file.lastmodified - comparing 2 files on different computers

[x]

Here's my problem...

I have a file on many many users remote machines (with different OS's,
etc) and I want to have my program test the date that the file that
they are using, against the date of the most current version of the
program avialable online.

I want the program to be able to "see" if the program has changed
without having a large overhead of downloading the new file. However

File.lastModified

gives an absolute time that is different by machine, and therein lies
my problem.

Thank you for any comments/suggestions!

[Soeren Degn Jahns]

> I have a file on many many users remote machines (with different OS's,

etc) and I want to have my program test the date that the file that
they are using, against the date of the most current version of the
program avialable online.

I want the program to be able to "see" if the program has changed
without having a large overhead of downloading the new file. However
File.lastModified gives an absolute time that is different by machine, and
therein lies my problem.

I wouldn't rely on the lastModified attribute as well. Instead I would rely
on
a calculated checksum based on a unique set of data in the file or something
equivalent. You could also have a seperate file with the version info that
should
always be published along with your actual file. Then, by generating the
unqiue
version id on the publisher machine only, you could control this without
being
dependent on individual settings etc. on the individual client machines.
Anyway,
just a thought.

// Soeren