How to update procedure in distributed .exe?

[Rich196]

I have a distributed .exe that has a problem I have corrected in a stored procedure on the development machine. I rebuilt the .exe file and transported it to the user's machine. I replaced the .exe on the user's machine but the problem was not corrected prompting me to believe the procedure was not included in the .exe. I also had to change a view. I originally installed the app using InstallShield Express. How can I get the fix to the user?

Thanks,
Rich

 

[GriffMG]

Rich,

If the change is in a stored procedure doesn't that imply that it is in the data - rather than the .exe?



Regards

Griff
Keep [Smile]ing

 

[rgbean]

Stored procedures are kept in the Database (.DBC). As long as you haven't changed any tables, table structures, indexes, relationships etc., you can just distribute the new copy of the .DBC & .DBT files.

Rick

 

[Rich196]

Thanks for your replies. Since the changes are in the DBC and the user *has* changed the tables, is there any way to get the changes to the user other than having him send the tables and indexes, replace them in the development environment, make the changes, rebuild and redistribute the .exe and tables and indexes.

What is the best way to maintain the app since I can't be having them send data if there are more problems?

Thanks,
Rich

 

[Mike Lewis]

Rich,

One way to do that is to use Stonefield Database Toolkit (

http://www.stonefield.com).

It provides a way of updating DBCs, table structures, indexes, etc, without disturbing the live data. It works very well, but you need to engineer it into your code. It might be a quite a lot of trouble to do that retrospectively.

Just a thought.

Mike


Mike Lewis
Edinburgh, Scotland

My Visual Foxpro web site:

http://www.ml-consult.demon.co.uk

My Crystal Reports web site:

http://www.ml-crystal.com

 

[GriffMG]

Rich,

Can you clear up whether the end user has updated the DATA or the STRUCTURE of the tables.

The former can be sorted by sending the user new .dbc, .dct and .dcx files (which contain the descriptions of the tables, indexes and stored procedures).

If it's the latter, you will probably have to get the user to send you the whole database - not touch it themselves for a while - and then modify it and send it back.

I haven't had a problem with users updating my data structures - and to manage my own data structure updates I store a database version in one of the tables.

Each time the user runs the system, this is compared against database version and adds tables, fields, indexes and so forth as required.

Regards

Griff
Keep [Smile]ing

 

[Rich196]

Mike, it sounds like SDT is the way to go but for our next projects if it's a real pain to include. Thanks

Griff, they have just updated the data and nothing else so I'm in luck. Thanks for the tip.

Rich

 

[Mike Lewis]

Rich,

I didn't mean to give the impression that STD is a pain. It's just that it is easier to incorporate it when you are first planning the application, not after it has gone live.

Mike


Mike Lewis
Edinburgh, Scotland

My Visual Foxpro web site:

http://www.ml-consult.demon.co.uk

My Crystal Reports web site:

http://www.ml-crystal.com