Hi Steve,

Thank you posting!

Based on my understanding, you need your user's machine to install the SQL
Server Express before the installation of your application.

The general convention to do this is via the bootstrapper or using a Launch
condition. Since currently we don't provide a bootstrapper for the SQL
Server Express. I suggest you take the Launch condition approach. You can
prompt the user to install the SQL Server Express product if the Launch
condition failed.

Please refer to the following MSDN web site for the further information
about using launch condition:

Launch Condition Management in Deployment
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ay12wede.aspx

If you really want to invoke the SQL Server Express's installation from
your application's installation, you can use a type 50 CA to launch an
executable to install it, such as : [CDSQLEXPRESSDir]setup.exe (CA' Target
value). You may need to use the [SourceDir] property to get your
application installation package's root directory, then use a CA script to
construct the custom property [CDSQLEXPRESSDir], which is the directory of
the SQL Serve Express's installation setup program in the CD.

By the way, redistribute our SQL Server Express product needs registration.

I hope the above information helps, if you have any questions or concerns,
please do not hesitate to let me know. I am standing by to help you.

Thanks!

Best regards,

Gary Chang
Microsoft Online Community Support
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You can't, but you can write a custom action that launches that exe. The
SourceDir and OriginalDatabase properties both say something about where the
install is running from (thje CD) and can be parsed to locate your sql
setup.

However what you're doing might not work anyway. If the SQL install is
MSI-based it will fail:
http://ablog.apress.com/?p=1135#more-1135

which is why a separate launcher that starts the SQL setup then yours is a
more normal way to do things.