Auto Updater

If the customer's book version matches the most current version on my site,  I would like a message in the ebook to say "No Updates Available."

If the version numbers don't match I would like it to say "New Updates Are Available - Click here to download."

Since I have very little experience with javascript, I thought I'd see if any of you guru's out there have written a script of this sort that might help me along.

Thanks,

Here is a link to a zipped activ project that reads values from a .js file:

http://www.copperfieldpub.com/dev/ActivForm.zip

It demos using a form to get information from the user, and how to write and read a file with this information.

 It wouldn't be much of a stretch to provide variables - currentVersion and latestVersion values in your ebook .js and website .js files.  

Thanks for the reply and for the files. I'll take a look at them and see if I can figure out what you mean.

here's where I'm at so far:

I created the csinfo.js script using this data:

var ffname="jeff";  
var flname="testing";  
var faddress ="form";  
var fcity="data";  
var fstate="input";

The script is included in the ebook.

The data populates in the bottom form fields.

If I want to pull the data from my web server, do I just have to change the source from this:

SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JavaScript" SRC="csinfo.js"

to this:

SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JavaScript" SRC="http://www.mywebsite.com/csinfo.js" ? (And upload the script to my webserver)

Thanks,

Jeff

You will want to add a variable to each .js file, indicating the version.  The csinfo.js file would have the value where 'currentVersion=1;' and 'latestVersion = 1;'.

In your ebook page, you put both calls for the js files, one after the other.  First the local file, then call the website .js file.

The local file establishes the installed or last update version. We called it 'currentVersion=1;'.  The information you want to update is kept in variables as well (like, 'currentGreeting ="Hi!" ', or whatever).

So, you read the local .js file, then the website .js file.... The beauty is, if the script can't see the .js file because you're not online, or you forgot to upload it, it won't throw an error. . . neat.

 Anyway, the second .js file tells you that the 'latestVersion = 2'.  The contents contains values ('latestGreeting ="Happy Holidays!",' or whatever) with new information.

When the ebook starts up, it compares the values.

If currentVersion < latestVersion {

currentGreeting = latestGreeting;
currentSponsor = latestSponsor; .... and....

currentVersion= latestVersion;
   
 ....and then you write those values, including the new currentVersion and latestVersion values, into your local js file, as I did in the demo....

  }

Next time you start up, if there are no updates, the version numbers will match, and your ebook will read and use the local information.  If they are not online, it will use the local information as well, updated the last time they went online.

The demo's reference at the bottom link to 'clipbrd.exe' is a simple demo on using the "##RUN()" Activ command to launch a built-in Windows application from the ebook.

Thanks for all of your help. I greatly appreciate it. I'm fairly certain that I follow what you're saying.

One question, when you say to call the website .js file, is this the correct way to do it:

SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JavaScript" SRC="http://www.mywebsite.com/csinfo.js"

Thanks again (you've been tremendously helpful)

Yes.  But don't forget the Less Than and Greater Than signs: the "<" and ">" . . .

Good news. I got it working. Now I'm just trying to tweak it out.

I set it up where I have two forms. One checks the local .js file and the other checks the webserver .js file.

I set the action of each form to point to the readfile.as scripts. I didn't need the writefile.as. (So far anyway)

I compared the value of "currentver" with "latestver." If currentver < latestver I include a message to update the e_Book.

I'm also going to include a button or link that appears if updates are available that you can click on to download the latest version.

I just have one more question...

Javascript only runs when you're viewing the page that calls the script, right?

(I just want to be certain that my webserver is not getting any unnecessary traffic with these scripts running.)

Thanks again for all of your help.

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Javascript only runs when you're viewing the page that calls the script, right?

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Now I see what you mean about wanting to write to the file to maintain the data in the form fields.

I removed the submit buttons, so I hope there is a way to dynamically submit the data so it gets written to the file. (Maybe when the page loads)

I can live with it the way it is now, but if you have any ideas to fix this I'd love to hear them.

Thanks again,

Glad things are looking up.

If you look at the demo, you might find the point where the file is written.  You'll want to copy that, and paste it, implementing it right after the part that does the variable update. You'll also have to include that .as file that does the writing itself.

I can look at it if you're still having trouble finding that line of script.  I'll try to get to it asap, but I'm a bit swamped - I'm trying to 'whip out' a free, advertising-driven site (I hope), with a ton of articles and ebooks I've collected in these past years;http://www.800tip.com.  Might be something there to inspire an ebook subject.

It's taken me over a week now to 'whip it out', and I am way tardy on eveything else , but I'll help where I can.