I need a better way to install Servoy Client launch file

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I need a better way to install Servoy Client launch file

Postby SteveInLA » Wed Sep 13, 2006 11:49 pm

I have a solution that runs on my Servoy server and will be accessed via the Servoy Client by users from many different computers running both Windows and OS X. I would like a more bullet-proof method for getting something on the client's desktop that is named what I want and has an icon of my choosing and launches only one of my server's many solutions.

The procedure in the past for setting up a client computer has been:
1. Navigate the web browser to the URL of the Servoy server.
2. Click the 'Launch Servoy Client' button.
3. Hope that a file gets made on the user's desktop.
4. Pray that the user answers "Yes" or "Allow" or "I Trust You, Servoy" to all the security warnings.

What I would like to have happen is:
1. Navigate to a page on my website with a link to download an installer file.
2. User runs installer, can choose to override OS specific default file location (/Program Files or /Application).
3. Start menu items created and/or shortcuts placed on desktop.
4. File on desktop has easy-to-understand name and has my icon, regardless of OS.

I like the look-and-feel of the Servoy application installer and the it2be Tools installer, but not enough to spend thousands of dollars on an installer creator. Any suggestions?
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Postby IT2Be » Thu Sep 14, 2006 9:03 am

I like the look-and-feel of the Servoy application installer and the it2be Tools installer, but not enough to spend thousands of dollars on an installer creator

Hi Steve, that's funny! I don't want to spend thousands of dollars either so that is why I use the same installer as Servoy does. You can get it here: http://www.izforge.com/izpack/. You will like the costs :)
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Postby cybersack » Thu Sep 14, 2006 1:07 pm

Just remember that caching the JNLP descriptor locally can sometimes lead to issues of staleness when your JNLP at the server has changed (for example when you add/remove plugins).

In that case you really *do* want to push the user back to the server to force a refresh of the JNLP descriptor.

So, maybe a better solution is to simply have the user bookmark http://${server.host}:${server.port}/
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Postby bcusick » Thu Sep 14, 2006 2:48 pm

Also, in Servoy you can deep link to a solution - so you can simply create a shortcut that opens a URL - and email that to anyone you want. THEN, you let Java correctly cache the WebStart app, everyone's happy.
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Postby SteveInLA » Thu Sep 14, 2006 6:39 pm

Well, not everyone is happy. Launching a solution from a URL does not give me consistant results. Sometimes an icon gets put on the user's desktop, but sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes a user's browser closes automatically but sometimes it doesn't. With all the combinations of operating systems and web browsers out there, combined with the small amount of technical savvy that my users seem to posess, I am in for a lot of hand-holding. I did look into izPack and it does look interesting.
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Postby cybersack » Fri Sep 15, 2006 2:15 am

IzPack is an installer.
That means it simply unpacks static resources to the end user's machine.
To a location configured by you.
How will this help you ensure that the end user is always conencting to Servoy Server with a valid descriptor ?
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Postby SteveInLA » Fri Sep 15, 2006 6:41 am

I guess it won't, will it. So are you saying the best way to assure that the user is launching the solution properly is to require them to always launch the application from a web browser or a URL shortcut equivalent? I can make that happen easily enough, though my experience is that the results vary wildly between operating systems and web browsers as explained in my previous post. What assurances do I have that if in the process of launching Servoy Client, a jnlp file gets created on their desktop, and the user uses that file to launch the solution from then on? I know that I have imported updates to solutions onto my server's repository and as long as I flush the solution, I can use the same jnlp file over and over and have never had a problem. As far as new or updated plug-ins, I can write a method that checks for the presence of and version of required plugins easily enough. I had to do that for my old FileMaker solutions.

My end users do not eat, sleep and breathe computers like we do, and all I am trying to do is make it so that it is as easy as possible for them to use my solution. If they get frustrated for any reason, they won't use it and I don't get paid. There, I said it.
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Postby cybersack » Fri Sep 15, 2006 8:13 am

SteveInLA wrote:I guess it won't, will it. So are you saying the best way to assure that the user is launching the solution properly is to require them to always launch the application from a web browser or a URL shortcut equivalent?

Yes
... my experience is that the results vary wildly between operating systems and web browsers as explained in my previous post.

Just place a bookmark withinin the browser.
Ensure you have configured your browser not to cache pages.

.. a jnlp file gets created on their desktop, and the user uses that file to launch the solution from then on?

Configure JWS to never allow shortcut creation.

I know that I have imported updates to solutions onto my server's repository and as long as I flush the solution, I can use the same jnlp file over and over and have never had a problem.

True.
The issue becomes apparent in the various JNLP files when plugins get modified, added or removed. The issue has nothing to do with solutions. Solutions are a part of the content delivered by the application. Solutions are not a part of the application definition- JNLP files *are* part of the application definition.

As far as new or updated plug-ins, I can write a method that checks for the presence of and version of required plugins easily enough. I had to do that for my old FileMaker solutions.

That's going to be difficult and dangerous I think.
Your code will not even get executed if the JNLP can't download something is it expecting from the server (such as a 3rd party jar file which has been ermoved, renamed etc).

My end users do not eat, sleep and breathe computers like we do

So just tell them to use the bookmark klink within the browser.
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Postby SteveInLA » Fri Sep 15, 2006 5:01 pm

Just place a bookmark withinin the browser.
Ensure you have configured your browser not to cache pages.

Configure JWS to never allow shortcut creation.

This would work if I had access to the user's computer. I do not.
It is difficult to explain, but assume that access to my solution needs to be achieved entirely by the user without my help. So far, it sounds like my best option is to create a Windows URL shortcut and a Mac URL shortcut, store those files on my website and provide links for user's to download the appropriate file for their operating system, or create a izPack installer that handles doing this. I have a client who uses this method for another solution of mine with great success. My experience though is that the URL shortcut works fine if you are using Microsoft Explorer, but if you are using Mozilla Firefox, the browser reamins open after Servoy Client has launched. There doesn't seem to be much I can do about that.
Your code will not even get executed if the JNLP can't download something is it expecting from the server (such as a 3rd party jar file which has been ermoved, renamed etc).

I am pretty sure that our users will call our tech support as soon as something isn't working right, and telling them to clear their java cache and redownload the URL shortcut or refresh the web page will be our first course of action.

I appreciate all of your help on this matter so far. Thank you for sticking with this post!
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