Re: BUG FYI: Icon table keys longer than 57 bytes corrupt the database

On Tue, 1 Apr 2008 14:41:05 -0700 (PDT), "dbareis [Windows Installer MVP]" <dbareis@gmail.com> wrote:

>>
>> Table * * * * * * * * * *Limit
>> --------------- * * *----------------
>> Binary * * * * * * * * * * * * 55
>> Icon * * * * * * * * * * * * * *57
>> MsiDigitalCertificate * *40
>> MsiEmbeddedUI * * * *48
>> MsiPatchHeaders * * * 46
>> Patch * * * * * * * * * * * * *56
>> SFPCatalog * * * * * * * *51


Is it documented anywhere how the key is created, I know it is mentioned under the Media table.

In a multi key table such as "MsiDigitalSignature" will all the keys be used and if so delimited by a ".",
so that the TOTAL length of the two key fields combined must be less than 39 (40-1 for delimiter)?

Thanks,
Dennis
Dennis Bareis [Microsoft MVP] (dbareis@KillSpam.gmail.com)
http://dennisbareis.com/
Freeware Windows Installer creation tool (+ "ORCA automation"):
http://makemsi.dennisbareis.com/

On Wed, 02 Apr 2008 15:58:07 +1100, Dennis Bareis <dbareis@newsgroups.nospam> wrote:

>On Tue, 1 Apr 2008 14:41:05 -0700 (PDT), "dbareis [Windows Installer MVP]" <dbareis@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>>>
>>> Table * * * * * * * * * *Limit
>>> --------------- * * *----------------
>>> Binary * * * * * * * * * * * * 55
>>> Icon * * * * * * * * * * * * * *57
>>> MsiDigitalCertificate * *40
>>> MsiEmbeddedUI * * * *48
>>> MsiPatchHeaders * * * 46
>>> Patch * * * * * * * * * * * * *56
>>> SFPCatalog * * * * * * * *51
>
>
>Is it documented anywhere how the key is created, I know it is mentioned under the Media table.

Never mind found it (not 100% complete buty i can guess the rest):

Binary data is stored with an index name created by concatenating the table name
and the values of the record's primary keys using a period delimiter. OLE limits stream
names to 32 characters (31 + null terminator). Windows Installer uses a compression
algorithm that can expand the limit to 62 characters depending upon the character.
Note that double-byte characters count as 2.


Bye,
dennis
Dennis Bareis [Microsoft MVP] (dbareis@KillSpam.gmail.com)
http://dennisbareis.com/
Freeware Windows Installer creation tool (+ "ORCA automation"):
http://makemsi.dennisbareis.com/

"dbareis [Windows Installer MVP]" <dbareis@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:927e3691-e43a-49f6-a3bd-680a16a194cf@c19g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
> Hi,
> Thanks for the detailed reply.
> On Apr 2, 6:09 am, "Adrian Accinelli"
> <hclnospamali...@newsgroup.nospam> wrote:
>> "dbareis [Windows Installer MVP]" <dbar...@gmail.com> wrote in messagenew
>> s:7357a69e-dc83-44a4-a7ac-28137282a970@c19g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
>>> It can be consistently reproduced with orca on Windows Installer
>>> 3.1.4000.4039 on Microsoft Windows XP (5.1.2600 Service Pack 2).
>>> Hope that helps someone,
>>> Dennis
>> I think this is more a limitation in the underlying structured storage
>> technology itself than a bug in Windows Installer. The name of a stream
>> cannot be longer than 62 characters.
> I'd say the schema is flawed (max lengths wrong) and the fact that
> Windows Installer
> corrupts the database rather than rejecting the request is also a bug.

Hmmm seems like a good idea to me that the schema itself limits the size of
primary key on such tables. That'd at least provide editors/generators a
method to know there could be a problem.


>> See official limitation
>> statement:http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/lib...51(VS.85).aspx
> Excellent (non-obvious) point.
>> And Windows Installer related
>> one:http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/lib...19(VS.85).aspx
> This link doesn't seem to work

Strange. It's was supposed to be a link to the _Streams table definition.

MSDN Library -> ... -> Windows Installer -> Windows Installer Reference ->
Installer Database -> Installer Database Reference -> Database Tables ->
_Streams.

< snip >


Sincerely,
Adrian Accinelli

On Apr 1, 7:52*pm, "dbareis [Windows Installer MVP]"
<dbar...@gmail.com> wrote:

> The subject says it all but I have added all I know about it to my
> MAKEMSI manual, page available online at:
> *http://makemsi-manual.dennisbareis.c...longer_than_57....

In case anyone wants to try the above link in future, as I have
updated my
manual based on the information since discovered this is the new link:
http://makemsi-manual.dennisbareis.c...e_database.htm

Bye,
Dennis