .NET: Getting the Most Out of the Visual Studio .NET Environment |last2=Flanders |first2=J. |last3=Sells |first3=C. |publisher=O'Reilly Media |year=2003 |isbn=978-1-4919-4959-7 |page=193 |access-date=2025-03-02}}</ref> A merge module cannot be installed alone, but must be merged into a standard Windows Installer installation during the creation of the installation. Typically, a merge module or a collection of merge modules related by [[Coupling (computer science)|dependencies]], installs a software product or portion of a product at runtime. The purpose of merge modules is to let you add self-contained software modules to multiple installations.

For example, if there are a number of applications that require a specifically configured component, it would be possible to create a merge module that installs and configures that component. That merge module could then be added to the installation packages of each product that required that particular component. This saves the effort of having to individually add the necessary files, [[Windows Registry|registry]] entries, and other components to every installation. It also saves time if updates are needed, as instead of updating the installations for all applications, only the merge module is updated, and the installations only need to be rebuilt.

Standard merge modules have a .msm file extension.<ref name="MSDN_Merge_Modules"/> Some merge modules may be configurable merge modules. Such merge modules contain certain values that can be set to specify how the module behaves in your installation. For example, the author of the configurable merge module may allow attributes to be set on components, enable or disable isolated components, specify a bitmap for a dialog, or specify how a custom action is run. Configurable merge modules are supported only by Windows Installer 2.0 or higher.<ref>{{Cite web |last=drewbatgit |title=Configurable Merge Modules - Win32 apps |url=https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/msi/configurable-merge-modules |access-date=2022-08-18 |website=docs.microsoft.com |date=7 January 2021 |language=en-us}}</ref>

There exist a number of pre-created merge modules which install commonly used Microsoft software packages, such as [[Microsoft Data Access Components|MDAC]], [[ActiveX]] controls, [[Microsoft Foundation Class Library|MFC]], [[Speech Application Programming Interface|SAPI]] and [[Distributed Component Object Model|DCOM]].{{citation needed|date=January 2013}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Windows components]]
[[Category:Microsoft application programming interfaces]]

{{Windows-stub}}

Merge Module - Revision history

imported>Helpful Raccoon: remove PROD and add sources