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Program Announcements / XUpdate 1.1 - Easily embed automatic file downloads/updates in your distributed software

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CattleRustler
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Posted: 10th Feb 2006 21:16 Edited at: 5th Mar 2006 16:21
OK, the new and improved version is ready for download:
http://www.mod2software.com/dbp/dbp.htm

What has changed?
By using numerically comparable versions, the concept of separate update package folders, storage root manifest files, and a newly included XUpdate_Builder application (to auto generate xupdate.xml for each package) XUpdate can now bypass or download unlimited incremental update packages automatically. Whats better is multiple manifests and thier related packages can all be located under one web folder, so you can maintain any number of games or apps updates under a singular web folder if you so choose. The detailed documentation describes all of the new uberness, have at it.

Comments and suggestions welcome!

Excerpt from Docs:
Quote: "XUpdate is a generic command-line-driven file system update tool, which allows app and game developers to maintain version control over their distributed software, without the need for a remote database, and without the need for end-user interaction. By connecting via standard HTTP to the developer’s web space, XUpdate can determine if the software being run is out of date and can automatically download all of the new version packages it needs, determining for itself at which package version to start and continuing until it has the latest package. Even the executable that made the call to XUpdate can be updated by optionally stopping and restarting your executable during the update process. Simply distribute XUpdate with your application or game software, and have it perform the check for a new a software version package from anywhere within your code. There are no port or firewall hassles with XUpdate, XUpdate uses standard http for its transport mechanism."


FREE Automatic file updates for your distributed Games and Apps - see Program Announcements Forum - DBP Demo
Chris Franklin
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Posted: 10th Feb 2006 21:38
Nice will try out

Fps world of mayhem 10%

The admiral
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Posted: 11th Feb 2006 10:06
Well done thanks this is very useful for any developer and much appreciated from this one heh.

The admiral
CattleRustler
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Posted: 11th Feb 2006 12:54 Edited at: 11th Feb 2006 17:47
No problem, thanks
If anyone uses it in dbp maybe they could post a short snippet of their code to show others how its done, that would be grand.

edit: I have dbp still on my other machine so I'll try and post a snippet later. Also I will post a set of demo update packages on my web space and I will provide the command line that you can put in a shortcut to your local copy of XUpdate.exe. When you run it youll see xupdate in action, downloading from my server. The demo files will be a tree structure with txt files only - for demo purposes.

Automatic file Downloads/Updates for your distributed Games and Apps - see Program Announcements Forum
CattleRustler
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Posted: 12th Feb 2006 01:03 Edited at: 18th Feb 2006 04:29
Here's a quick way to see XUpdate in action....

EDIT: see below, new demo using a dbp app and my server, see it in action!

Automatic file Downloads/Updates for your distributed Games and Apps - see Program Announcements Forum
CattleRustler
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Posted: 12th Feb 2006 03:05 Edited at: 12th Feb 2006 08:19
...but then it occurred to me

Why am I leaving things like:
-The app to stop
-The app to start
to be determined by the client side? I shouldn't be. It should be determined by the developer, by way of the web update, shouldn't it? I think that makes more sense.

Doesn't it?

I think I shall make some changes. This concept of "As little as possible on the client side" will make this thing better.

New version asap...

Automatic file Downloads/Updates for your distributed Games and Apps - see Program Announcements Forum
Philip
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Posted: 12th Feb 2006 15:57
Cattle, its good to see you back and producing more Rustling tools.

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CattleRustler
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Posted: 12th Feb 2006 16:00 Edited at: 12th Feb 2006 16:19
Thank you mr. bear


working on the changes now

Automatic file Downloads/Updates for your distributed Games and Apps - see Program Announcements Forum
Chris Franklin
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Posted: 12th Feb 2006 16:30
Cool looking forward to it

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CattleRustler
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Posted: 13th Feb 2006 18:14
The new version has been done since yesterday afternoon, but just before I released it I noticed something I wanted to change, not a bug or error but just something to prevent potential errors caused by something that could be done in the manifest file. Turned into a whole fiasco! Still trying to sort it out.

more soon.

