Version 2.0 of the Auto FE Updater

  • Thread starter Thread starter Tony Toews [MVP]
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Tony Toews [MVP]

This release of the Auto FE Updater is a huge, huge improvement in
developer ease of use. There's a wizard to get you going with the
basic operations in less than a minute. Need to make a change to a
setting? Just a few mouse clicks as all settings are updated by forms
rather than having to use Notepad as in the past.

But it's even better. Now, with three mouse clicks, a formatted email
containing a hyperlink for the users initial install of your app will
be created. Your users can be running your app with two or three
mouse clicks. (This depends on the number of hyperlink warning
messages. (Sorry, nothing I can do about the email client security
warnings.)

Have you looked at the Auto FE Updater in the past and decided it was
rather ugly to use? The thought of editing configuration files using
Notepad made you shudder with distaste? Taking an hour or three to
read somewhat confusing web pages was a task to be done next month or
next year? Visit http://www.autofeupdater.com and take a look.

(More screenshots will likely go up there in a day or so.)

I’d like to thank Tom Wickerath, Crystal Long, Clif McIrvin and Tom
van Stiphout for all the suggestions and criticisms as I bounced ideas
their way. I’d also like to thank John Mishefske and Michel for
their suggestions of using a listbox as an alternative to an ugly
multi-line tab control. See Interface Hall of Shame - Tabbed Dialogs
down a short ways for what it could’ve looked like. <smile>
--
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
Tony's Main MS Access pages - http://www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm
Tony's Microsoft Access Blog - http://msmvps.com/blogs/access/
For a convenient utility to keep your users FEs and other files
updated see http://www.autofeupdater.com/
Granite Fleet Manager http://www.granitefleet.com/
 
This release of the Auto FE Updater is a huge, huge improvement in
developer ease of use. There's a wizard to get you going with the
basic operations in less than a minute. Need to make a change to a
setting? Just a few mouse clicks as all settings are updated by
forms rather than having to use Notepad as in the past.
Click to expand...

I just installed it this morning. The real win is picking the icon
and having your wizard figure out the index number (which is not
obvious from the interface that Windows provides when creating a
shortcut).

The one thing I didn't understand was why in some cases, the wizard
would run, and in others it would tell me I hadn't provided an ini
file in the commandline.
 
David W. Fenton said:
I just installed it this morning. The real win is picking the icon
and having your wizard figure out the index number (which is not
obvious from the interface that Windows provides when creating a
shortcut).
Click to expand...

That particular feature has been there for a few years and was on a
form called from the main INI file list form. Maybe it wasn't obvious
to open the form that allows you to select the icon file and choose
the icon.
The one thing I didn't understand was why in some cases, the wizard
would run, and in others it would tell me I hadn't provided an ini
file in the commandline.
Click to expand...

Were you running it from different virtual systems to the same folder
on a common server? It uses the workstation id to decide if you are a
"master" and thus allowed to view the settings. If you aren't it
gives that message.

I"m seriously thinking of changing that to use the userid instead or a
combination of workstation and userid. If a combination then I'd add
the second and subsequent combinations automatically with a message
telling you so. So that this would make more sense what is all
happening.

I probably should've changed this a long time ago but just never got
around to it.

Tony
--
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
Tony's Main MS Access pages - http://www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm
Tony's Microsoft Access Blog - http://msmvps.com/blogs/access/
For a convenient utility to keep your users FEs and other files
updated see http://www.autofeupdater.com/
Granite Fleet Manager http://www.granitefleet.com/
 
That particular feature has been there for a few years and was on
a form called from the main INI file list form. Maybe it wasn't
obvious to open the form that allows you to select the icon file
and choose the icon.
Click to expand...

I haven't actually configured a site with it in at least 5 years.
Were you running it from different virtual systems to the same
folder on a common server? It uses the workstation id to decide
if you are a "master" and thus allowed to view the settings. If
you aren't it gives that message.
Click to expand...

Well, I first did it from a workstation, then went to another
workstation to set it up (involved removing A2007 and installing
A2003, then setting up the shortcuts), and I thought I'd just do the
same thing I did on the first workstation. But it didn't work.

I do recall now that the INI file for the updater did list the name
of the machine I first set things up on, so is that what controls
it?

