Autoupdater Add-Ons Index

[Yxxe]

**Updater Add-Ons Index**

Below is a list of compiled tutorials by various authors for Robin's autoupdater.

**Client File Functionality**
_Author: Lightning_

This tutorial allows control of the client-side files through the use of a downloaded command file.

>! Seeing as I'm off to university soon, I won't be around as much as I have been. I thought I'd share this little snippet with you. It gives the autoupdater a little more functionality and control over your client files. Who knows, in the future there may be some files in the client which aren't needed any more, or need to be moved elsewhere. This is where this bit of code comes in handy. It allows you do delete files and folders, and move files to other places in the client with a few short commands.
>! It's tried and tested with Yami's autoupdater, but it should work with Robins also, seeing as Yami's is based off of that.
>! **The Code:**
>! Go to Project > References and added "Microsoft Scripting Runtime", then click "OK".
>! Place this in modMain:
>! WARNING: Some filepaths will need to be changed in order for it to work for you.
>! ```
Sub RunCommandFile()
    Dim ReadCommand As String
    Dim CurrentCommand() As String
    Dim fpath As New FileSystemObject

    If FileExist(App.Path & "\bin\command.txt") Then

        Open App.Path & "\bin\command.txt" For Input As #1
            While EOF(1) = False
                Line Input #1, ReadCommand
                'Split the command
                CurrentCommand = Split(ReadCommand, " ")
                'First word is keyword
                Select Case CurrentCommand(0)
                    Case "del"

                        If FileExist(App.Path & CurrentCommand(1)) = True Then
                            Call Kill(App.Path & CurrentCommand(1))
                        End If

                    Case "delfolder"

                        If fpath.FolderExists(App.Path & CurrentCommand(1)) = True Then
                            Call fpath.DeleteFolder(App.Path & CurrentCommand(1), True)
                        End If

                    Case "move"

                        'First, copy the file
                        If FileExist(App.Path & CurrentCommand(1)) Then
                            If FileExist(App.Path & CurrentCommand(2)) = False Then
                                If fpath.FolderExists(App.Path & CurrentCommand(2)) Then
                                    Call fpath.MoveFile(App.Path & CurrentCommand(1), App.Path & CurrentCommand(2))
                                End If
                            End If
                        End If

                End Select
            Wend
        Close #1
        'Delete the command file
        Call Kill(App.Path & "\bin\command.txt")

    End If
>! End Sub
>! ```
Find "Public Sub RunUpdates" in modMain. At the end of the loop, above "Next":
>! ```
Call RunCommandFile
```
The procedure will run every time an update is downloaded. If a command file is not present, the procedure will basically skip it.
>! **How to make a command file:**
>! Make a blank text document called "command.txt". Open it up.
Type each command on a seperate line. They will be executed one at a time.
>! ```
del test.txt
delfolder \bin\old
move File.exe \bin\exe\File.exe
```
In this example, test.txt is deleted. Afterwards, the folder called "old" in the "bin" folder is deleted. "File.exe" is then moved to "\bin\exe\".
>! Once your command file is ready, place it in with your patch data in the RAR archive. Make sure the command file is extracted to the root location the RAR archive is downloaded to.
>! **And finally:**
Here is the command data:
>! Deleting a file:
```
del [filepath]
```
Deleting a folder:
```
delfolder [filepath]
```
Moving a file:
```
move [source filepath] [destination filepath]
```
Enjoy,
>! Lightning

**Updater First-Time Use**
_Author: = Not 7_

Almost identical to my code for OTLR's updater, this checks the updater for first time use. If so, it prompts the user to install the game's run-time files.

>! Firstly, in config.ini, add under the options:
```
[Updater]
FirstTime=0
```
When the person first loads the updater, it calls sub main. So, we need to make a check that checks whether it's their first time loading the updater itself, and if so, exit the sub, so it doesn't carry on with the rest.
>! So, we need to add…```
    If GetVar((App.Path & "\bin\Data Files\config.ini"), "Updater", "FirstTime") = 0 Then
        Call FirstLoad
        Exit Sub
    End If
```
This checks the FirstTime, and whether it's 0\. If so, it stops the sub, as said, and instead loads a prompt. You can have whatever you wish for this prompt. In my case, I have it ask whether you have installed the library files.
>! So, add…```
Public Sub FirstLoad()

MsgBox "Hello. This appears to be the first time you have ran GAMENAMEHERE!", vbOKOnly, "GAMENAMEHERE"
>! If MsgBox("GAMENAMEHERE requires a series of files called Dynamic Link Libraries to run! Have you installed the Eclipse Library Installer?", vbYesNo, "GAMENAMEHERE") = vbNo Then
    MsgBox "OK. Please install the library files!", vbOKOnly, GAMENAMEHERE
    Shell (App.Path & "\bin\ELI.exe")
    PutVar (App.Path & "\bin\Data Files\config.ini"), "Updater", "FirstTime", 1
    DestroyUpdater
    Exit Sub
Else
    MsgBox "OK. Have fun on Iron Prelude!", vbOKOnly, GAMENAMEHERE
    PutVar (App.Path & "\bin\Data Files\config.ini"), "Updater", "FirstTime", 1
    Call Main
End If
>! End Sub
```
If the client has not installed the library files, it actually closes the updater, and runs the Eclipse Library Installer!
After running for the first time, it changes the FirstTime to 1, and won't prompt again, from that point, unless if you directly change config.ini back to 0!

