Creating a New Updates File

This tutorial will guide you step by step in creating and maintaining an Updates Configuration File used by the Auto Updater.

We will create an Update Project that will have as result the updates configuration file used in the Updater Tutorial.

• 1. Create project
• 2. Add the first update
• 3. Add the second update
• 4. Add the third update
• 5. The End

1. Create project

If Advanced Installer is not currently running, launch it by double-clicking a desktop icon or selecting it from the "Start" menu. When the application starts, you will see a dialog where you can choose the type of the project you want to create.

Select “Updates” > “Updates Configuration” and press the Create Project button. The new project has been created and from now on you will edit it.

Save the project and give it the same name used in the updater tutorial - "StoryUpdates".

2. Add the first update

After completing the first part of the updater tutorial you will need to manage the first update. So it is time to configure the project to add information on “story2.0.msi” update.

Use the [ New Update ] toolbar button. A dialog will pop out allowing you to choose the location of the update file on the disk. Select the new version of your package (for example "story2.0.msi").

Select the update in the tree and rename it to “story2.0”. Upload the package to your server and set its URL in the Download URL field.

In the "Installed Detection" section set the criteria to "file size search". Select the file which should be checked( story.txt ) and the expected file size after the update( 1234 ).

The description of the update is specified in the Description tab.

For detailed description of the all the INI entries that are available please see updates configuration file.

Build the project. The updates configuration file should look something like this:

;aiu;

[story2.0]
Name=Story 2.0
URL=http://www.myupdateslocation.com/download/story2.0.msi
Size=43256
ServerFileName=story2.0.msi
FilePath=[APPDIR]story.txt
FileSize=1234
Description=This fixes some spelling errors in story.txt file.

3. Add the second update

To add and configure a new update you can use the same steps as above.

This second update includes the first one, so you can configure it to replace the first update.

Use the [ Add > Replaces ] toolbar button. A dialog will pop out allowing you to specify the replaced updates.

Upload the package to your server and set its URL in the Download URL field. Configure the detection criteria for the new size of the "story.txt" file (2345, like the example in the Updater tutorial).

Build the project. The updates file should look something like this:

;aiu;
        
[story3.0]
Name=Story 3.0
URL=http://www.myupdateslocation.com/download/story3.0.msi
Size=
ServerFileName=story3.0.msi
FilePath=[APPDIR]story.txt
FileSize=2345
Description=This adds a new paragraph.
Replaces=All

[story2.0]
Name=Story 2.0
URL=http://www.myupdateslocation.com/download/story2.0.msi
Size=43256
ServerFileName=story2.0.msi
FilePath=[APPDIR]story.txt
FileSize=1234
Description=This fixes some spelling errors in story.txt file.

4. Add the third update

The last update that is described in the updater tutorial is a patch. Add it to the project and configure it just like the ones before.

Since it's a patch, it can be applied only to the second update. This means that a dependency must be created.

Use the [ Add > Dependency ] toolbar button. A dialog will pop out allowing you to specify the update on which the current update depends on.

Build the project.

5. The End

This concluded the tutorial. After building the project in it's final state the updates configuration file will look something like this:

;aiu;
        
[story3.1]
Name=Story 3.1
URL=http://www.myupdateslocation.com/download/story3.1.msi
Size=34245
ServerFileName=story3.1.msi
FilePath=[APPDIR]story.txt
FileSize=3456
Description=This is a Patch.
Depends=story3.0

[story3.0]
Name=Story 3.0
URL=http://www.myupdateslocation.com/download/story3.0.msi
Size=23456
ServerFileName=story3.0.msi
FilePath=[APPDIR]story.txt
FileSize=2345
Description=This adds a new paragraph.
Replaces=All

[story2.0]
Name=Story 2.0
URL=http://www.myupdateslocation.com/download/story2.0.msi
Size=43256
ServerFileName=story2.0.msi
FilePath=[APPDIR]story.txt
FileSize=1234
Description=This fixes some spelling errors in story.txt file.