Notify of Updates

[CD Tom]

I don't know if this is possible but can I have my program notify users when I put a new update on the web. I get this with some of my program, it says there is a new update to the program. I would like to be able to do this in my program. The program is written in Access, I put the update in a executable zip file on my web site. The program has a version number that I could check and if it doesn't match the current version put a notification about the update.
Just a thought, any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks

[NeoPa]

Interesting question Tom.

I'm not sure how you'd check the file or even download it but I suspect someone here will know.

What I can suggest though, is to include the version number in the name of the file, and thus the link. Always assuming something like a DIR is possible on an HTML link. I do something very similar for my own release procedure, but that's all on a local network so not quite what you're after.

BTW Have you seen my article (Control External Processes using Scripts - CMD) about doing this sort of thing automatically so that it closes the current version and opens the new one seamlessly, once the new version's been copied into place of course. It should give you some helpful pointers even if it doesn't help much with the web side of things. There's also a video that explains some of it ((Video) Controlling External Processes in Access - FTP), although it doesn't cover exactly the same job.

[CD Tom]

I have my update loaded on my website www.mywebsite.com/xxxxxxver260update.exe This would be ver 26.0 I can check for the version of the program the user has. I would like to have an option that says Check for Update and if the program on my website isn't the same as the one on the website let the user know there is a newer version of the program an present them with an option to download the update.

[NeoPa]

CD Tom:
I'm not sure how you'd check the file or even download it but I suspect someone here will know.

Hi Tom.

I do understand what you want. Unfortunately I don't have the experience to help you further. I'll keep monitoring this thread though and maybe I can learn something at the same time you do.

[jforbes]

For what you are doing, it's probably easier to

• Include a VersionNumber in your FrontEnd Database, either in a Table or as a Global Variable
• When the FrontEnd loads, check the VersionNumber against a VersionNumbr in the BackEnd
• If it's the same as a hard coded version number, then carry on as normal.
• If the VersionNumber is greater, display a message to the user that there is a new version available and that the Updater will be run. When they click OK, fire off the Installer and Exit the current instance of the Database.

[CD Tom]

I'll give that a try. Thanks