How should I implement an auto-updater?

Question

Many programs include an auto-updater, where the program occasionally looks online for updates, and then downloads and applies any updates that are found. Program bugs are f

Answer 1

Because auto updating is a common scenario, most languages have at least one package available to support this. (Below I list some of the available packages)

One of the really nice idea's is the ClickOnce distribution for .NET, it's an installer which sandboxes your application and installs in the user context, so no administrator rights required. You can configure the ClickOnce in your publish to check for updates each application start.

Java has Java Web Start which offers the same kind of functionality for java applets.

Delphi has numerous articles about auto-updating, Torry has a list of WebUpdate components, for instance GoUpdater seems to have a very wide range of functionality.

They all use a website/network share to check for a new version and than retrieve either a patch or a complete install file and run it. So you should try to find a nice package for your application, to save you the hassle of developing and maintaining your own solution.