Application Update

Generally, application development does not stop after deployment. End-users will likely require updates, causing you to release new versions of the application. In this lesson, you will learn how to update an application.

Let's assume that you have just finished developing a new version of an application.

Update a Windows Forms Application

Update Application Files

The only difference between updating and deploying a Windows Forms application is that you overwrite existing application files instead of creating new ones. Deploy a new version of the application over a previous version to any End-User Workstation or to the Terminal Server. Use one of the methods you learned in Xcopy Method or Setup Project Method lessons. ClickOnce Windows Forms applications have their own internal update method. Refer to the Introducing Client Application Deployment with "ClickOnce" MSDN topic for details if you need to update a ClickOnce application.

Update Database via the DBUpdater Tool

• Install the DBUpdater tool to a workstation or server being updated. Refer to the Set Up the Database Connection lesson for details.

  IMPORTANT

  The DBUpdater tool does not support a scenario when multiple Object Space Providers are used (see How to: Use Both Entity Framework and XPO in a Single Application). Refer to the Updating the database when multiple persistent Object Space Providers are used ticket for possible workarounds.

• Launch the Command Prompt. Type "cd %PROGRAMFILES(x86)%\DevExpress 20.1\Components\%PROGRAMFILES(x86)%\DevExpress 20.1\.NET Core Desktop Libraries\Tools\eXpressAppFramework\DBUpdater" and press ENTER. Type "DBUpdater.v20.1.exe ..\MySolution\MySolution.Win.exe.config" and press ENTER. The DBUpdater will connect to the Database Server and determine if the application database has an older version than the application. Press ENTER and the DBUpdater will update the database.

  

  TIP

  To obtain DBUpdater logs, edit its configuration file (DBUpdater.v20.1.exe.config) and set the eXpressAppFramework switch value to 3 (Info):

  • XML

  <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
  <configuration>
    <startup>
      <supportedRuntime version="v4.0" sku=".NETFramework,Version=v4.0" />
    </startup>
    <system.diagnostics>
      <switches>
        <!-- Use one of the following predefined values: 0-Off, 1-Errors, 2-Warnings, 3-Info, 4-Verbose. The default value is 0. -->
        <add name="eXpressAppFramework" value="3" />
      </switches>
    </system.diagnostics>
  </configuration>
  

  Logs will be written to the eXpressAppFramework.log file.

  TIP

  To obtain DBUpdater logs, edit its configuration file (DBUpdater.v20.1.exe.config) and set the eXpressAppFrameworkTraceLevel key value to 3 (Info):

  • XML

  <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
  <configuration>
    <appSettings>
      <!-- Use one of the following predefined values: 0-Off, 1-Errors, 2-Warnings, 3-Info, 4-Verbose. The default value is 0. -->
      <add key="eXpressAppFrameworkTraceLevel" value="3"/>
   </appSettings>
  </configuration>
  

  Logs will be written to the eXpressAppFramework.log file.

• Run the Windows Forms application to ensure that it was updated.

Set up an Automatic Update of a Windows Forms Application via the Application Updater Utility

If you do not use the Terminal Server to provide access to the Windows Forms application, you will need to update the Windows Forms Application at all the End-User Workstations. The simplest way to do this is to overwrite application files with new ones at each workstation. However, there is another approach that allows you to save time in the future. Perform the following steps to automate the update process at multiple workstations.

• Choose a file server in the end-users network. Create a shared folder readable by all the Windows Forms application users at this server. You can give it an arbitrary name. For instance, name it MySolutionUpdateSource. This folder will store newer application versions.
• Ensure that users do not have write permissions to MySolutionUpdateSource. However, you should have write access to it.

• Go back to the previously updated End-User Workstation. Find the following line in the application configuration file.

  • XML

  <add key="NewVersionServer" value="" />
  

  Modify this line as shown below:

  • XML

  <add key="NewVersionServer" value="\\FILESERVER\MySolutionUpdateSource\" />
  

  Substitute "\FILESERVER\MySolutionUpdateSource\" with a real Universal Naming Convention (UNC) path to the folder created in the previous step.

• Copy the Windows Forms application folder contents from the End-User Workstation to the MySolutionUpdateSource shared folder. The UNC path to the application executable should be "\FILESERVER\MySolutionUpdateSource\MySolition.Win.exe".
• Copy the %PROGRAMFILES(x86)%\DevExpress 20.1\Components\%PROGRAMFILES(x86)%\DevExpress 20.1\.NET Core Desktop Libraries\Tools\eXpressAppFramework\Application Updater\DevExpress.ExpressApp.Updater.exe file from the Developer Workstation to the MySolutionUpdateSource shared folder. The UNC path to this file should be "\FILESERVER\MySolutionUpdateSource\DevExpress.ExpressApp.Updater.exe".
• The application configuration file NewVersionServer key must point to the MySolutionUpdateSource shared folder at each End-User Workstation. Modify the configuration files manually or overwrite configuration files by the \FILESERVER\MySolutionUpdateSource\MySolution.Win.exe.config file.

• Run the Windows Forms application at an End-User Workstation that was not updated. You will see the Updater progress bar.

  

  If one of the following error messages is displayed instead, check to make sure that the UNC path in the configuration file is not mistyped, and that the shared folder is readable and contains the DevExpress.ExpressApp.Updater.exe file.

  

  After the update is finished, the application will be restarted automatically.

Now end-user applications are configured to be automatically updated when the database version changes. To deploy a new application version, perform the following steps.

• Replace the files located in the MySolutionUpdateSource shared folder with new application files.
• Update the database version as described above.

When an end-user launches the Windows Forms application, it will be instantly updated. The update process takes as much time as required to copy the MySolutionUpdateSource shared folder contents to the End-User Workstation. The update process will not be initiated if the database was not updated - the previous application version will be launched even if the MySolutionUpdateSource folder contains a new version of the application.