CD ROM Application

[Chad]

Can any one point me in the right direction for information on creating an Auto-Run Enabled Progress Application.

 

[tamhas]

What sort of database application do you expect to create on a read-only device?

 

[Chad]

Sorry I should have gave a bit more detail. I am looking to write a finished application onto a CD so that Progress, the application and the database will be installed on the machine. Is this possible?

 

[tamhas]

So, what you are really looking for is an installer. I don't know anything about them specifically, but a little googling on installer both generally and on PSDN should get you something.

 

[Chad]

Thank you

 

[FrancoisL]

OpenEdge isn't that great for deployments. Especially if you want to install a multi-user Database. I have done it for a large customer who wanted to have an installation package with multi user database.

You have 4 parts that you have to take care of .

1) Install OpenEdge.

2) Install OpenEdge Service Pack

3) Copy and configure your database.

4) Copy your programs and create your icon.


You cannot do this in pure progress since you need to have Openedge installed to run any OpenEdge application. You will need to use a secondary programming language to manage your installation, create a installation script or use a intelligent installer like Install Shield (you will need to learn Install Shield scripting language).

I personally used .Net to create my installation program. I used progress response file installation method to drive the installation of Open Edge and it service pack. You will need to be able to trap any installation error and deal with those . Then you will need to copy your database , make sure admin server is started , modify your connmgr.properties file and start the database. Finally you copy your progs and create your icon .

You will have 2 big problems ...

First is dealing with license files . You have no way of validating licenses keys unless you start an installation with a response file that you modified with the entered license key and look at the log file to see if it works or not (even then the log file does not say that it fails because of wrong licenses (not in 10.1C)) . Since your installing from a CD-ROM then your medium is read-only , you will have to write response file locally and specify them when you start the install.

Second is if you want to permit to choose where he wants to install the OpenEdge , the database and the progs. This will also affect your response file and it will also affect your ini files that your icon will use to start the application. Having the database in a different directory then intended means that you will need to a prostrct repair on it so it writes it new location in the db file. ( you can always create your database during installation but it not less complicated).

It alot of work and i haven't found a magic way to properly create a single Installation Package that install all that you require with your programs.

Hope this helps, and i hope to see other peoples who may have better ways of doing it .

 

[sdjensen]

In the old days when we used a client/server installation, we only copied the client files (*) and ran the .exe with directly. No need for installation unless you need odbc connection.

(*) In version 9 only 9 files was required for a GUI client to run.

 

[Chad]

Thanks for your help with this Francois