ClickOnce app available online only a good thing?

[Ronald S. Cook]

I have a Windows app that I will be deploying using ClickOnce. If I choose
to allow it to be used online and offline, it will create a Start menu item
and add it to add/remove programs. But, I don't really care about that.
Also, the client PC will have to be connected to the network in order to get
at the data, otherwise the app is useless.

So, if I choose to make it available when online only, does it still install
program files to the client hard drive (just hidden)? It doesn't possibly
download all program files into memory each time and then clear our when
closed does it? That would be a performance issue if it was true.

Thanks,
Ron

 

[Laurent Bugnion [MVP]]

Hi,

I have a Windows app that I will be deploying using ClickOnce. If I
choose to allow it to be used online and offline, it will create a Start
menu item and add it to add/remove programs. But, I don't really care
about that. Also, the client PC will have to be connected to the network
in order to get at the data, otherwise the app is useless.

So, if I choose to make it available when online only, does it still
install program files to the client hard drive (just hidden)? It
doesn't possibly download all program files into memory each time and
then clear our when closed does it? That would be a performance issue
if it was true.

Thanks,
Ron

A ClickOnce application available online only is cached. When the cache
expires, the files are deleted. The next time the user connects, they
are redownloaded. An offline application is not cached, it's copied, it
doesn't expire. But it leaves traces on the client computer. Depending
on your use case, you may choose one scenario or the other.

HTH,
Laurent

 

[Ronald S. Cook]

Thanks. We were hoping to pass parameters via querystring, which we could
do in an online only app, but our app will be large in size so downloading
each time (for an app that's used all day every day) isn't a good option for
us. -thx

Hi,

I have a Windows app that I will be deploying using ClickOnce. If I
choose to allow it to be used online and offline, it will create a Start
menu item and add it to add/remove programs. But, I don't really care
about that. Also, the client PC will have to be connected to the network
in order to get at the data, otherwise the app is useless.

So, if I choose to make it available when online only, does it still
install program files to the client hard drive (just hidden)? It doesn't
possibly download all program files into memory each time and then clear
our when closed does it? That would be a performance issue if it was
true.

Thanks,
Ron

A ClickOnce application available online only is cached. When the cache
expires, the files are deleted. The next time the user connects, they are
redownloaded. An offline application is not cached, it's copied, it
doesn't expire. But it leaves traces on the client computer. Depending on
your use case, you may choose one scenario or the other.

HTH,
Laurent
--
Laurent Bugnion [MVP ASP.NET]
Software engineering: http://www.galasoft-LB.ch
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[Laurent Bugnion [MVP]]

Hi,

Thanks. We were hoping to pass parameters via querystring, which we
could do in an online only app, but our app will be large in size so
downloading each time (for an app that's used all day every day) isn't a
good option for us. -thx

If the application is used every day, I think it will still be available
in the cache. I wouldn't dismiss that option right away, try and do a
few tests first maybe.

Also, if your application is very big, check ClickOnce on demand:
http://scorbs.com/2006/06/28/xbaps-ondemand-clickonce/

HTH,
Laurent