How to Write an Updater...

[Tdata]

I was wondering if anyone around here knows how to write an updater program that functions like WoW's or DDO's.

What I am asking for, at least I think I am, is the method to write a 'bootstrapper'... I need to know how to write an update program that allows me to Download any updated files from a webserver and update the files in the current directory...

What this entails is downloading an update file, most likely an XML file, Look at the file for the Filename and version number, download whatever doesn't match. I need the updater to be a part of the application I am writing rather than as a separate app.

Now, I know I can compile and run an updater directly from the base application, but that still allows for the possibility that the updater will not run and the application will error.


As a side note: Is there a way to ad a version number to non-compiled code? A FlatFile for example.

 

[Drago del Fato]

Well for a way to know which files need to be updated, you can for example easily do a md5 hash on every file and if the md5 hash doesn't match with the file on disk and file on server then update it, this will also make your game a bit less hackable.