Automatic file Downloads/Updates for your distributed Games and Apps - see Program Announcements Forum
x1bwork
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Posted: 13th Feb 2006 20:45
This is very slick,rustler.
CattleRustler
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Posted: 13th Feb 2006 20:56
thanks.

the current posted version works just fine, but the new one has some changes that make it even better, so if anyone downloads it just be aware that a new version will appear soon. Check back so you get the latest.

Automatic file Downloads/Updates for your distributed Games and Apps - see Program Announcements Forum
CattleRustler
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Posted: 15th Feb 2006 03:41 Edited at: 5th Mar 2006 16:21
New version and documentation released:
http://www.mod2software.com/dbp/dbp.htm

Changes:
-Moved the ability to stop and restart the calling app from the command line to the manifest file, made more sense here since the developer maintains this file in his/her web space when new packages for updates are posted.
-general internal tweaks/improvements

Maybe I am forgetting some things that were added (been working alot lately on little sleep lol) It's all in the doc so I guess do a quick compare between this doc and the last.

feedback appreciated


FREE Automatic file updates for your distributed Games and Apps - see Program Announcements Forum - DBP Demo
CattleRustler
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Posted: 16th Feb 2006 01:24
DBP Sample Code:



I may need to implement a check in the startup of XU where it pauses and waits for any other XU process to terminate before it continues. I notice a problem where the calling app gets restarted and begins to call XU again, but the prior one hasnt fully terminated. Currently XU throws a msgbox saying Only one instance allowed and then terminates, thats no good.

I'll take a look soon.

Automatic file Downloads/Updates for your distributed Games and Apps - see Program Announcements Forum
Peter H
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Posted: 16th Feb 2006 15:42
what happens if there's no internet connection? does it crash the program?

"We make the worst games in the universe..."
CattleRustler
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Posted: 16th Feb 2006 21:32
It will time out and xupdate should abort itself.
When I get home I'll double check this

Automatic file Downloads/Updates for your distributed Games and Apps - see Program Announcements Forum
CattleRustler
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Posted: 18th Feb 2006 02:06
Quote: "what happens if there's no internet connection? does it crash the program?"

I handles the exception with a message box, then aborts cleanly

Automatic file Downloads/Updates for your distributed Games and Apps - see Program Announcements Forum
CattleRustler
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Posted: 18th Feb 2006 02:22 Edited at: 18th Feb 2006 02:23
Updated Version available (same links as above)


Improvements:
-Waits for any previous processes of XUpdate to terminate before it continues normally
-Manifest entries now need not be ordered by version. XUpdate will reorder the entries by version value, insuring packages are grabbed in order (ascending by version)
-Exit log is now created when XUpdate terminates. The file provides a single line entry with a date/time stamp and the exit message determined by XUpdate.

All aspects of XUpdate are completely documented and fully tested in DBP 5.8 (only requires dbp method EXECUTE FILE)

Package includes: XUpdate.exe, XUpdate_Builder.exe, and XUpdate_UsersGuide.doc

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CattleRustler
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Posted: 18th Feb 2006 04:38 Edited at: 18th Feb 2006 04:49
DBP DEMO

first download http://www.mod2software.com/misc/dbp09_test.zip and unzip it to a folder, you should see a dbp exe and a media folder. This exe embeds the version value 0.9

You'll need to put a copy of xupdate.exe in the folder with the dbp exe, I didnt include it in this zip

On the server is a few dummy files and a new dbp exe that embeds version value 1.0. There are 2 dummy entries and 1 valid entry in the manifest file so you can see multiple package downloads in action (0.95, 0.99, and 1.0) All of these versions collect the same 4 files and download them as packages. Here's what should occur:

-run the dbp exe, it will call xupdate (when you see XU gui move it off center slightly)
-xupdate will check for updates and find them
-xupdate will stop the dbp app
-the downloads will commence and finish (3 packages)
-the new dbp exe will start, XU will get called again
-if previous XU session is still running new one will wait
-first xu session will finish, new xu session will check for updates
-new xu session should report that no new versions were found and exit
-the new dbp exe (version 1.0) will continue to run

its pretty neat I think - check it out!
(the dbp exe is only 330K or so)

Automatic file Downloads/Updates for your distributed Games and Apps - see Program Announcements Forum
XERO GAMES
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Posted: 19th Feb 2006 14:57
If i start Xupdate

Error in Command Line Argument Count - Terminating Application

www.members.lycos.nl/darkbasic
CattleRustler
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Posted: 19th Feb 2006 15:11 Edited at: 19th Feb 2006 15:13
lets see your code that calls xupdate. Or do you mean you just ran xupdate by clicking it? That wont work. You need to call it from code with command line params, or if you want to test it you need to make a shortcut to it, with the command line params in there. Did you try the dbp demo for it?

