WiX: preserving recursive directory structure during component transfer - visual-studio

Question

Wix 3.11.2 and Visual Studio Community 2019 here. My project has the following directory structure:
...\Source\Repos\my-app-setup\
my-app-setup\
bin\
obj\
testo\
fizz\
abc\
def\
ghi\
abba.txt
buzz\
bar.txt
foo.txt
my-app.exe
my-app-setup.wixproj
my-app-setup.wxs
my-app-setup.sln
Where my my-app-setup.wxs file is as follows:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<Wix xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/wix/2006/wi">​
<Product Id="*" Name="MyApp" Language="1033" Version="1.0.0.0" Manufacturer="MyCompany" UpgradeCode="1e540666-dda2-4cbe-91b7-ac9525d96c86">​
<Package Description="MyApp tool" Compressed="yes" />​
​
<MediaTemplate EmbedCab="yes"/>​
​
<Directory Id="TARGETDIR" Name="SourceDir">​
<Directory Id="ProgramFilesFolder">​
<Directory Id="INSTALLFOLDER" Name="MyApp" />​
</Directory>​
​
<Directory Id="DesktopFolder" Name="Desktop">​
<Component Id="ApplicationShortcutDesktop" Guid="*">​
<Shortcut Id="ApplicationDesktopShortcut"​
Name="MyApp"​
Description="Shortcut for MyApp"​
Target="[INSTALLFOLDER]my-app.exe"​
WorkingDirectory="INSTALLFOLDER"/>​
<RemoveFolder Id="DesktopFolder" On="uninstall"/>​
<RegistryValue​
Root="HKCU"​
Key="Software/MyApp"​
Name="installed"​
Type="integer"​
Value="1"​
KeyPath="yes"/>​
</Component>​
</Directory>​
</Directory>​
​
<Component Id="FooTxtComponent" Directory="INSTALLFOLDER">​
<File Source="testo/foo.txt" />​
</Component>​
​
<Component Id="AbbaComponent" Directory="INSTALLFOLDER">​
<File Source="testo/fizz/abc/def/ghi/abba.txt" />​
</Component>​
​
<Component Id="ExecutableComponent" Directory="INSTALLFOLDER">​
<File Source="my-app.exe" />​
</Component>​
<Feature Id="MainFeature" Title="MyApp" Level="1">​
<ComponentRef Id="FooTxtComponent" />​
<ComponentRef Id="AbbaComponent" />​
<ComponentRef Id="ExecutableComponent" />
​
<ComponentRef Id="ApplicationShortcutDesktop" />​
</Feature>​
</Product>​
</Wix>
So it basically just copies a bunch of files from the project into the C:\Program Files (x86)\MyApp directory and then creates a shortcut (to the EXE) on the desktop. Simple stuff.
When I build this and run the MSI the resulting C:\Program Files (x86)\MyApp directory looks like this:
C:\Program Files (x86)\
MyApp\
foo.txt
abba.txt
my-app.exe
So WiX is just plucking the files I specified and dropping them into the MyApp directory, at the same level as the EXE file. I don't want this; I want to preserve the same recursive directory structure as what exists in my VS project. So instead of the above I would like the WiX MSI to generate:
C:\Program Files (x86)\
MyApp\
testo\
fizz\
abc\
def\
ghi\
abba.txt
foo.txt
my-app.exe
What is the simplest way to accomplish this?
Thanks!

Answer 1

You need to nest the folders as shown in this sample (towards bottom): https://www.codeproject.com/Tips/105638/A-quick-introduction-Create-an-MSI-installer-with
Illustration:
<Directory Id="TARGETDIR" Name="SourceDir">
<Directory Id="ProgramFilesFolder">
<Directory Id="INSTALLDIR" Name="Example">
<Component>
<File Source="example.exe"/>
</Component>
</Directory>
</Directory>
</Directory>
Maybe also check:
My WiX Quick-Start Link Collection.
https://www.firegiant.com/wix/tutorial/