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Resolved Does the PowerClient replace ALL files or just updated files during deployments?

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  1. Frank Zettanucci
    Frank Zettanucci
  2. PowerBuilder
  3. Tuesday, 21 March 2023 23:03 PM UTC

If we deploy a PowerBuilder application using PowerClient, I had a few questions on when exactly and how often those files are pulled off the web server during runtime usage.

When we update one pbd or library object, or one of the many "Files preloaded as compressed packages" changes or is added, I would expect those files to be downloaded off the web server but does that apply to every file every time?

Most of the time only one or two pbls are changing and certainly some supplementary "Files preloaded as compressed packages" are not changing very often at all, so does that mean once the users download the app the first time PowerClient incrementally updates as needed ?

 

Under the Client Deployment tab page, here are my update strategy settings.

Update when connected so when does that connection happen?  Every time they run the application?

Download the app files as necessary (except files configured in External Files) This sounds fishy... like what does it mean "Except files configured in External Files" ... does that mean PowerClient always sends the files in External Files every time the client connects or does it check if those are changing before updating, like the specifics of how it works seems mysterious....

 

Frank

 

 

 

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Frank Zettanucci
Frank Zettanucci Accepted Answer Pending Moderation
  1. Wednesday, 5 April 2023 17:43 PM UTC
  2. PowerBuilder
  3. # 1

Thanks for the comments, but I still need a small clarification or two...

Am I not using the 'Files preloaded as compressed packages"  as intended perhaps?

I had a single package, with all of the application PBD/exe files including additional sub-directories with bin\ tool1\ tool2\ files1\ files2\ where most of the time only the main application pbd files will be changing.

When I look at the documentation I realize now appears I can make 1-Many Packages for the "Files preloaded as compressed packages" section.

1. Under the "Files preloaded as compressed packages" section, Should I be creating 1-many packages separating each of the bin\ and tools\ folders out of the main pbd package?

2. If i created separated packages will each one of those packages update independently of each other and only if files within them change?

Or is what your saying about the "External Files" section what you are recommending to use for those bin\   tools\  folders?

And same question, because it sounds like "External Files" section is going to blast down every single time... even if they dont change.

 

Frank

 

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Armeen Mazda @Appeon
  1. Armeen Mazda @Appeon
  2. Wednesday, 5 April 2023 18:38 PM UTC
The key benefit of breaking up into multiple packages is that they can be independently updated. So for example, imagine some files in bin\tool1\ have been updated but bin\tool2\ is unchanged, if tool1 and tool2 were both in the same package you would not be able to update tool1 independent of tool2 to your users. Not a big deal unless the packages are huge and download times are of concern. As a general rule, it is best to create packages by the real-world relationships, and for files that cannot be compressed much and/or constantly being modified they should not go into packages.
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Frank Zettanucci
  1. Frank Zettanucci
  2. Wednesday, 5 April 2023 20:53 PM UTC
Ok thanks Armeen, this is what really clarified for me, i got it now. Those bin tools can compress right down so I think packages still make sense, just separate ones... it would probably make updates faster even...
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Armeen Mazda @Appeon
  1. Armeen Mazda @Appeon
  2. Wednesday, 5 April 2023 23:23 PM UTC
You’re very welcome.
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Armeen Mazda @Appeon
Armeen Mazda @Appeon Accepted Answer Pending Moderation
  1. Tuesday, 21 March 2023 23:22 PM UTC
  2. PowerBuilder
  3. # 2

When you modify your code, only the affected PBL/objects will get re-downloaded to the user's machine and it will only happen if they actually try to utilize that object.  For example, if you modified window object w_about but the user does not open w_about it won't be re-downloaded to the user's machine even though you modified it.

External files work differently than PBLs/objects.  All the files will be pre-downloaded before the app will start.  So if there are any external files you are frequently modifying, you want to put them in "uncompressed" section so that single file can be updated independently when rest of the external files in a "package" haven't changed.

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Armeen Mazda @Appeon
  1. Armeen Mazda @Appeon
  2. Wednesday, 5 April 2023 23:23 PM UTC
Yes, of course.
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Marcelo Gil
  1. Marcelo Gil
  2. Tuesday, 12 November 2024 16:02 PM UTC
Is it possible for the PB app to detect that the Launcher app (Power Client Project) has downloaded an update in order to notify the user that changes have been made?
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Angie Liu@Appeon
  1. Angie Liu@Appeon
  2. Wednesday, 13 November 2024 01:44 AM UTC
Hi Marcelo,



When the PowerClient application starts, it connects to the server to check for updates. If updates are available:

1.Preloaded files will be updated automatically, and the user will see a download page. Once the update is complete, the PowerClient application will load automatically.

2.For the on-demand download part, updates will be checked and downloaded automatically at runtime, without any notification to the end user.

3.If the web server is updated while the end user is running the application, the user will need to restart the application to apply the updates.



Regards,

Angie
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