Automatic file updates for your distributed Games and Apps - see Program Announcements Forum - DBP Demo
Philip
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Posted: 19th Feb 2006 16:13
This is a very good idea for a programme but are you charging for it?

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CattleRustler
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Posted: 19th Feb 2006 16:42
Thanks. Nope its absolutely FREE





Automatic file updates for your distributed Games and Apps - see Program Announcements Forum - DBP Demo
Chris Franklin
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Posted: 19th Feb 2006 17:00 Edited at: 19th Feb 2006 17:01
Always free neat cr could you come on msn asap a min please i really need to show you something

CattleRustler
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Posted: 19th Feb 2006 17:31

It's not a picture of your foot again, is it?


FREE Automatic file updates for your distributed Games and Apps - see Program Announcements Forum - DBP Demo
Chris Franklin
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Posted: 19th Feb 2006 18:41
lol nah

Nice demo for xupdate

Philip
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Posted: 19th Feb 2006 23:36
Its very decent of you to make this free, Mr. Rustler. Kudos to you.

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CattleRustler
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Posted: 20th Feb 2006 00:37 Edited at: 22nd Feb 2006 20:20
thanks mr. bear
would like to know if anyone has tried it out, and what they think. that would be helpful.

FREE Automatic file updates for your distributed Games and Apps - see Program Announcements Forum - DBP Demo
CattleRustler
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Posted: 28th Feb 2006 13:33 Edited at: 28th Feb 2006 13:35
slight update:

added a custom progress bar to the progress UI. I ripped it from a custom control I wrote a couple months ago. The same download zip file for XU has the new exe inside of it.



I probably will change the text to include the package count and files count like: "Getting Update Package 1 of 2 - file 7 of 10" or whatever.

CR

FREE Automatic file updates for your distributed Games and Apps - see Program Announcements Forum - DBP Demo
CattleRustler
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Posted: 5th Mar 2006 16:20 Edited at: 5th Mar 2006 16:23
updated to display package and files per package counts like:

Quote: "
Downloading Package 1 of 2
Getting file 7 of 10
[|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||70%_________]
"


the zip file has the updated exe

FREE Automatic file updates for your distributed Games and Apps - see Program Announcements Forum - DBP Demo
Chris Franklin
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Posted: 9th Mar 2006 22:24
Megaton Cat
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Posted: 11th Mar 2006 17:40
Hey you fat cow:

Go here and read my messege: It's good for your health

http://forum.thegamecreators.com/?m=forum_view&t=73913&b=2

CattleRustler
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Posted: 11th Mar 2006 19:05
lol

FREE Automatic file updates for your distributed Games and Apps - see Program Announcements Forum - DBP Demo
Megaton Cat
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Posted: 11th Mar 2006 19:14 Edited at: 11th Mar 2006 19:14
edit: ah ok

Supremacy
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Posted: 12th Mar 2006 19:05
to CattleRustler,

man your xupdate logo really suckx really hard

make something a little prettier, the quality of your program deserves it !

Your signature has been erased by a mod because it's larger than 600x120....
CattleRustler
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Posted: 13th Mar 2006 02:17
lol thanks.
i know it sucks, it got your attention tho which was the point
I'll make something nicer tho


FREE Automatic file updates for your distributed Games and Apps - see Program Announcements Forum - DBP Demo
CattleRustler
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Posted: 24th Mar 2006 22:48
UPDATE:

I have deployed XU in an app for work and during testing of downloads on the local network I discovered a small bug in pathing that didn't show itself in remote server testing. The bug is fixed an xu works fine on a local netowk and over a remote server scenario.

If you have XUpdate redownload the zip from the same location, and extract it over your current exe.

CR

FREE Automatic file updates for your distributed Games and Apps - see Program Announcements Forum - DBP Demo

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