I'm wondering what the purpose of this feature is? Seems awfully
easy to circumvent, no?
I"m seriously thinking of changing that to use the userid instead
or a combination of workstation and userid.
Click to expand...

That wouldn't have made a difference, as I needed to set it up for
each user, so was logged on as the primary user for each
workstation.
If a combination then I'd add
the second and subsequent combinations automatically with a
message telling you so. So that this would make more sense what
is all happening.

I probably should've changed this a long time ago but just never
got around to it.
Click to expand...

Why not just add it as an option in the error dialog?
 
David W. Fenton said:
I haven't actually configured a site with it in at least 5 years.
Click to expand...

Ah, that would explain it then.
Well, I first did it from a workstation, then went to another
workstation to set it up (involved removing A2007 and installing
A2003, then setting up the shortcuts), and I thought I'd just do the
same thing I did on the first workstation. But it didn't work.

I do recall now that the INI file for the updater did list the name
of the machine I first set things up on, so is that what controls
it?

I'm wondering what the purpose of this feature is? Seems awfully
easy to circumvent, no?
Click to expand...

Yes, it is. The whole idea though is that the developer(s) who are
working with the Auto FE Updater gets the user friendly screens. But
users, who aren't in that list of up to five workstations, only ever
get an error message.
That wouldn't have made a difference, as I needed to set it up for
each user, so was logged on as the primary user for each
workstation.


Why not just add it as an option in the error dialog?
Click to expand...

Trouble is I don't want the users to be able to see the GUI and muck
with things. I would far sooner err on the side of being too
restrictive, which is what it is now.

One option I'm going to put in real soon now is to give the developer
another form so they can indicate which user accounts do have full
access. That almost made it into this release but I wanted to get
this last version onto the website.

In thinking about this recently I have no idea why I chose to use work
station as my main criteria way, way back in 2004 or so. In these
days of Terminal Server and Virtual PC sessions it's more of a PITA.
Userid really should be my only criteria here.

Another much fancier option might be to interrogate Active Directory
and give the initial user, the developer, a list of accounts which
they could then click on to add. But that's not really necessary.
Someone can easily type in six or ten characters of a user name to add
to the configuration file.

Tony
--
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
Tony's Main MS Access pages - http://www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm
Tony's Microsoft Access Blog - http://msmvps.com/blogs/access/
For a convenient utility to keep your users FEs and other files
updated see http://www.autofeupdater.com/
Granite Fleet Manager http://www.granitefleet.com/
 
David W. Fenton said:
I haven't actually configured a site with it in at least 5 years.
Click to expand...

BTW every seven days, unless you change the value, that you run the
Auto FE Updater it will now ask you if you want to check for an
update. The users do not get this prompt. Just the users running
from the workstations as mentioned in my previous posting.

(And every 30 days it will now ask you to voluntarily purchase a
license for the program. Again the users won't get that message.)

Tony
--
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
Tony's Main MS Access pages - http://www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm
Tony's Microsoft Access Blog - http://msmvps.com/blogs/access/
For a convenient utility to keep your users FEs and other files
updated see http://www.autofeupdater.com/
Granite Fleet Manager http://www.granitefleet.com/
 
Another much fancier option might be to interrogate Active
Directory and give the initial user, the developer, a list of
accounts which they could then click on to add. But that's not
really necessary. Someone can easily type in six or ten characters
of a user name to add to the configuration file.
Click to expand...

Neither workstation nor user logon would have helped me one iota in
the situation I was in. In the future, I'll just write a batch file
to do it, but because I'll be running it from the user's logons on
their workstations, it will have to be without any security
limitations.

Why not have an option in your config file so I could put in
workstation "*" and it would allow all of them to run it? When I'm
done configuring all the workstations, I could remove it.
 
David W. Fenton said:
Neither workstation nor user logon would have helped me one iota in
the situation I was in. In the future, I'll just write a batch file
to do it, but because I'll be running it from the user's logons on
their workstations, it will have to be without any security
limitations.

Why not have an option in your config file so I could put in
workstation "*" and it would allow all of them to run it? When I'm
done configuring all the workstations, I could remove it.
Click to expand...

Umm, I don't quite understand your suggestion and how it relates to
the utility.

