Where/How do I install Visio Templates in 2007

[Guest]

I am working on older software product that installs a visio template onto
the users system. Currently the installation program looks up the Visio
Template Pat h in the registry in the key:
SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Office\\11.0\\Visio\Application\\TemplatePath
and copies the new template to this directory. Visio automatically
discovers the template and displays it when the user selects "Create a "New"
template.

I have read that the suggested method of discovery of templates in Visio
2007 is to create a msi install program to install the new solution in 2007
that includes the template. My question is can I continue to use the same
method that I have done in previous versions? If so, what directory should I
be copying the template into? Can I just look up the TemplatePath in the
registry in the same manor? Obviously I would need to change 11.0 to 12.0 in
the registry key.

My installation program is too old to kick off the msi installation program
to perform the suggested method.

Thanks,
Mike

 

[Paul Herber]

I am working on older software product that installs a visio template onto
the users system. Currently the installation program looks up the Visio
Template Pat h in the registry in the key:
SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Office\\11.0\\Visio\Application\\TemplatePath
and copies the new template to this directory. Visio automatically
discovers the template and displays it when the user selects "Create a "New"
template.

I have read that the suggested method of discovery of templates in Visio
2007 is to create a msi install program to install the new solution in 2007
that includes the template. My question is can I continue to use the same
method that I have done in previous versions? If so, what directory should I
be copying the template into? Can I just look up the TemplatePath in the
registry in the same manor? Obviously I would need to change 11.0 to 12.0 in
the registry key.

Basically, yes. Except the template path can be multiple paths
separated by semi-colons i.e.
path1;path2;path3

 

[Nikolay Belyh]

AFAIK the MSI installation method is a recommended method for
deploying solutions for Visio 2003 as well . Means, if you did not
use it with Visio 2003, there is no reason to start using it with
Visio 2007 all of the sudden. I think that if you just change "11" to
"12" then your setup will work the way it did for Visio 2003.

As for the "proper" MSI deployment, you need to use the "solution
publishing" to deploy templates/stencils/help.

The easy way to do it is to use the "solution publishing tool"
described here for example:
http://blogs.msdn.com/visio/archive/2006/08/08/691363.aspx

The death way to do it is to study the following, and then do it all
by yourself (with WIX of course, love it
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/832029
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb677166.aspx

As for the wix: http://wix.sf.net
BTW, why wouldn't one write a WIX extension for Visio component
publishing? The problem with solution publishing tool is that it does
not run from the command line and does not integrate with Visual
Studio or msbuild; the problem with ORCA and alike is that hacking MSI
tables with bare hands sucks. Since WIX will ship with the next
release of Visual Studio, this might be a right way to go...

Kind regards, Nikolay.