Runtime DLL's

Hi,

Would you please advise which of the following is correct.

1. According to your web site FAQ's.

"When installing a deployed Dolphin application onto a target machine you
must make sure that the target system has a new enough version of the
Microsoft MSVC runtime library DLLs. The required versions are:

MSVCRT.DLL (6.00.8397.0)
MSVCIRT.DLL (6.00.8168.0)
MSVCP60.DLL (6.00.8168.0) "

The FAQ includes a link from where the above can be downloaded. But ii
appears to be a dead link.

2. However, according to the ADK docs DLL's are:

"DolphinVM993.DLL. This and the runtime DLL files (DolphinCR993.DLL and
DolphinDR993.DLL)"

I would be much obliged if you would tell me which is correct, and if it's
1. (above) advise me how I might get the DLL's

Kind regards,

Don Hamilton

Don,

Both are correct. The DLLs listed in (2) are the "Dolphin DLLs". These are,
respectively, the VM, the compiler (if you need it) and the development
resources (icons etc - if you need them). At least the VM must be installed
on a target machine for your deployed Dolphin EXE to run successfully.

Like many other applications (including Internet Explorer) Dolphin makes use
of some system DLLs which are those listed in (1). These are the "Microsoft
Visual C Runtime Library" files and are needed by virutally any application
that is written in MS Visual C++ (as the Dolphin VM is). Since so many
applications make use MSVC you will most probably find that they will
already exist on the target machine. Sometimes they may be there but in
versions prior to version 6 in which case they need to be updated.

The easiest way to get these files onto a target machine is to create a
Windows Installer file for your application that includes them. If you look
on the Dolphin 4 downloads page you will see at the bottom that there are
some "merge modules" for MSVCRT and MSVCIRT (I don't think MSVCP60 is
required anymore). These can then be merged in with your Windows installer
(MSI) file so that the correct version of the files will be installed when
you application is installed. This is the way the MSI installation file for
the Dolphin development system works.

However, install program generators for Windows Installer are currently
expensive (InstallShield and Wise are c. $1000) so you may wish to go for an
older style approach such as that recommended by Ian Bartholomew
(http://www.clickteam.com/English/installmaker.php). In this case you'll
need access to the DLL files directly. It's a pity that the FAQ link to the
lastest Microsoft copy of these DLLs has evaporated but it's pretty easy to
copy them off your own development machine where Dolphin is installed. If
you take a look in your \Windows\System32 directory you should find that
they will be in there (at version 6 or later). Please note, these files must
be installed properly on a target system. You should never just copy them
into \windows\system32 blindly since you might accidentally overwrite a more
recent version. Most install program creators have an option for copying
system DLLs by first checking their version numbers and you should use this.

Best Regards,

Andy Bower
Dolphin Support
http://www.object-arts.com
---
Are you trying too hard?
http://www.object-arts.com/Relax.htm
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Re my earlier,

After poking around I realise that the MSVC???.DLL's are the MS Visual C++
DLL's, so it was a somewhat stupid question.

However, in looking into the question of MS DLL's has opened my eyes to a
few of the problems experienced with W95 and W98.

My apologies if I should have wasted anyone's time with the original
question.

Don,

> After poking around I realise that the MSVC???.DLL's are the MS Visual C++
> DLL's, so it was a somewhat stupid question.
>
> However, in looking into the question of MS DLL's has opened my eyes to a
> few of the problems experienced with W95 and W98.
>
> My apologies if I should have wasted anyone's time with the original
> question.

The only stupid question is one you don't ask.  We wouldn't have the phrase
"DLL Hell" if application installation were idiot proof.

To Andy's reply I'll add the following:  On OA's recommendation, I bought
Wise 5.0 (this was a while ago) and have never regretted it.  I took a long
look at the Windows Installer when D4 was released, and decided to pass.
However, I took the opportunity to begin statically linking my C++
components; my DLLs got larger, but, at least one of the installers for them
got _smaller_ because I didn't have to include the MS DLLs.

I also have the MS DLLs listed as an optional component, which is not
installed by default.  I ask users to try installing that way, and then
reinstall (the installer does respect time stamp and version number) only if
they have trouble.  As Andy said, most machines already have the DLLs, so
you can often avoid the issue.

Have a good one,

Bill

--
Wilhelm K. Schwab, Ph.D.
[hidden email]

Hi Andy,

Many thanks for your prompt and most detailed reply.  Especially your tip
about avoiding overwriting existing (later) DLL's.

regards,

Don Hamilton,