Launcher Utility

Launcher is a small program that helps install your application in a client machine. Compared to the traditional schema of shared folder, it can save network traffic, because you do not have to maintain an open file on server. There is another important benefit; you can copy your new version of application at any time. Instead of waiting all opened files to be closed you can override old version at any time and when client open launcher again, it copies new files to client hard disk. Launcher can copy many files, as you want. All necessary directories are created automatically. At end of copy, launcher start your application, so you can start launcher every time you want to run your software and it guarantee your copy is up to date.

Syntax of ini file:

[Server]

Source={path of your shared folder with files in UNC format}

Destination={path of your application in client machine. You can use $P macro to express C:\Program Files\}.

Run={application exe file to be executed at end of copy}

File1={first file to be copied}

File2={second file to be copied}

FileXX={XXth file to be copied. You can, also, use wildcards like *.exe}

Example of use:

Suppose that you have an Interbase application with following files:

My_Application.exe

Gds32.dll

Interbase.msg

My_Application.ini

Readme.txt

All files are will be located at c:\Program Files\My_Company\My_Application on client machine.

Just copy all files to a folder on your server and shared this folder like this:

C:\MyFiles shared as \\Server\MyFiles give, at least, read right for users.

For now we can set launcher to work with these files:

Launcher.ini

[Server]

Source=\\Server\MyFiles

Destination=$P\My_Company\My_Application

Run=My_Application.exe

File1=My_Application.exe

File2=My_Application.ini

File3=interbase.msg

File4=Gds32.dll

File5=*.txt {You can use Readme.txt instead}

• Copy launcher.exe and launcher.ini to \\Server\MyFiles.
• Go to client machine and open explorer. Point to \\Server\MyFiles and run launcher. It will install application in hard disk.
• Now you can create a shortcut in desktop to launcher and associate it icon with My_Application.exe
• You can rename launcher.exe for what you wish, just rename both exe and ini files to same name.

That is it.

Source Code:

Launcher is open source, and can be improved. To compile launcher you will need a library called KOL. Get it at http://xcl.cjb.net. Send comments to manro@terra.com.br.