Distribution including unregistered dll?

[Boss]

Hi, I've been developing a database for BF Goodrich containing all of
the engineering schematics drawn back to the early 40's. My database is
nearing completion but there is one thing I'm running into a lot of
issues with, distribution.

The database has a comfortable ltitle home on one of our network
drives, restricted to the engineering department. To preview all of the
autocad files I've had to use a file called avviewx.dll which I got
from AutoDesk's Volo View.

The problem is that it appears that Volo View must be installed on the
user's machine in order for the preview to work due to dll
registration.

Is there a way to just force it to access the file and not have to
install Volo View on every computer, or is there some kind of
programmatic method I could use to check if volo is installed when the
database starts up, and if not, run the setup silently from another
network folder, all the while just displaying a progress bar or even a
Please Wait of some type.

Any ideas or brainspasms would be greatly appreciated. Thankyou very
much.

 

[Rick Brandt]

Hi, I've been developing a database for BF Goodrich containing all of
the engineering schematics drawn back to the early 40's. My database
is nearing completion but there is one thing I'm running into a lot of
issues with, distribution.

The database has a comfortable ltitle home on one of our network
drives, restricted to the engineering department. To preview all of
the autocad files I've had to use a file called avviewx.dll which I
got from AutoDesk's Volo View.

The problem is that it appears that Volo View must be installed on the
user's machine in order for the preview to work due to dll
registration.

Is there a way to just force it to access the file and not have to
install Volo View on every computer, or is there some kind of
programmatic method I could use to check if volo is installed when the
database starts up, and if not, run the setup silently from another
network folder, all the while just displaying a progress bar or even a
Please Wait of some type.

Any ideas or brainspasms would be greatly appreciated. Thankyou very
much.

More than likely you have no legal rights to distribute that file and given
that there is not much you can do except install (licensed) copies of
whatever software uses that dll on all PCs that need to view them. I would
contact that software vendor though to see what the specifics are.

 

[Albert D.Kallal]

Really, if you are going to join the ranks of a software developer, then you
have to put on a developers hat.

What this means is that you really need to setup some type of install
procedure. This install product MUST be followed for EACH computer that you
have.

If you think about software, and how you run it, you will note that you
always installed word on EACH pc.
You will notice that you ALWAYS installed Outlook on EACH pc.

So, it would be hard to believe that you come along, and throw out 20+ years
of how you always installed software.

So, #1, to reliably run this software, and especially if you are going to
allow multi-user, then you need to install the applications on each pc.

I explain this process, and MORE importantly I explain that you do this for
reason of reliability.

http://www.members.shaw.ca/AlbertKallal/Articles/split/index.htm

There is NO reason to risk your reputation, and have a un-stable, and
un-reliable application. And, *most* dll's have to be registered before you
can use them (hence, some type of installer is usually need to deploy that
dll). You will loose credibility, and perhaps even be replaced if you don't
deliver a trouble free application. Don't risk a bad setup...

Further, since you need some dll's, I shall assume correct licensing is in
place to do this. You either have to register the dll, or use a "load"
windows api in your code. (ask for further details if think this will be of
use to you). So, setup a installer. I use the free open source "Inno"
installer to copy my mde to a users computer (and, it setups a shortcut on
the desktop, creates a folder for the program ...etc etc....just like all
software does). here is a few screen shots of what users see when
installing my access software:

http://www.kallal.ca/ridestutorial/upgrade.html

So, you have to sit down and actually "engineer" a whole solution to the
problem of deployment, and instilling on EACH pc. Don't think that is not
part of your software devlepument process (it is!!). Every other piece of
software you have has some type of install process, and you must adopt the
same. It does not have to be complex, but even a simple batch file that
copies files for you can do wonders. And, for years, I used to use a
register version of WinZip that could create self-extracting archives. The
user would click on this .exe, and the mde would extract to a given folder
for the user. So, adopt SOME TYPE of procedure that you will use to install
your software on each computer. It goes without saying, that you could
include your "dll's" in this install also.