The idea of adding the first workstation, or in the future the userid,
as being the only workstation that sees the GUI. You get it going on
your work station, test it an another and then the users start
executing it. They will continue to execute the utility for the
next x years never seeing the GUI. All they know is they click on a
shortcut on the desktop, Quick Launch or Start >> Programs menu.

Tony
--
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
Tony's Main MS Access pages - http://www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm
Tony's Microsoft Access Blog - http://msmvps.com/blogs/access/
For a convenient utility to keep your users FEs and other files
updated see http://www.autofeupdater.com/
Granite Fleet Manager http://www.granitefleet.com/
 
David W. Fenton said:
Neither workstation nor user logon would have helped me one iota in
the situation I was in. In the future, I'll just write a batch file
to do it, but because I'll be running it from the user's logons on
their workstations, it will have to be without any security
limitations.

Why not have an option in your config file so I could put in
workstation "*" and it would allow all of them to run it? When I'm
done configuring all the workstations, I could remove it.
Click to expand...

Or to change your wording slightly allow a * until you've finished
testing your test workstations?

If so I'd change that slightly to have the utility add up to five work
station and user id pairs, or maybe just three or five user ids
automatically until the slots are full up. Then any new workstation
ids/user ids won't be added.

Tony
--
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
Tony's Main MS Access pages - http://www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm
Tony's Microsoft Access Blog - http://msmvps.com/blogs/access/
For a convenient utility to keep your users FEs and other files
updated see http://www.autofeupdater.com/
Granite Fleet Manager http://www.granitefleet.com/
 
Umm, I don't quite understand your suggestion and how it relates
to the utility.

The idea of adding the first workstation, or in the future the
userid, as being the only workstation that sees the GUI. You get
it going on your work station, test it an another and then the
users start executing it. They will continue to execute the
utility for the next x years never seeing the GUI. All they know
is they click on a shortcut on the desktop, Quick Launch or Start
Click to expand...

But I'm setting up the workstations for them, so I'm going from
machine to machine running the utility to get the shortcut on the
desktop. If I could get the wizard to run, I could select the INI
file and run it to create the desktop shortcut.

Now, obviously, in large organizations, this wouldn't be helpful.
But I was at the client last Friday setting it up and there were 4
workstations to set up. The first was the one I created the INI
files on, but the other three required me to pass the full
commandline. I guess, obviously, I could have created a shortcut or
batch file on the server to run the thing without launching the
wizard, but I was expecting EASE OF USE, which meant that I expected
it to behave the same way on the other machines as it did on the one
where I ran it the first time.

Of course, the whole thing was an exercise in frustration. The first
workstation I set up lost its ability to see their server by name
(but not by IP) after I uninstalled A2007 and installed A2003 (they
aren't ready to move to the new UI yet). The 2nd workstation went
fine, but on the third, after doing the same thing, the user's
Outlook shortcut stopped working (I just launched Outlook explicitly
and it reconfigured Office 2007 and worked again). So, everything I
did worked differently on each different workstation (even though
the first two were identical Vista boxes).

I have reached the point in my computer work that I no longer scoff
at voodoo troubleshooting. Sometimes I almost believe I should carry
a live chicken with me and slaughter it and sprinkle its blood in
appropriate places to insure that the computers work correctly.
 
Or to change your wording slightly allow a * until you've finished
testing your test workstations?

If so I'd change that slightly to have the utility add up to five
work station and user id pairs, or maybe just three or five user
ids automatically until the slots are full up. Then any new
workstation ids/user ids won't be added.
Click to expand...

It just seems easier to me to have a wildcard, rather than an
arbitrary limit. What happens if I set up 6 workstations?

In future, regardless of what you do with the wizard, I'll likely
just create a batch file to do the job. Or, if I understand how your
wizard INI file works, I'd clear the first workstation, and then the
wizard would run again, no?
 
BTW every seven days, unless you change the value, that you run
the Auto FE Updater it will now ask you if you want to check for
an update. The users do not get this prompt. Just the users
running from the workstations as mentioned in my previous posting.
Click to expand...

Not good. I'll have to do something about that so that the
workstation I used for the setup (which is sometimes an active
workstation) doesn't prompt.
(And every 30 days it will now ask you to voluntarily purchase a
license for the program. Again the users won't get that message.)
Click to expand...

