How to create a web version checker

[isladogs]

If you distribute version updates via the Internet, you may find this useful.

Attached is an example web version checker database which shows how users can be alerted to program updates on a specified web page.

The way this works is as follows:
The code identifies if a new version is available by 'reading' all the contents of the web page to a temporary text file
It then searches the text file for a specified string where the web version number is given.

If the web version is higher than the local version, the user is alerted
The whole process takes a fraction of a second to complete

In the attached example, you can see this in action:

If a new version is available, a message similar to this will appear:

The user can then go straight to the website & download the new version

NOTE: the link will take you to my website, www.mendipdatasystems.co.uk
The latest version on the website is 5322 (as of 28/05/2017)
However, there is no point you downloading the program update listed as it requires a product licence key to install!

If the current version is the latest available, a message similar to this will be shown:

To use this code with your own databases:
1. Add the VBA reference 'Microsoft Internet Controls'
2. Import the modules modFunctions & modInternetDownload
3. Import the table tblLocalVariables or adapt the code to use similar data in another table of your own
4. The main code is contained in the procedure: CheckLatestWebVersion in modFunctions
You will need to ADAPT as necessary to suit your own database version numbering and website page contents

In my own production databases, the CheckLatestWebVersion procedure is run automatically when the program administrator logs in

Please see post #9 for an updated version of this application

 

[indianagssa]

nice lessons

 

[Diplo]

This looks like it could be very helpful! Thank you!

When you put this in you Database, if the person checking for an update has data in their DB, will they retain the data on the updated download or will you have to re-add it into the new version?

 

[isladogs]

This looks like it could be very helpful! Thank you!

When you put this in you Database, if the person checking for an update has data in their DB, will they retain the data on the updated download or will you have to re-add it into the new version?

This is intended for updating the front end in split databases.
As the data will all be stored in the backend, it will not be affected.

However, if you used this in an unsplit database, the data would of course be overwritten when the update was downloaded

 

[CJ_London]

presumably if you have changes to the backend this is handled as a first action when the FE is first opened?

 

[isladogs]

That is certainly the case in all my FE version updates.
The new FE is first relinked to the BE
Then, as required, tables may be added/deleted or table fields may be added/modified/deleted.

No such BE updating code is built into this example database however

 

[Diplo]

This is intended for updating the front end in split databases.
As the data will all be stored in the backend, it will not be affected.

However, if you used this in an unsplit database, the data would of course be overwritten when the update was downloaded

So should I split the Database and put both the FE and BE in a zipped folder then Upload it to the website? Will that allow everything to run smoothly?

 

[isladogs]

No.
Upload them as separate files so end users can download these separately.
You can zip them if you like but I prefer to create EXE files using a commercial installer application.

For example look at this page from my website: http://www.mendipdatasystems.co.uk/ukpaf-update/4594184431

NOTE: Don't bother downloading the program update as it requires a licence key as part of the installation

If you have any further specific questions, please start a new thread rather than reply to this moderated area

 

[isladogs]

I've updated the API declarations to fix a couple of errors and to simplify the conditional compilation used.
The new version has been tested in both 32-bit & 64-bit Access