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[deploying]Any Java Application Launcher like thing available?

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J G

[deploying]Any Java Application Launcher like thing available?

Hi, everyone!

When trying to build a little tool to send to a friend using Runtime Packager, I get into trouble that the resulting image complains some COM error when starting and will not work.

Is there any existing general purposed Application Launcher like Java Start Application Launcher? I searched and failed to find one. By using that I think one should be able to deploy applications as parcels and the user just use the launcher to load any applications, while the launcher manage to load packages in need from public store when installing.

Then user needs to down load the launcher once and it get auto-updated in time, and serves for any small application deployed in parcels. Is that simple and efficient?
I'm giving my little application for free so I don't care whether it looks like "normal" Windows programs. No harm being Smalltalk. I think James Robertson might deploy BottomFeeder this way, too, so that it can auto-update itself. And of course the Launcher can bring with it some Smalltalk or VW Logo or even some interesting info about Smalltalk. Is that wonderful?

Best Regards,

Jim G

skrish

Fwd: [deploying]Any Java Application Launcher like thing available?

I guess many have gone down this path and come back to delivering it the usual runtime packager way. Several reasons for that as far as I know. Primarily the licence restrictions will not allow a friend to do it that way but download the vwnc and install it.

if vwnc version is installed he can also simply import the parcel/package st file you provide and go ahead to use it..

I had created this simple VWLauncher which has the basic parcels and some common advanced parcels by default but one cannot distribute that for licence reasons. This allows someone with a parcel to simple double-click run against this packaged launcher in a windows machine. Simply follow the protocol for including more custom parcels in a cnf file etc..

But then the COM error you describe may be related to stuff out of VW control but a matter of installed COM components not available etc.. in which case any of above will not help.

regards

skrish

On Jan 14, 2008 12:02 PM, Jim Guo <[hidden email]> wrote:

Hi, everyone!

When trying to build a little tool to send to a friend using Runtime Packager, I get into trouble that the resulting image complains some COM error when starting and will not work.

Is there any existing general purposed Application Launcher like Java Start Application Launcher? I searched and failed to find one. By using that I think one should be able to deploy applications as parcels and the user just use the launcher to load any applications, while the launcher manage to load packages in need from public store when installing.

Then user needs to down load the launcher once and it get auto-updated in time, and serves for any small application deployed in parcels. Is that simple and efficient?
I'm giving my little application for free so I don't care whether it looks like "normal" Windows programs. No harm being Smalltalk. I think James Robertson might deploy BottomFeeder this way, too, so that it can auto-update itself. And of course the Launcher can bring with it some Smalltalk or VW Logo or even some interesting info about Smalltalk. Is that wonderful?

Best Regards,

Jim G

J G

Re: [deploying]Any Java Application Launcher like thing available?

2008/1/15, Sudhakar Krishnamachari <[hidden email]>:

I guess many have gone down this path and come back to delivering it the usual runtime packager way. Several reasons for that as far as I know. Primarily the licence restrictions will not allow a friend to do it that way but download the vwnc and install it.

if vwnc version is installed he can also simply import the parcel/package st file you provide and go ahead to use it..

I had created this simple VWLauncher which has the basic parcels and some common advanced parcels by default but one cannot distribute that for licence reasons. This allows someone with a parcel to simple double-click run against this packaged launcher in a windows machine. Simply follow the protocol for including more custom parcels in a cnf file etc..

But then the COM error you describe may be related to stuff out of VW control but a matter of installed COM components not available etc.. in which case any of above will not help.

regards

skrish

Hi, Sudhakar,

Thanks for your advice and instruction. I never feel certain with license things.
However, does this means that Cincom itself can build that kind of things and then deploying my parcels for the starter be legal?
A general purposed Launcher promoting VW each time when a user distributed application gets run, might be a good marketing approach, anyway.
The Launcher loads the application parcel and then other packages needed, after that it auto-save a application image, I mean all these are under control of the Cincom official VWSmalltalk Application Launcher.
Otherwise it's hard to build and share small applications for free using VW, that hurts. If Squeak also has license issues to worry about then we can only use Gnu Smalltalk :(
Now I'll spend a little more time to really learn something about how to deal with the runtime packager. And will try to build a launcher myself for individual use only.
Thanks.

Best Regards,

Jim G

James Robertson-7

Re: [deploying]Any Java Application Launcher like thing available?

In reply to this post by skrish

There's no license restriction preventing an application launcher; The NC license merely disallows commercial use. Hw you launch a non-commercia application is of no concern to Cincom.

----- Original Message -----

From: [hidden email]

To: [hidden email]

Sent: Monday, January 14, 2008 6:59 PM

Subject: Fwd: [deploying]Any Java Application Launcher like thing available?

I guess many have gone down this path and come back to delivering it the usual runtime packager way. Several reasons for that as far as I know. Primarily the licence restrictions will not allow a friend to do it that way but download the vwnc and install it.

if vwnc version is installed he can also simply import the parcel/package st file you provide and go ahead to use it..

I had created this simple VWLauncher which has the basic parcels and some common advanced parcels by default but one cannot distribute that for licence reasons. This allows someone with a parcel to simple double-click run against this packaged launcher in a windows machine. Simply follow the protocol for including more custom parcels in a cnf file etc..

But then the COM error you describe may be related to stuff out of VW control but a matter of installed COM components not available etc.. in which case any of above will not help.

regards

skrish

On Jan 14, 2008 12:02 PM, Jim Guo <[hidden email]> wrote:

Hi, everyone!

When trying to build a little tool to send to a friend using Runtime Packager, I get into trouble that the resulting image complains some COM error when starting and will not work.

Is there any existing general purposed Application Launcher like Java Start Application Launcher? I searched and failed to find one. By using that I think one should be able to deploy applications as parcels and the user just use the launcher to load any applications, while the launcher manage to load packages in need from public store when installing.

Then user needs to down load the launcher once and it get auto-updated in time, and serves for any small application deployed in parcels. Is that simple and efficient?
I'm giving my little application for free so I don't care whether it looks like "normal" Windows programs. No harm being Smalltalk. I think James Robertson might deploy BottomFeeder this way, too, so that it can auto-update itself. And of course the Launcher can bring with it some Smalltalk or VW Logo or even some interesting info about Smalltalk. Is that wonderful?

Best Regards,

Jim G

J G

Re: [deploying]Any Java Application Launcher like thing available?

2008/1/15, James Robertson <[hidden email]>:

There's no license restriction preventing an application launcher; The NC license merely disallows commercial use. Hw you launch a non-commercia application is of no concern to Cincom.

Hi, James!
If there's no license problems then I would suggest VW team to build a VW Smalltalk installer, or an application loader or just any thing you'd like to call it. Off course it can be platform neutral. Then I believe most people would stop to fight with the RTP and just deploy tiny n kb Smalltalk applications in this cool, shining new way. It should have long been a feature of Smalltalk, am I mad? Just like a TCL application. Any parcel is now executable (in fact the parcel is not running, but is starts a sequence of events that finally run the app from its own image built when the app "installed" by the starter/loader/launcher/installer), and newer version parcels of the same app trigger the common launcher/installer to update the app, and all these happens just quietly and beautifully.

I'm not a C programmer, why should I have to learn how to distribute an application as a Smalltalker? lol

I've already learn about things about parcels and packages and even bundles, I think that should have been good enough to give my less then 100 line tiny app away to some old friend :)
Thanks, everybody.

Best Regards,

Jim G