The Windows Installer (previously known as Microsoft Installer,
codename Darwin) is an engine for the installation, maintenance, and removal of software on modern
Microsoft Windows systems. The installation information, and often the files themselves, are packaged in installation packages, loosely relational databases structured as
OLE Structured Storage Files and commonly known as "MSI files", from their default
file extension (compare:
.deb,
RPM,
.pbi). Windows Installer is a significant improvement over its predecessor, Setup API: several new features, such as a
GUI framework, the automatic generation of the uninstallation sequence and the powerful deployment capabilities, made Windows Installer a viable alternative to stand-alone executable installer frameworks such as older versions of
InstallShield and
WISE (later versions are based on Windows Installer) and
NSIS.
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Medium Scale Integration - an integrated circuit consisting of >30 and <1,000 transistors.
MEDIUM SCALE INTEGRATION. MSI