How to update my application

[Lokutus]

Hi,

I'm developping an application for mobile device, windows mobile 5.0, using .NET Compact framework 2.0.
I need to update my application after it starts. Application will download a new CAB file from server if there is any and install it to update application.
Is there some easy and common way to accomplish that, or do I have to run some updater, close the application and install a new version using that updater?

And another question. Is there a way to install CAB file at the background not visible to user? I need to do update uninteruptable.

Thanks in advance, Lokutus

[Curtis Rutland]

Moving to Mobile Dev forum.

[markmcgookin]

Yikes! That's a toughy.

One way I like to do this kind of thing is with a web service exposed on the server, use your app to connect to the service using it's connection, download something like a byte[] for you cab file and then using

                // Open Cab File
                ProcessStartInfo myCab = new ProcessStartInfo();
                myCab.FileName = "\\Temp\\myCab.CAB";
                myCab.StartInfo.Verb = "Open";
                myCab.UseShellExecute = true;
                Process.Start(myCab);
                Cursor.Current = Cursors.Default;
 

But you may find that you can not run that while the application is running. I would probably create another application to do this, and launch it from you current app, then in your updater check to see if the original app is running, and if so close it.

That is all in theory though, I have never run a CAB updater from local software before, I tend to use 3rd party software.

Hope it points you in the right direction

Mark