1. Marian Jurecka
  2. PowerBuilder
  3. Tuesday, 25 May 2021 12:41 PM UTC

Hello community,

we are testing PowerClient feature and we have not find a way to handle the following case - an app is using .ini file which needs to be accommodated for each client individually. So we tried to modify the .ini file after a deployment via zip file so that we can deploy it manually on client's server, but hash/security does not allow that kind of intrusive action. So the question is, what would be a recommendation on how to handle the required .ini modifications while deploying via PowerClient.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Accepted Answer
Julie Jiang @Appeon Accepted Answer Pending Moderation
  1. Wednesday, 26 May 2021 09:08 AM UTC
  2. PowerBuilder
  3. # Permalink

Hi Marian, 

We understand your requirement. It is important to allow you to change the INI files before distributing the app. 

Now our team has set up the plan to develop a tool to do so.  We will try to make it available in the coming 2021 GA version.  If that's not possible, the MR after the GA version.

Best regards, Julie

 

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Marian Jurecka Accepted Answer Pending Moderation
  1. Wednesday, 26 May 2021 07:45 AM UTC
  2. PowerBuilder
  3. # 1

Hi Chris,

first of all thanks for a prompt feedback. 

 

I am afraid I have not described the situation well. Let me be a bit more detailed.

Step 1: SW House build and deploys the app with CloudAppLauncher and runtime into a zip. The app is accompanied with an INI with general settings

Step 2: The deployment package goes to a customer

Step 3: Customer extracts the zip to a temp folder 

This is the moment when customer needs to introduce some modifications into the INI file to setup e.g. their DB connection

Step 3: Customer completes the deployment making a copy of the package in a location on their server where the app shall get distributed from.

Step 4: User on a local machine opens app launcher form the published location on server

I hope an attached diagram will help to understand our situation better.

There is a similar situation with some external files which are supposed to be available for all the app installation instances, however it does not make much sense to add one picture (to be presented on a report's footer) and build+deploy the whole thing. So it would help to have a mechanism, do add that picture to the deployed app, so it would get distributed automatically to all the installation instances that do not have that picture file. This one, however, is not that hot issue, and we are aware of some possible workarounds. On the other hand, the INI modifications represent a considerable complication within our distribution chain.

Thanks a lot for your help.

 

Best regards,

Marian

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  1. Armeen Mazda @Appeon
  2. Wednesday, 26 May 2021 13:53 PM UTC
Yes, what Julie described will resolve your situation.
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  1. Chris Pollach
  2. Wednesday, 26 May 2021 15:16 PM UTC
Just add to Armeen's comment ..

The PC App can be packaged into an MSI and then deployed to either customer X, Y, etc. The INI file(s) are zipped (for example in my test case "PB.ini.zip") in the IIS deployment App's main folder (by App version). When you try and open the PC Zipped INI file though with say WinZip - an error will come back "The Archive file is unknown format or damaged". So this is why we need to get Julie's INI utility.
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Chris Pollach @Appeon Accepted Answer Pending Moderation
  1. Tuesday, 25 May 2021 18:32 PM UTC
  2. PowerBuilder
  3. # 2

Hi Marian;

  PowerClient will manage the INI deployment to each client and from there, the PB App can also customize / attribute the INI as required. However, when the App is updated, it might wipe out the individual client's INI settings. I would suggest:

A) Deploy the App in v1.0 with the INI setting ...

B) Deploy the App in v1.1 and higher using ...

HTH

Regards ... Chris

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