Updating a program via ftp (Windows)

[Selzig]

Hello,

Is there a component that would allow a program developed with Lazarus to be updated on Windows when launched (with a new version of the exe placed on an ftp server) ?

Regards. Slz

[Zvoni]

Hello,

Is there a component that would allow a program developed with Lazarus to be updated on Windows when launched (with a new version of the exe placed on an ftp server) ?

Regards. Slz

AFAIK, No, since that has nothing to do with Lazarus itself (or any other language for that matter).
If you execute your Program, that executable is "locked" (as in it cannot be deleted/overwritten).
You need to write a separate program that does the "update"
Kinda like
1) You start your program
2) your program calls this "other" program called CheckForUpdate (or whatever) --> Keyword TProcess (?) and IPC
3) This other Program actually does the check if a new version is available
4) if yes, this other program terminates your program, downloads the new version to its correct location, executes the new version, and then terminates itself

That said: I might be completely wrong.....

[af0815]

BTW: Look at Lazarus und recompiling.

Lazarus.exe and StartLazarus.exe are working together to update Lazarus itself after the recompiling.

[paweld]

There is a component for automatic updates, but it does not support FTP: https://wiki.freepascal.org/LazAutoUpdater
You can also do it yourself, use synapse to communicate with FTP: https://wiki.freepascal.org/Synapse
Both packages can be installed using OPM

Code: Pascal  [Select][+][-]

1. uses
2.   ftpsend;
3.  
4. procedure TForm1.Button1Click(Sender: TObject);
5. begin
6.   if UpdateAvailable then
7.   begin
8.     //gent new file from ftp
9.     //replace app file
10.   end;
11. end;
12.  
13. function TForm1.UpdateAvailable: Boolean;
14. var
15.   local_ver, remote_ver: TDateTime;
16.   lver, rver, local_info_filename: String;
17.   sl: TStringList;
18.   fs: TFormatSettings;
19. begin
20.   Result := False;
21.   fs.ShortDateFormat := 'yyyy/mm/dd';
22.   fs.ShortTimeFormat := 'hh:nn:ss';
23.   fs.DateSeparator := '/';
24.   fs.TimeSeparator := ':';
25.   lver := {$i %date%} + ' ' + {$i %time%}; //date and time of compilation
26.   if not TryStrToDateTime(lver, local_ver, fs) then
27.   begin
28.     ShowMessage('Unknown local version');
29.     exit;
30.   end;
31.   local_info_filename := GetTempDir + 'myapp_version_infp.txt';
32.   //on the ftp must be a file named “myapp_verion_info.txt”,
33.   //which in the first line will contain the date and cas of the current version of the program
34.   if not FtpGetFile('ftp_server', 'ftp_port', 'myapp_verion_info.txt', local_info_filename, 'ftp_user', 'ftp_password') then
35.   begin
36.     ShowMessage('Unable to check remote version info');
37.     exit;
38.   end;
39.   sl := TStringList.Create;
40.   sl.LoadFromFile(local_info_filename);  
41.   rver := sl[0];
42.   sl.Free;
43.   if not TryStrToDateTime(rver, remote_ver) then
44.   begin
45.     ShowMessage('Unknown remote version');
46.     exit;
47.   end;
48.   Result := remote_ver > local_ver;
49. end;    
50.