Unable to retieve value from Session["propertyName"]

[umeshone]

Hi Oleg,

I have declared the project in the Main() method as follows:-

var project = 
        new ManagedProject("MyProduct", 
            new Dir(@"C:\",new Dir(@"MyWindowService", new DirFiles(@"..\MyWindowsService\bin\Release\*.*"))),
            new ElevatedManagedAction(CustomActions.InstallService,
                                          Return.check,
                                          When.After,
                                          Step.InstallFiles,
                                          Condition.Always),
            new ElevatedManagedAction(CustomActions.UnInstallService,
                                      Return.check,
                                      When.Before,
                                      Step.RemoveFiles,
                                      Condition.BeingRemoved));

I am assigning some value to Session["propertyName"] in the next button click event of the CustomDialog as follows:-

void next_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
     MsiRuntime.Session["ConnectionString"] = connectionStringValue;
}

I am trying to access this value in the Custom Action InstallService method and Msi_AfterInstall method as follows:-

[CustomAction]
public static ActionResult InstallService(Session session)
{
      var connectionString = session["ConnectionString"];
       .........
}

static void Msi_AfterInstall(SetupEventArgs e)
{
      var connectionString=e.Session["ConnectionString"];
      ...........
}

But the value is not accessible and its throwing below error for both the methods when I am trying to get the value from Session["propertyName"].

Errors:-
Info: Exception thrown by custom action:
Info: System.Reflection.TargetInvocationException: Exception has been thrown by the target of an invocation. ---> Microsoft.Deployment.WindowsInstaller.InstallerException: Cannot access session details from a non-immediate custom action
at Microsoft.Deployment.WindowsInstaller.Session.ValidateSessionAccess()
at Microsoft.Deployment.WindowsInstaller.Session.get_Item(String property)
at MySetup.CustomActions.InstallService(Session session) in H:\MySetup\CustomActions.cs:line 21
--- End of inner exception stack trace ---
at System.RuntimeMethodHandle.InvokeMethod(Object target, Object arguments, Signature sig, Boolean constructor)
at System.Reflection.RuntimeMethodInfo.UnsafeInvokeInternal(Object obj, Object parameters, Object arguments)
at System.Reflection.RuntimeMethodInfo.Invoke(Object obj, BindingFlags invokeAttr, Binder binder, Object parameters, CultureInfo culture)
at Microsoft.Deployment.WindowsInstaller.CustomActionProxy.InvokeCustomAction(Int32 sessionHandle, String entryPoint, IntPtr remotingDelegatePtr)

Info: Calling custom action WixSharp!WixSharp.ManagedProjectActions.WixSharp_AfterInstall_Action
Info: WixSharp aborted the session because of the error:
System.Reflection.TargetInvocationException: Exception has been thrown by the target of an invocation. ---> Microsoft.Deployment.WindowsInstaller.InstallerException: Cannot access session details from a non-immediate custom action
at Microsoft.Deployment.WindowsInstaller.Session.ValidateSessionAccess()
at Microsoft.Deployment.WindowsInstaller.Session.get_Item(String property)
at MySetup.Program.Msi_AfterInstall(SetupEventArgs e)
--- End of inner exception stack trace ---
at System.RuntimeMethodHandle.InvokeMethod(Object target, Object arguments, Signature sig, Boolean constructor)
at System.Reflection.RuntimeMethodInfo.UnsafeInvokeInternal(Object obj, Object parameters, Object arguments)
at System.Reflection.RuntimeMethodInfo.Invoke(Object obj, BindingFlags invokeAttr, Binder binder, Object parameters, CultureInfo culture)
at WixSharp.ManagedProject.InvokeClientHandler(String info, SetupEventArgs eventArgs)
at WixSharp.ManagedProject.InvokeClientHandlers(Session session, String eventName, IShellView UIShell)

Am I following some wrong syntax?
Please advise. Thanks in advance.

[oleg-shilo]

The problem you are experiencing is due to the fact that MSI architecture does not allow you accessing the session properties from the deferred actions (see (Deferred Actions)[https://github.com/oleg-shilo/wixsharp/wiki/Deployment-scenarios#deferred-actions]). The DeferredActions and "Managed Setup/Setup Events" samples also shows the connection_string use-case:

project.DefaultDeferredProperties += ",ConnectionString";
...
static void Msi_AfterInstall(SetupEventArgs e)
{
      var connectionString=e.Session.Property("ConnectionString");
      ...........
}

[vasa911]

@umeshone
You can also use CustomActionData to retrieve properties inside deferred actions;

You need to declare action with Property, that you can set this property in Session where you need.

//action declaration 
var installServiceAction = new ElevatedManagedAction( CustomActions.InstallService,
                                                     Return.check,
                                                     When.After,
                                                     Step.InstallFiles,
                                                     Condition.Always);

installServiceAction.UsesProperties = "CONNECTIONSTRING=[CONzNECTIONSTRING]";

And retrieve property using CustomActionData

//get property inside action
[CustomAction]
public static ActionResult InstallService(Session session)
{
       CustomActionData data = session.CustomActionData;
       var connectionString = data ["CONNECTIONSTRING"];
}