I have never encountered the type of setup you've implemented with
recording the workstations in the INI file with any other utility or
application, so I don't quite understand what it's trying to
accomplish.
 
But I'm setting up the workstations for them, so I'm going from
machine to machine running the utility to get the shortcut on the
desktop. If I could get the wizard to run, I could select the INI
file and run it to create the desktop shortcut.

Now, obviously, in large organizations, this wouldn't be helpful.
But I was at the client last Friday setting it up and there were 4
workstations to set up. The first was the one I created the INI
files on, but the other three required me to pass the full
commandline. I guess, obviously, I could have created a shortcut or
batch file on the server to run the thing without launching the
wizard, but I was expecting EASE OF USE, which meant that I expected
it to behave the same way on the other machines as it did on the one
where I ran it the first time.
Click to expand...


Hmm...

I've been working with Tony a bit in the area of documentation for the
Auto FE Updater. Your comments caught my attention as indicating that
we may have shortcomings in communication.

Did you notice the bit about creating an email containing a hyperlink to
send the users for the initial launch from user workstations (as opposed
to admin workstations)? I'm curious if you considered that and rejected
that option because of the simplicity of simply walking around the
office to four workstions and doing the setup yourself; or actually
never even noticed that option.

In the short while that I've been working with this utility the usage
that you describe has never even occurred to me --- after all, one main
point of the utility is removing the necessity of visiting individual
workstations for doing the setup.

To do what you describe, the method of choice would in fact be to use
the wizard to create a shortcut on the server, which you would then
invoke one time only from the user workstations.

EASE OF USE ... Ah, the wonderful world of anticipating expectations
:-).

Would you care to suggest what could be done differently in the writeup
to have helped you avoid this bit of frustration?

Clif McIrvin
 
David W. Fenton said:
It just seems easier to me to have a wildcard, rather than an
arbitrary limit. What happens if I set up 6 workstations?

In future, regardless of what you do with the wizard, I'll likely
just create a batch file to do the job. Or, if I understand how your
wizard INI file works, I'd clear the first workstation, and then the
wizard would run again, no?
Click to expand...

My suggestion would be rather to use the wizard to create an easily
accessible shortcut on the server which you launch once from each
workstation ... much simpler than re-running the wizard.

If you wish to re-launch the wizard from each workstation you could
simply delete the wizard INI file -- much simpler than editing it to
remove the first workstation.

Clif McIrvin
 
Clif McIrvin said:
Did you notice the bit about creating an email containing a hyperlink to
send the users for the initial launch from user workstations (as opposed
to admin workstations)? I'm curious if you considered that and rejected
that option because of the simplicity of simply walking around the
office to four workstions and doing the setup yourself; or actually
never even noticed that option.

In the short while that I've been working with this utility the usage
that you describe has never even occurred to me --- after all, one main
point of the utility is removing the necessity of visiting individual
workstations for doing the setup.

To do what you describe, the method of choice would in fact be to use
the wizard to create a shortcut on the server, which you would then
invoke one time only from the user workstations.

EASE OF USE ... Ah, the wonderful world of anticipating expectations
:-).

Would you care to suggest what could be done differently in the writeup
to have helped you avoid this bit of frustration?
Click to expand...

Actually David has a good point. I was thinking of the scenario of a
full time developer who works on site and is hooked up to the
corporate email system along with all the users. David's coming from
the viewpoint of someone who brings in the FE via a USB memory stick
and installs it.

So he is correct a few paragraphs in when he states he could've
created a shortcut on the server, again using the utility, and then
clicked on that shortcut on each station. So I need to make David's
scenario, which is the second option on the Initial User Install page
http://autofeupdater.com/pages/userinstall.htm, more clear as to when
and why you'd want to use that option.

Also in thinking about it I need to add to the Quick Start page to
explain what to do once you have the "master" work station working.
Just a few lines telling them to now open the user install page.

Tony
--
Tony Toews, Microsoft Access MVP
Tony's Main MS Access pages - http://www.granite.ab.ca/accsmstr.htm
Tony's Microsoft Access Blog - http://msmvps.com/blogs/access/
For a convenient utility to keep your users FEs and other files
updated see http://www.autofeupdater.com/
Granite Fleet Manager http://www.granitefleet.com/
 
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