Application Launcher

Hi,

Currently my vfp application has about 15 users and exe and database is on
network. Now I would like to install exe on each work station for better
performance. But how do I update changes automatically on each workstation
which I make time to time.

I know this topic has been discussed many times but could not find it. It
will be helpfull if someone can give me the link on the issue.

Thanks.

Dan
Wed Jan 28 17:22:35 CST 2004

We have a "launcher" exe that does nothing but read some workstation
registry settings and launch other EXEs. One of the registry settings is the
network location of EXE files.

For each EXE file on the network, we use AGETFILEVERSION() to compare
versions between the network and local copies, and when we encounter a newer
version on the server we copy it to the workstation.

The last thing the launcher does is to actually load all of the individual
executables.

This scheme works very well for us and offers the benefit of grabbing any
new executables the client may have purchased since the original
installation.

Dan


Sunny wrote:
> Hi,
>
> Currently my vfp application has about 15 users and exe and database
> is on network. Now I would like to install exe on each work station
> for better performance. But how do I update changes automatically on
> each workstation which I make time to time.
>
> I know this topic has been discussed many times but could not find
> it. It will be helpfull if someone can give me the link on the issue.
>
> Thanks.

Cindy
Wed Jan 28 18:31:03 CST 2004

In news: %23CcRu%23e5DHA.2412@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl,
Sunny <sunny_1178@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Currently my vfp application has about 15 users and exe and database
> is on network. Now I would like to install exe on each work station
> for better performance. But how do I update changes automatically on
> each workstation which I make time to time.

Hi Sunny,

Dan recommended looking at the version to see which EXE to start. We store
the name of the current file (MyApp27a.exe) in a text file. That way you can
copy a new version out to the server and test it out before updating the
text file so the users get the new version. Also, if you keep a couple of
versions available, a power user can edit the text file if for some reason
they need to go back to what they had before.

There are several app launchers on the UniversalThread. Go to
www.universalthread.com > VFP Zone > Downloads. Put "loader" or "launcher"
in the search box and take your pick.

--
Cindy Winegarden MCSD, Microsoft Visual FoxPro MVP
cindy.winegarden@mvps.org www.cindywinegarden.com

Sunny
Thu Jan 29 08:50:22 CST 2004

Thanks Dan and Cindy.

"Cindy Winegarden" <cindy.winegarden@mvps.org> wrote in message
news:exUKA#f5DHA.2392@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...
> In news: %23CcRu%23e5DHA.2412@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl,
> Sunny <sunny_1178@hotmail.com> wrote:
> > Currently my vfp application has about 15 users and exe and database
> > is on network. Now I would like to install exe on each work station
> > for better performance. But how do I update changes automatically on
> > each workstation which I make time to time.
>
> Hi Sunny,
>
> Dan recommended looking at the version to see which EXE to start. We store
> the name of the current file (MyApp27a.exe) in a text file. That way you
can
> copy a new version out to the server and test it out before updating the
> text file so the users get the new version. Also, if you keep a couple of
> versions available, a power user can edit the text file if for some reason
> they need to go back to what they had before.
>
> There are several app launchers on the UniversalThread. Go to
> www.universalthread.com > VFP Zone > Downloads. Put "loader" or "launcher"
> in the search box and take your pick.
>
> --
> Cindy Winegarden MCSD, Microsoft Visual FoxPro MVP
> cindy.winegarden@mvps.org www.cindywinegarden.com
>
>
>

Dan
Thu Jan 29 18:04:41 CST 2004

Then we have no choice but to distribute a new setup.exe for each
workstation. Our version checking traps for version differences between the
main exe and the one on the server. If if finds a later "main" exe, it gives
a messagebox to the user to run netsetup, and exits.

Dan

W.Davis wrote:
> So... when your update has a new activeX or com feature, how do you
> handle that?
>
> "Dan Freeman" <spam@microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:%235Ng7Vf5DHA.1664@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...
>> We have a "launcher" exe that does nothing but read some workstation
>> registry settings and launch other EXEs. One of the registry
>> settings is the network location of EXE files.
>>
>> For each EXE file on the network, we use AGETFILEVERSION() to compare
>> versions between the network and local copies, and when we encounter
>> a newer version on the server we copy it to the workstation.
>>
>> The last thing the launcher does is to actually load all of the
>> individual executables.
>>
>> This scheme works very well for us and offers the benefit of
>> grabbing any new executables the client may have purchased since the
>> original installation.
>>
>> Dan
>>
>>
>> Sunny wrote:
>>> Hi,
>>>
>>> Currently my vfp application has about 15 users and exe and database
>>> is on network. Now I would like to install exe on each work station
>>> for better performance. But how do I update changes automatically on
>>> each workstation which I make time to time.
>>>
>>> I know this topic has been discussed many times but could not find
>>> it. It will be helpfull if someone can give me the link on the
>>> issue.
>>>
>>> Thanks.

Dan
Sat Jan 31 13:42:57 CST 2004

Because we haven't go to it yet.

Actually, the next time I put effort into the whole scheme we'll likely go
to web-based live updates. There's a dandy white paper about this at
www.west-wind.com.

Dan

W.Davis wrote:
> then why not distribute your new setup program the same way, just
> have the workstations auto copy the new setup program and run it
> automatically?
>
>
> "Dan Freeman" <spam@microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:%23NIjHSs5DHA.1040@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
>> Then we have no choice but to distribute a new setup.exe for each
>> workstation. Our version checking traps for version differences
>> between the main exe and the one on the server. If if finds a later
>> "main" exe, it gives a messagebox to the user to run netsetup, and
>> exits.
>>
>> Dan
>>
>> W.Davis wrote:
>>> So... when your update has a new activeX or com feature, how do you
>>> handle that?
>>>
>>> "Dan Freeman" <spam@microsoft.com> wrote in message
>>> news:%235Ng7Vf5DHA.1664@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...
>>>> We have a "launcher" exe that does nothing but read some
>>>> workstation registry settings and launch other EXEs. One of the
>>>> registry settings is the network location of EXE files.
>>>>
>>>> For each EXE file on the network, we use AGETFILEVERSION() to
>>>> compare versions between the network and local copies, and when we
>>>> encounter a newer version on the server we copy it to the
>>>> workstation.
>>>>
>>>> The last thing the launcher does is to actually load all of the
>>>> individual executables.
>>>>
>>>> This scheme works very well for us and offers the benefit of
>>>> grabbing any new executables the client may have purchased since
>>>> the original installation.
>>>>
>>>> Dan
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Sunny wrote:
>>>>> Hi,
>>>>>
>>>>> Currently my vfp application has about 15 users and exe and
>>>>> database is on network. Now I would like to install exe on each
>>>>> work station for better performance. But how do I update changes
>>>>> automatically on each workstation which I make time to time.
>>>>>
>>>>> I know this topic has been discussed many times but could not find
>>>>> it. It will be helpfull if someone can give me the link on the
>>>>> issue.
>>>>>
>>>>> Thanks.