ClickOnce Questions

[dongarbage]

ClickOnce almost does what I want. However, there are a couple of
additional things I want to do with my application which I believe are
a challenge with a ClickOnce application:

1. The application is one which is to be purchased by my website's
users. So, before the application is installed, the user must purchase
the application.

2. The user must accept a user license agreement before installing the
application.

3. The "launch" button which would be located on the web page should
either launch the application for a valid licensed user, or, direct the

user to the software purchase page.

4. The ClickOnce application is launched from a link on a web page
with a parameter. If the user clicks the link again, a new instance of
the application is launched. For me, it is preferable to launch the
application
only once and for each subsequent web link click, the original instance
should take over.

Is it possible to do these things with a ClickOnce application?


Thanks,
Don

 

[Jamey McElveen]

You should be able to handle 1,2,&3 via your web site. Only give them
access to the launch button if they purchase and agree to the license
agreement. If you want to restrict it even further you can have you
application call a web service or web page before it launches to check to
see if they have a valid license. This way if someone finds the link
without purchasing you still can lock them down. For number 4 you could
make the application smart enough to detect another instance of itself bring
that instance to front then close the second instance without the user ever
seeing it. I have not tried this in C# but I used to do it in unmanaged
Win32 apps using a MUTEX.

Hope this helps.

Jamey