Automatic software updates 1

[sarahknz]

I use SmartFTP, SpyBot, Adobe etc and they have the ability to check for new versions, shutdown, download the new version and restart.

I understand most of this except the http bit. How do you query the site, get the file etc. Is there a 3rd party add on to do this or is the code relatively straight forward?

Can anyone give me some pointers?

Sarah

My site:

http://www.hostultra.com/~data/

 

[Mike Gagnon]

sarahknz

As I stated in your original post, may I ask, is the the concept or the actual coding that you have a problem with?

Mike Gagnon

If you want to get the best response to a question, please check out FAQ184-2483 first.

 

[sarahknz]

I think it might be both

I'm not the main coder for the software but we have a file maintenance program which closes the main program, runs and restarts - and I believe we'd need something to do that - and we have the code.

We already open web browsers to go to the "buy now" page and that's straight forward.

On the web (my stuff) I can receive a request and pass back a version number or the software itself as a data stream.

So, if the concept is right, is there standard code to manage receiving the 2 data streams?
* the version number?
* the program?

Sarah

http://www.hostultra.com/~data/

http://www.pcpropertymanager.com

http://www.propertyinvestor.info

 

[Mike Gagnon]

sarahknz

So, if the concept is right, is there standard code to manage receiving the 2 data streams?
* the version number?
* the program?

Your concept seems right. But there is no "standard code" to receive data stream. It depends how you want to do it.
I would suggest you create a loader program, that would navigate "in the background" to the webpage, parse the page into a string, pick up the version number from the string and check back with the version number of the program installed on the user, and if they are different, make the browser visible and if they are the same continue loading the main application.


Mike Gagnon

If you want to get the best response to a question, please check out FAQ184-2483 first.

 

[wgcs]

There are many ways to retrieve your updated program off the web using either HTTP or FTP.

Here's a way that just requires the URL to download; it can take a username&password if they are protecting the download: faq184-3019

It sounds like you've got your loader working for retrieving an update off a local network: Just use ReadUrl from the above FAQ instead of file-copy.

 

[craigber]

Look at

http://www.west-wind.com/presentations/wwCodeUpdate/codeupdate.asp

Craig Berntson
MCSD, Visual FoxPro MVP,

http://www.craigberntson.com

Author, CrysDev: A Developer's Guide to Integrating Crystal Reports"