Application Auto Update Feature Question

Question

I am building an application that is going to run on web services and be downloaded for free by users. I need to be able to build in a feature into the application so that It can check for updates and update itself. Is there a good way to do this kind of thing? Can someone give me some advice or point me to an example on how one might go about doing this?

 

Thanks in advance

Answer 1

Hi,

The .net framework 2.0 has a new feature for smartly deploying and updating application : ClickOnce. It requires few configuration and if u are using VS2005 as IDE your task will be really easy.

 

HTH.

Hayder Marzouk

Answer 2

Before even start testing with ClickOnce my proposition is to first check it's limitations. My opinion is that ClickOnce can't be used for many of applications, especially some serious application (period). To support this opinion i didn't see any famous application to use it. I can't find some better link of limitations but here is one:
http://www.directionsonmicrosoft.com/sample/DOMIS/update/2004/04apr/0404catei.htm

-Implement a web service method that will return list of files in a folder where you will keep the application files
-You will get that list from client application and create a same list for local files 
-Compare both, check for differences, and if there is some, start update form
-There you will asynchronosly download files from server using WebClient and save them in the application folder, under some changed name (I add .new to file name).
-On application restart you will  delete old files and rename new ones (remove .new for my case).