[AccessD] Automatic Update Function

[David McAfee]

Here's the old, VB.net version that I used for years (I also have a C#
version if you prefer that)

I basically name an .mdb/.adp something like MyDatabase126.mdb
 I create a text file and save it as the appName.ini (not .txt)

I create two lines in the ini file:

LatestVersion:MyDatabase126.mdb
DeleteVersion:MyDatabase11*.mdb


They launch the exe, which cecks to see if they already have the latest
version on their computer, if not, copy it over.
I use the wild card * on the delete version (rather than MyDatabase125.mdb)
because a user might be out for a week or two and maybe you had several
versions released.

If you always want to copy the file over rather than check if the file is
different, comment the third IF statement.

It makes it real nice at work to deploy an adp/mdb to a user, even a new
user.
Just copy the .exe to their desktop and let them run it.

It also keeps the honest people honest. They are launching an exe, not an
mdb, so there isn't an mdb they can copy.
If you have an icon for the exe, a splash screen for the mdb and do the
shift start prevention, they might not even know that they are running an
access mdb.
It copies the mdb over to their local app data folder, so unless they know
where to look, they won't find it.
As long as they have rights to the shared folder and don't have to have it
mapped, they wont know where the source files are.
They would need to have Access already installed.

Anyway, here is my launcher:




Imports System.IO
Imports System.Environment

Module Module1
    Sub Main()
        Dim OldVersion As String = ""
        Dim NewVersion As String = ""
        Dim AppName As String = ""
        Dim NetPath As String =
"\\YourServerNameHere\YourSharedFolderHere$\" + AppName + "\"
        Dim iniFileName As String = AppName + ".ini"
        Dim LocPath As String =
System.Environment.GetFolderPath(SpecialFolder.LocalApplicationData).ToString
+ "\YourCompanyNameHere\" + AppName + "\"
        'Open ini file and read it, to get new version name:
        Dim oRead As System.IO.StreamReader
        Dim LineIn As String
        oRead = File.OpenText(NetPath + iniFileName)
        While oRead.Peek <> -1
            LineIn = oRead.ReadLine()
            If Left(LineIn, 14) = "LatestVersion:" Then
                NewVersion = Right(LineIn, LineIn.Length - 14)
            ElseIf Left(LineIn, 14) = "DeleteVersion:" Then
                OldVersion = Right(LineIn, LineIn.Length - 14)
            Else
                LineIn = ""
            End If
        End While
        oRead.Close()

        If Directory.Exists(NetPath) Then 'If the network path exists,
continue with the local path checks
            If Directory.Exists(LocPath) Then 'if the local path exists
then check for the actual file
                If Not File.Exists(LocPath + NewVersion) Then 'Check to see
if the new file is already installed
                    File.Copy(NetPath + NewVersion, LocPath + NewVersion)
'If NOT, copy the file :)
                End If
            Else 'Directory did not exist, so create it and copy new file
over
                Directory.CreateDirectory(LocPath)
                File.Copy(NetPath + NewVersion, LocPath + NewVersion)
            End If

            'If the new file exists on local computer, start the new
version on the local PC
            'The IF statement is  just added security, there really
shouldn't be a reason for it not to exist at this point
            If File.Exists(LocPath + NewVersion) Then
                System.Diagnostics.Process.Start(LocPath + NewVersion)
'Start the file

                If OldVersion <> "" Then 'Delete old file(s)
                    For Each FileFound As String In
Directory.GetFiles(LocPath, OldVersion)
                        File.Delete(FileFound)
                    Next
                End If
            Else
                'If not found, alert the user
                MsgBox("Cannot find " & LocPath & NewVersion & ".",
vbOKOnly, "unable to start " + AppName)
            End If


        Else 'The network path was unavailable, so alert the user
            MsgBox("Network path: " + NetPath + " is unavailable", ,
"Unable to start " + AppName)
        End If
    End Sub
End Module