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Re: Understanding Web Update

Mike,

No, not for SetupBuilder 6. Because the SB6 system works rock solid, it would be too risky to make major modifications (especially in this sensitive area).

Friedrich

Re: Understanding Web Update

Hi Friedrich,

Any updates here? Maintaining separate installers is beginning to be more of a pain for us.

Thanks,
Mike

Re: Understanding Web Update

Hi Friedrich,

My solution I described seems to be working well, we just released a new Update Today. I was just wondering if you had anymore thoughts on this topic?

Thanks,
Mike

Re: Understanding Web Update

Mike,

By the way, I like you installation/update scenario very much. I really think there is room for improvements in this SetupBuilder area.

Thanks,
Friedrich

Re: Understanding Web Update

Thank you, Mike. We are brainstorming ideas at the moment...

I'll keep you posted.

Friedrich

Re: Understanding Web Update

Originally Posted by linder

BTW, what's the total size of all the 1,200 files (compressed)?

156MB

Originally Posted by linder

I'll give this some thoughts this weekend!

Thanks!!

If it helps you can install our application from here:
http://www.esperient.com/index.php?o...=112&Itemid=54

Mike

Re: Understanding Web Update

Hi Mike,

Yes, I think I understand the problem now and what you are saying makes complete sense. I'll give this some thoughts this weekend!

BTW, what's the total size of all the 1,200 files (compressed)?

Thanks,
Friedrich

Re: Understanding Web Update

Thanks Friedrich, for your detailed response. I like SB a LOT and I appreciate you taking the time to listen to my problem.

I think you are starting to understand my problem. You should know that a lot of our 1,200 files are tiny, 1-2k in some cases. We will often provide new update weekly. We could easily change 200 files between updates. We might also *add* 50 new files between updates. SB works great because I can just tell the installer to include *.* in directory XYZ and all the files found are included in the build. Our developers and artists can add files at will to certain directories and these file are automatically included in the next build. The problem I have is when it comes to the Web Update - Manually sorting out what the rest of the team added or changed for the next update is really not an option. Our compiler and install building needs to be a fully automated process. Because the need to the automated process, the IDE Compare Directories command won’t work for us.

I have something that’s working, but it has its flaws, I have 2 .SB6 files:

FullWebInstall.SB6 – Full Install, and includes:
OurApp.exe – (Condition Set to: Always install)
ABC\*.* - (Condition Set to: Always install)
XYZ\*.* - (Condition Set to: Always install)


WebUpdate.SB6 – For the Web Update, and includes:
OurApp.exe – (Condition Set to: Check File (CRC))
ABC\*.* - (Condition Set to: Check File (CRC))
XYZ\*.* - (Condition Set to: Check File (CRC))

When the Web Update is run only all the changed files are updated on the users machine and this seems to be working well.

I don’t like having two separate .SB6 files, but I can live with that. But using my method, I really don’t like that both the WebInstall and the WebUpdate have basically the same set of .00xxx data files – this seems like a big waste.

I hope this makes more sense as to why I was asking for the option for a single .SB6 file to have a “Build a Web *Update* .exe too” :-).

Any suggestions you might have would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Mike

Re: Understanding Web Update

Mike,

It will never be possible to have one .sb6 that provides the full install and a web update. Not in the upcoming SetupBuilder 7 nor in SetupBuilder 99 <g>. The "initial" (full) install and the (incremental) web update are completely different projects (per definition!). Not only in SetupBuilder, but in all tools that have a live-update feature. I think there is still some confusion on how web update works - but at the moment I don't now exactly where the misunderstanding is in this case. We have a meeting today and we'll brainstorm your case. I hope I will have a better answer tomorrow. Sorry for that.

We have some customers with 9,000+ files in the install and web update can handle this without any problem.

A web update does not contain all of the information needed for a full installation (1,200 files in your case). It contains the incremental differences between the base version and the revised version. Let us assume, you have 200 modified files between version 1.00 and 1.50 (or whatever) then your web update includes only those 200 files.

But wait. Perhaps in your case, you change 800+ files out of the 1,200 files in a very short period of time? Is this the "real" problem? You do not change 100 files out of the 1,200 files in 6 months, but 800+ files in 1-2 months? If this is the case, let me know and I can tell you how to handle his scenario. If it is not the case, also let me know

Sorry for the confusion.

Friedrich

--
Friedrich Linder
Lindersoft
www.lindersoft.com
+1.954.252.3910

"point. click. ship" - that's SetupBuilder
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Re: Understanding Web Update

Hi Friedrich,

Thank you for your response.

Originally Posted by linder

To both projects!

Hmmm, this is where things get really painful for us. Let me explain... Our install has 1,200 files we will often add many new files between updates. The basic installer works great, in the File Properties > File linking > Source File name - we just use *.* for certain directories.

With what you are telling me, we need to keep track of "every" new file, sample, image, or whatever that each developer or artist might add between versions. Yikes, lots of room for mistakes!

I know about the "Compare Directories" feature, but I have tried this and it is also painful for us. This would mean we would need to "manually" use the SB IDE to sort through all the changes between updates and keep trees of install files for all versions – (I prefer to just keep the installers). Our build process for a new version is 100% automated and having to sort out the "new" files really isn't going to work for us.

Maybe I'm over simplifying this "Web Update" process, but it seems to me that SB should be able to make a InstallWebInstall.exe *AND* InstallWebUpdate.exe from a single .SB6 file. Like this:

InstallWebInstall.exe - would be a *full* web install like it does now.

InstallWebUpdate.exe - would install a web *update*. To make this file SB would *automatically* change the following in the .SB6 project:

1. Set "Check File (CRC)" for all files and only install files on the end users machine that have changed.
2. Make the changes recommended in the docs section: "Web Update Development (the manual way)”
3. Remove all the UI dialogs.
4. Use the *same* data .00xxx files as the main InstallWebInstall.exe does.

Am I missing something? Is this possible?

It seems this would make the Web Update a lot easier.

Thanks,
Mike