Demo wix project to publish a self-contained .NET Core app

DemoSetup.wixproj

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Project ToolsVersion="4.0" DefaultTargets="Build" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
  <PropertyGroup>
    <Configuration Condition=" '$(Configuration)' == '' ">Debug</Configuration>
    <Platform Condition=" '$(Platform)' == '' ">x86</Platform>
    <ProductVersion>3.10</ProductVersion>
    <ProjectGuid>91e4dc15-312a-4e90-bc1c-01de5dc99447</ProjectGuid>
    <SchemaVersion>2.0</SchemaVersion>
    <OutputName>CoreConsoleAppSetup</OutputName>
    <OutputType>Package</OutputType>
	<DefineSolutionProperties>false</DefineSolutionProperties>
    <WixTargetsPath Condition=" '$(WixTargetsPath)' == '' AND '$(MSBuildExtensionsPath32)' != '' ">$(MSBuildExtensionsPath32)\Microsoft\WiX\v3.x\Wix.targets</WixTargetsPath>
    <WixTargetsPath Condition=" '$(WixTargetsPath)' == '' ">$(MSBuildExtensionsPath)\Microsoft\WiX\v3.x\Wix.targets</WixTargetsPath>
  </PropertyGroup>
  <PropertyGroup Condition=" '$(Configuration)|$(Platform)' == 'Debug|x86' ">
    <OutputPath>bin\$(Configuration)\</OutputPath>
    <IntermediateOutputPath>obj\$(Configuration)\</IntermediateOutputPath>
    <DefineConstants>Debug</DefineConstants>
  </PropertyGroup>
  <PropertyGroup Condition=" '$(Configuration)|$(Platform)' == 'Release|x86' ">
    <OutputPath>bin\$(Configuration)\</OutputPath>
    <IntermediateOutputPath>obj\$(Configuration)\</IntermediateOutputPath>
  </PropertyGroup>
  <ItemGroup>
    <Compile Include="Product.wxs" />
  </ItemGroup>
  <ItemGroup>
    <ProjectReference Include="..\src\CoreConsoleApp\CoreConsoleApp.xproj">
      <Name>CoreConsoleApp</Name>
      <Project>{d6d08e89-e6ed-47bd-bf04-c149d2057970}</Project>
      <Private>True</Private>
      <DoNotHarvest>True</DoNotHarvest>
      <RefProjectOutputGroups>Binaries;Content;Satellites</RefProjectOutputGroups>
      <RefTargetDir>INSTALLFOLDER</RefTargetDir>
	  <IsDotnetSDKProject>True</IsDotnetSDKProject>
	  <TargetFrameworkIdentifier>netcoreapp1.0</TargetFrameworkIdentifier>
	  <Runtime>win7-x64</Runtime>
    </ProjectReference>
  </ItemGroup>
  <Import Project="$(WixTargetsPath)" />
  <Target Name="BeforeBuild">
    <Exec WorkingDirectory="%(ProjectReference.RootDir)%(ProjectReference.Directory)" Command="dotnet publish -c $(Configuration) -f %(ProjectReference.TargetFrameworkIdentifier) -r %(ProjectReference.Runtime)" Condition="'%(ProjectReference.IsDotnetSDKProject)' == 'True'" />
    <ItemGroup>
		<LinkerBindInputPaths Include="%(ProjectReference.RootDir)%(ProjectReference.Directory)bin\$(Configuration)\%(ProjectReference.TargetFrameworkIdentifier)\%(ProjectReference.Runtime)\publish" />
	</ItemGroup>
	<HeatDirectory
	DirectoryRefId="INSTALLFOLDER" 
	OutputFile="obj\$(Configuration)\%(ProjectReference.Name).wxs" 
	Directory="%(ProjectReference.RootDir)%(ProjectReference.Directory)bin\$(Configuration)\%(ProjectReference.TargetFrameworkIdentifier)\%(ProjectReference.Runtime)\publish" 
	ComponentGroupName="SourceComponentGroup"
	ToolPath="$(WixToolPath)" 
	AutogenerateGuids="true" 
	SuppressCom="True"
	SuppressRegistry="True"
    SuppressFragments="true"
    SuppressRootDirectory="true"
	Condition="'%(ProjectReference.IsDotnetSDKProject)' == 'True'"/>
	<ItemGroup>
		<Compile Include="obj\$(Configuration)\%(ProjectReference.Name).wxs" Condition="'%(ProjectReference.IsDotnetSDKProject)' == 'True'" />
	</ItemGroup>
  </Target>
  <!--
	To modify your build process, add your task inside one of the targets below and uncomment it.
	Other similar extension points exist, see Wix.targets.
	<Target Name="AfterBuild">
	</Target>
	-->
</Project>

Product.wxs

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<Wix xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/wix/2006/wi">
	<Product Id="*" Name="CoreConsoleAppSetup" Language="1033" Version="1.0.0.0" Manufacturer="Martin" UpgradeCode="5f5ea8c6-7584-4bf7-a935-1ec77a688106">
		<Package InstallerVersion="200" Compressed="yes" InstallScope="perMachine" />

		<MajorUpgrade DowngradeErrorMessage="A newer version of [ProductName] is already installed." />
		<MediaTemplate EmbedCab="yes" />

		<Feature Id="ProductFeature" Title="CoreConsoleAppSetup" Level="1">
			<ComponentGroupRef Id="ProductComponents" />
		</Feature>
	</Product>

	<Fragment>
		<Directory Id="TARGETDIR" Name="SourceDir">
			<Directory Id="ProgramFilesFolder">
				<Directory Id="INSTALLFOLDER" Name="CoreConsoleAppSetup" />
			</Directory>
		</Directory>
	</Fragment>

	<Fragment>
		<ComponentGroup Id="ProductComponents" Directory="INSTALLFOLDER">
			<!-- TODO: Remove the comments around this Component element and the ComponentRef below in order to add resources to this installer. -->
			<!-- <Component Id="ProductComponent"> -->
				<!-- TODO: Insert files, registry keys, and other resources here. -->
			<!-- </Component> -->
			<ComponentGroupRef Id="SourceComponentGroup" />
		</ComponentGroup>
	</Fragment>
</Wix>

Hi @dasMulli,

Thanks for sharing this. Can you please tell me what version of WiX and dontet you tested this on? I am trying with WiX 3.14 and dotnet 2.1 and I seem to get errors :(

that was during .net core 1.0/1.1 timeframe..
Not sure this is a good way to do it anymore with new csproj - you may get NuGet errors (assets file) or something crazy.
I worked on another project where I built targets into a project that made the project to publish emit its publish output via a normal project-to-project reference (so you basically add a reference and you'll get the publish output in a subdirectory in your bin folder) that could be reused here. it's more difficult though.. you can find it at https://github.com/dasMulli/AssemblyInfoGenerationSdk/blob/7b5529abf6a86be3ed7302db438e0733e86959c9/src/DasMulli.AssemblyInfoGeneration.Sdk/sdk-layout.targets