[Carim123]

Nice, I can definitely see use from this…mind if I share some of my code too for tutorial use, Lightning? I don't see the need for a separate thread, if it's on the updater...

[Yxxe]

@=:

> Nice, I can definitely see use from this…mind if I share some of my code too for tutorial use, Lightning? I don't see the need for a separate thread, if it's on the updater...

I'm guessing you are thinking of some other functions? Just send me the functions via PM and I'll code them myself thanks. ;]

[Carim123]

@Lightning:

> I'm guessing you are thinking of some other functions? Just send me the functions via PM and I'll code them myself thanks. ;]

No, I mean just share other snippets of code that can be used on the Autoupdater too. Just for whoever wants to use it, it saves the need for needing to create a new thread, and maybe you could make this sort of like an index for various functions for use. I wouldn't mind helping too, I've been meaning to make a tutorial for a few updater things, for a while now.

[Yxxe]

@=:

> No, I mean just share other snippets of code that can be used on the Autoupdater too. Just for whoever wants to use it, it saves the need for needing to create a new thread, and maybe you could make this sort of like an index for various functions for use. I wouldn't mind helping too, I've been meaning to make a tutorial for a few updater things, for a while now.

Oh, ok. Send me the tutorials via PM and I'll add them to the OP. :]

[Yxxe]

Bump! ;]

[Robin]

Make it so the autoupdater can update itself. That's something I'll be adding to my own updater. Very useful for big changes like a new interface.

Isn't there a better way to delete a directory without adding more dependencies?

[Yxxe]

@Robin:

> Make it so the autoupdater can update itself. That's something I'll be adding to my own updater. Very useful for big changes like a new interface.

I wrote an application for that already, but was planning to keep it to myself. ;] It's untested, but once I test it I may release the source for it.

@Robin:

> Isn't there a better way to delete a directory without adding more dependencies?

If you do then I'll gladly update the tutorial.

[Robin]

I have no idea. Was simply curious. I'll be re-writing my updater for Crystalshire soon. If I come across anything ground breaking I'll throw it your way. Or I might just re-release an updated version of my updater. This stuff should really be in by default.

[Yxxe]

@Robin:

> I have no idea. Was simply curious. I'll be re-writing my updater for Crystalshire soon. If I come across anything ground breaking I'll throw it your way. Or I might just re-release an updated version of my updater. This stuff should really be in by default.

Well that's what I thought. The basis of just downloading and extracting files seemed a little primitive, so I thought I'd release this source code so the patcher had a little more control over the client files. I'll send you the source to the Patcher Updater if you like.

[Robin]

No thanks. Other people's code never sits well with me. I like to program things myself.

[Yxxe]

@Robin:

> No thanks. Other people's code never sits well with me. I like to program things myself.

Whatever floats your boat.

[Robin]

Better off dumping file list in to an array, loop & kill, then use rmDir to get rid of the directory itself.

No reason to add more dependencies for it.

Also, the RAR system causes huge amounts of unneeded data transfer due to download old versions of files. Looking in to caching the check-sum of files on the server and having the updater compare against the ones in the client and only download files which have changed.

I'll release a copy of it once I'm done.

[Yxxe]

@Robin:

> Better off dumping file list in to an array, loop & kill, then use rmDir to get rid of the directory itself.
>
> No reason to add more dependencies for it.
>
> Also, the RAR system causes huge amounts of unneeded data transfer due to download old versions of files. Looking in to caching the check-sum of files on the server and having the updater compare against the ones in the client and only download files which have changed.
>
> I'll release a copy of it once I'm done.

So basically instead of hosting patches, you would hold the most up-to-date copy of the client on your patch file host. I'm guessing you would go about comparing file dates (or something along those lines) or a checksum like you stated. You'd then just go and take the files that have changed from the client on the patch site?

[Robin]

Pretty much. Although using BMPs would give a much larger download time than the previous .rar system up to a certain point. This system will only really start giving an advantage when you've got to the point where people are downloading 20mB+ of outdated files only to replace them a couple of minutes later.

Luckily with PNGs already being compressed it'll give instant benefits with a dx8 game.

Using check-sums would require a PHP file to be run every time you upload new files so that it can dump all the strings in to a .ini for the client to read, but that shouldn't be a problem on most setups.

[Carim123]

> I'll release a copy of it once I'm done.

Any updates on that front? I'm really interested in the way your updater works, and it'd be nice to get some insight into the way (and how) it was done. =D

[Robin]

Once I've ironed out any bugs in it. Had one or two people have file access issues, so I need to know if that's them just screwing up running it or a problem with the program.

I also haven't got around to adding file kill lists yet.

[Carim123]

@Robin:

> Once I've ironed out any bugs in it. Had one or two people have file access issues, so I need to know if that's them just screwing up running it or a problem with the program.
>
> I also haven't got around to adding file kill lists yet.

Not to be off topic, but does that mean that we'll have to download a new updater for CS, or have you somehow made a mystical system that makes it update itself?

[Robin]

It's been out in Crystalshire for weeks.

You needed to delete the game and re-download for v1.5.0 but the latest updater has the ability to replace itself.

[Carim123]

@Robin:

> It's been out in Crystalshire for weeks.
>
> You needed to delete the game and re-download for v1.5.0 but the latest updater has the ability to replace itself.

Ah, right, nice. =D