auto update feature

wxPython Users
1

Hi All,

The idea of having an auto update feature for wxPython apps (like Firefox) is very appealing and I know it's been discussed from time to time on this list.

Has anyone come across, or working one, a reusable implementation? There is easy_install, which works well for Python packages - I wonder if this could be used in a wxPython app somehow? For the meantime I'm interested in updating Mac app bundles, but eventually would like to support Windows and Linux.

My application is a wxPython/Twisted client/server application and a simple solution I've thought of that should work for me:

1) Client tells server what version it is on startup (before user logs in).
2) Server knows min/max version that work with that server
3) Server checks latest version of client, and either recommends they upgrade (if client is in allowed versions) or insists that they upgrade. If their version is current, it doesn't say anything and lets them log on.

Ideally it would be great if this upgrade was automatic (e.g. Firefox) - but many apps get away with just pointing the users browser to a download page (e.g. Skype).

Does anyone else have solutions to this problem?

Robert

2

Hi Robert,

Ideally it would be great if this upgrade was automatic (e.g.
Firefox) - but many apps get away with just pointing the users
browser to a download page (e.g. Skype).

That is what Task Coach (www.taskcoach.org) currently does. The
checking is done by a VersionChecker that runs in a seperate thread.
The VersionChecker grabs the PAD (Portable App Description, used in
the Shareware world, e.g. download.com) file from www.taskcoach.org
and checks whether a newer version is available.

Creation of the VersionChecker in App.start():

VersionChecker class:

Task Coach pad file: http://www.taskcoach.org/pad.xml

More info about PAD files: http://www.asp-shareware.org/pad/

Cheers, Frank

ยทยทยท

2008/2/17, Robert Gravina <robert@gravina.com>: