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Can it be done this way in the UAB?

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Tom

I was interested in using the Updater Application Block to ease our
deployment issues with new builds in VB.NET. However, I think I want to do
it a different way than the Updater allows. As I understand it, I install
the initial build using my normal .MSI file. Then, as new builds get
'pushed' out to the user, the UAB creates directories/folders underneath the
initial folder based upon the version number; i.e. C:\Program
Files\MyApp\1.0.0.0, then C:\Program Files\MyApp\1.0.0.1, etc. I really
don't want it to do it that way. What I would prefer is that, when it does
the update, it stores them in a temp area underneath the main program files
area (like C:\Program Files\MyApp\UpgradeTemp or whatever)... Then, when the
new files have been copied down, and the AppStart program starts (to restart
the application) it instead -MOVES- the new versions of the files over to
the main application directory, overwriting the old one. That way I keep
only the current copy of the application files on the users workstation (why
have multiple versions?), the normal uninstall process will work properly,
no shortcuts have to be modified, etc. Then, once the new files have been
copied, the temp files would be deleted, and the updated application would
start. Note that this is pretty much the way that the article in devx
("Automatically Upgrade Your .NET Applications On-The-Fly") works; it is
just I would rather, if possible, use the UAB rather than the class object
presented in the devx article.

Also, does the UAB only copy new/changed files? Or does it copy EVERYTHING
involved in the application? If it is making an entirely new folder then I
would think it would have to copy everything. If I could get it to work the
way I described above, it would only need to copy things that have changed,
rather than every single file.

Can this be done with the UAB? Or should I just go ahead with the devx
class? Thanks in advance.

Tom

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Sam Santiago

UAB updates your client PC on another thread while your application is
running. It cannot copy over the same directory since you are running the
client from that directory and you would get a sharing violation error.
Therefore, a new directory is created and everything is copied to the
client. Shortcuts would always be the same - your shortcuts should always
point to the AppStart.exe that will determine the correct version to run. I
have written a custom post processor to delete old log files and version
directoriess created by the UAB. You can download that here if you wish:
http://www.softitechture.com/discussions .

Thanks,

Sam

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Tom

Sam:

[Original message clipped]

I realize this, of course; that is why I would want it to copy to a cache
area (or some other directory) under the main folder... that way it would
not have to overwrite the files while they are in use. Then the application
would start AppStart.exe, end itself immediately, then AppStart would
actually copy the files from the 'cache' area over to to main area,
overwriting the old version. Then it would restart the application.

[Original message clipped]

That is the problem with this approach - I have already installed the client
onto my users workstation using a normal Installer approach (.MSI using Wise
for Windows Installer). I would have to completely rebuild my project and
basically have each user uninstall and reinstall the project. I really hate
to have to do this.

Finally, the UAB approach seems to have to copy EVERYTHING to the users
workstation for each new build. This seems like overkill - our system is
composed of numerous user-written DLLs, ActiveReports DLLs, True DB Grid
DLLs, etc etc. What if all I had to change was one DLL - it still has to
push everything down? In one of our slower locations this would take a long
time. It just seems easier for the thing to detect that only one file has
changed and only dowload that file.

I like a lot of what the UAB has to offer, but I guess it just cannot do
what I want it to do without me rewriting a large section of it. I guess I
will have to look at this devx solution since it seems to do what I want it
to do. It doesn't do it 'in the background' but maybe I can add that at a
later time.

Thanks.

Tom

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