Updating my application via Internet

FROM : Michael Becker
DATE : Wed Nov 24 22:20:09 2004

Hi!

In my current project, my customers want to have the possibility to
check for available updates. Right now, I have a simple checking
method: The application compares its own version number to the latest
available version number (which lies on a remote server). If it finds
that there's a newer version out there, a window is displayed with a
message and a URL to the newer version download.

This is a very easy approach and it might confuse the user to have the
same application twice on the computer, they might even end up removing
the wrong one (the new one instead of the old one, etc.).

Are there any common ways to handle this? I guess you can't make a
running application exchange itself by a downloaded one? What is the
recommended way to take care of this updating thing (should be
something that comes up in many projects, i guess...)

Kind regards,
Michael