"rather not have apps... from a web page"

[Gordon Tillman]

Hi JB,

On Mar 27, 2005, at 03:30, jbv wrote:

> Just curious : how do you manage upgrades of a standalone,
> if not by downloading new versions of sub-stacks that will be
> downloaded and saved on the HD, and thus ending with more
> than 1 file on the user's HD ?
> Of course, there's also the possibility to open a distant stack
> from the standalone, but that means client - server communication
> everytime the executable is used...
> Unless I'm missing something...


This is what my application does... It is split into two pieces, a 
SplashScreen (that also has the runtime in it) and then the other 
stacks that it uses.  I have a SECOND small app, called an updater that 
also has the runtime in it.  Reason being is because a running 
application cannot replace itself.  The sole purpose of the updater is 
to install a update to the splashscreen...

Anyway, the splashscreen opens when you start the application.  Before 
accessing any of the other stack files, it checks to see if any 
replacements were downloaded.  If so, It installs the replacements, 
then opens the rest of the stack files that are needed.  Works very 
well.

The application can check for updates automatically, at an interval 
specified by the user, or it can check when the user asks it to.  Just 
like Apple's software update mechanism.

--gordy