bdist_msi
=========

This command is implemented by :program:`cx_Freeze` to handle installing
executables and their dependencies creating Windows installer packages.

For Python 3.13+ :program:`cx_Freeze` is using :pypi:`python-msilib` with
support for Windows x64 and also for Windows ARM64.

The following options were added to the standard set of options for the
command:

.. tabs::

   .. group-tab:: pyproject.toml

      .. code-block:: console

        cxfreeze bdist_msi

   .. group-tab:: setup.py

      .. code-block:: console

        python setup.py bdist_msi

.. list-table::
   :header-rows: 1
   :widths: 300 700
   :width: 100%

   * - option name
     - description
   * - .. option:: add_to_path
     - add the target directory to the PATH environment variable
       [default: False]
   * - .. option:: all_users
     - install for all users or just for the installing user [default: False]
   * - .. option:: data
     - dictionary of arbitrary MSI data indexed by table name; for each table,
       a list of tuples should be provided, representing the rows that should
       be added to the table. For binary values (e.g. Icon.Data), pass the path
       to the file containing the data.
   * - .. option:: directories
     - list of directories that should be created during installation.
   * - .. option:: environment_variables
     - list of environment variables that should be added to the system during
       installation.
   * - .. option:: extensions
     - list of dictionaries specifying the extensions that the installed program
       handles. Each extension needs to specify at least the extension, a verb,
       and an executable. Additional allowed keys are `argument` to specify
       the invocation of the executable, `mime` for the extension’s mime type,
       and `context` for the context menu text.
   * - .. option:: initial_target_dir
     - defines the initial target directory supplied to the user during
       installation; to specify a target directory of "XYZ" in the
       default program directory use "[ProgramFiles64Folder]\XYZ" or
       "[ProgramFilesFolder]\XYZ" (for the default 64-bit or non-64-bit
       locations, respectively).
   * - .. option:: install_icon
     - path of icon to use for the add/remove programs window that pops up
       during installation.
   * - .. option:: launch_on_finish
     - boolean flag that includes a "Launch the installed app on finish?"
       checkbox to the final step of the installer [default: False]
   * - .. option:: license_file
     - path to a rtf formmated file to be used as the license agreement;
       refer to `Windows Installer Scrollable Text
       <https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/msi/scrollabletext-control#control-attributes>`_.
   * - .. option:: output_name
     - specifies the name of the file that is to be created
       [default: metadata name-version-platform.msi]
   * - .. option:: product_code
     - define the product code for the package that is created
   * - .. option:: product_name
     - define the product name for the package that is created
       [default: metadata name]
   * - .. option:: product_version
     - define the product version for the package that is created
       [default: metadata version if available]
   * - .. option:: summary_data
     - dictionary of data to include in MSI summary information stream
       (allowable keys are "author", "comments", and "keywords").
   * - .. option:: upgrade_code
     - define the GUID of the upgrade code for the package that is created;
       this is used to force the removal of any packages created with the same
       upgrade code before the installation of this one; the valid format for
       a GUID is {XXXXXXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXXXXXXXXXX} where X is a hex digit.
       Refer to `Windows GUID
       <https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/api/guiddef/ns-guiddef-guid>`_.

.. versionadded:: 6.7
    :option:`extensions` option.
.. versionadded:: 7.2
    :option:`license_file` option.
.. versionadded:: 8.2
    :option:`launch_on_finish` option.
.. versionadded:: 8.6
    :option:`output_name`, :option:`product_name`, and
    :option:`product_version` options.
.. versionremoved:: 8.6
    :option:`target_name` option.

For example:

.. tabs::

   .. group-tab:: pyproject.toml

      .. code-block:: toml

        [project]
        name = "hello"
        version = "0.1.2.3"
        description = "Sample cx_Freeze script to test MSI arbitrary data stream"

        [[tool.cxfreeze.executables]]
        script = "hello.py"
        base = "gui"
        copyright = "Copyright (C) 2025 cx_Freeze"
        icon = "icon.ico"
        shortcut_name = "My Program Name"
        shortcut_dir = "MyProgramMenu"

        [tool.cxfreeze.build_exe]
        excludes = ["tkinter", "unittest"]
        include_msvcr = true

        [tool.cxfreeze.bdist_msi]
        add_to_path = true
        environment_variables = [
            ["E_MYAPP_VAR", "=-*MYAPP_VAR", "1", "TARGETDIR"]
        ]
        product_name = "Hello cx_Freeze"
        # use a different upgrade_code for your project
        upgrade_code = "{6B29FC40-CA47-1067-B31D-00DD010662DA}"

        [tool.cxfreeze.bdist_msi.data]
        Directory = [
            ["ProgramMenuFolder", "TARGETDIR", "."],
            ["MyProgramMenu", "ProgramMenuFolder", "MYPROG~1|My Program"]
        ]
        ProgId = [
            ["Prog.Id", 0, 0, "This is a description", "IconId", 0]
        ]
        Icon = [
            ["IconId", "icon.ico"]
        ]

   .. group-tab:: setup.py

      .. code-block:: python

        from cx_Freeze import Executable, setup

        directory_table = [
            ("ProgramMenuFolder", "TARGETDIR", "."),
            ("MyProgramMenu", "ProgramMenuFolder", "MYPROG~1|My Program"),
        ]

        msi_data = {
            "Directory": directory_table,
            "ProgId": [
                ("Prog.Id", None, None, "This is a description", "IconId", None),
            ],
            "Icon": [
                ("IconId", "icon.ico"),
            ],
        }

        bdist_msi_options = {
            "add_to_path": True,
            "data": msi_data,
            "environment_variables": [
                ("E_MYAPP_VAR", "=-*MYAPP_VAR", "1", "TARGETDIR")
            ],
            "upgrade_code": "{XXXXXXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXXXXXXXXXX}",
        }

        build_exe_options = {"excludes": ["tkinter"], "include_msvcr": True}

        executables = [
            Executable(
                "hello.py",
                base="gui",
                copyright="Copyright (C) 2025 cx_Freeze",
                icon="icon.ico",
                shortcut_name="My Program Name",
                shortcut_dir="MyProgramMenu",
            )
        ]

        setup(
            name="hello",
            version="0.1",
            description="Sample cx_Freeze script to test MSI arbitrary data stream",
            executables=executables,
            options={
                "build_exe": build_exe_options,
                "bdist_msi": bdist_msi_options,
            },
        )

Samples:
There are more examples in the :repository:`samples <tree/main/samples/>`
directory.

.. seealso:: `Windows Installer
   <https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/msi/windows-installer-portal>`_
