LabWindows/CVI TIP: Creating Patches for Deployed Applications

[Adri_K.]

LabWindows/CVI 2010 includes a new tool to allow developers to create patches for applications that were created with LabWindows/CVI 2010 or later. With a distribution patch, you can make minor updates to an existing distribution installation, in a smaller and more convenient manner because the path will contain only files that must be updated.

Creating a patch

1. If you have an existing distribution created for an application, you can create a patch by selecting Build»Distributions»Manage Distributions.
   
2. To specify a patch select New and then specify Windows Installer Patch as the Type option in the New Distribution dialog box.
   
3. In the Initial Patch Setup dialog box, you can browse to the folder that contains the .id file of the distribution build that you want the patch to update.
   
4. You can then make modifications in the Edit Installer dialog box. Within the Edit Installer dialog box, you can specify most of the same options in a patch that you specify in a distribution. By default, the patch includes only files that have been modified since the build of the distribution you are patching. You can add or remove files in the Files tab of the Edit Installer dialog box.
5. You can use this build distribution to create an installer patch and then repair installed distributions to update a smaller set of components to ensure system longevity and stability.