Recommended Posts

I have read the documentation, specifically the following:

"4.6 - ReleaseDate

This property defines the date on which the setup file the module installs was created. It must be an eight digit number in the format YYYYMMDD (year, month, day).

* However * This property is much more important than it sounds. It actually defines the order that things are installed! AutoPatcher will install modules in the order: older date to newer date (smaller number to bigger). It also has an effect on the order things are listed in the selection window. "

I basically want to list the Stand Alone programs in alphabetical order. First I tried setting the release date all the same - that didn't work. Then I tried setting the release date to a sequence: 20000101, 20000110, 20000120, 20000130. I expected these 4 items to be sorted accordingly, but no luck.

(BTW, the standalone.apm parent file has a release date of 00000005).

This happened in 5.6.72 and 5.6.76

Any suggestions?

-John

  M2Ys4U said:
As far as I know ReleaseDate is the oder in which things are installed, not displayed. I do not think you can control the order.

I know that the documentation is not always correct but it does say:

"It also has an effect on the order things are listed in the selection window."

I guess I was assuming that this "effect" was something I could utilize to alpha sort the selection list.

-John

i believed it did when i wrote the documentation because i gave sub-parents lower values and they appeared first. i didn't actually experiment though i have to admit and it could have been through raptors design that sub-parents come first... if so a correction to the documentation is in order... (on the todo list to check it out at some point and correct if necessary)

I've been playing with the order a lot so I know the answer to this one. The display order is 100 percent dependent on the module's releasedate property. Lowest release date on top, highest on bottom.

I was thinking about asking Raptor to create a new property to control the order of displayed updates compared to what order they are installed in but I've been having him play with the executable so much lately, I was going to suggest this later. <hint, hint>

  Tenchi103 said:
I've been playing with the order a lot so I know the answer to this one. The display order is 100 percent dependent on the module's releasedate property. Lowest release date on top, highest on bottom.

I was thinking about asking Raptor to create a new property to control the order of displayed updates compared to what order they are installed in but I've been having him play with the executable so much lately, I was going to suggest this later. <hint, hint>

Tenchi103,

Sounds like it works for you - what am I doing wrong? - I tried setting the ReleaseDate for 4 modules to a sequence: 20000101, 20000110, 20000120, 20000130. I expected these 4 modules to be sorted accordingly, but no luck!

Thanks, John

  Tenchi103 said:
How are you're modules currenlty being displayed when you run AP?

I tried a number of different schemes, even setting all the ReleaseDates to the same number (9010). Here is a list of the ReleaseDates from the APM files in the same order as displayed on the 'List of Available Items' screen:

ReleaseDate=00009010

ReleaseDate=00009010

ReleaseDate=20000130

ReleaseDate=00009010

ReleaseDate=00000050

ReleaseDate=00009010

ReleaseDate=00009010

ReleaseDate=20000120

ReleaseDate=00009010

ReleaseDate=00009010

ReleaseDate=20000101

ReleaseDate=20000110

I am running AP ver 5.6.76, but the same was happenong with 5.6.72

-John

First thing you should always practice is to create a standard naming scheme for your ReleaseDates making sure that the number is greater than the parent module they are in.

Try beginning with 2000005 and go in increments of 5 (Example: 2000005, 2000010, 2000015...)

Give this a try and see what happens.

  Tenchi103 said:
First thing you should always practice is to create a standard naming scheme for your ReleaseDates making sure that the number is greater than the parent module they are in.

Try beginning with 2000005 and go in increments of 5 (Example: 2000005, 2000010, 2000015...)

Give this a try and see what happens.

Tenchi103,

I finally found some time to play with the ReleaseDate. I set the modules to the following sequence:

ReleaseDate=20000110

ReleaseDate=20000120

ReleaseDate=20000130

....

ReleaseDate=20000360

And the Parent Module had a ReleaseDate=00000005

No luck, display order had no relationship to ReleaseDate order.

BUT, when I changed the Parent Module ReleaseDate to 20000005 it all worked fine!

So I hope this helps others....

John

  major4579 said:
Tenchi103,

I finally found some time to play with the ReleaseDate. I set the modules to the following sequence:

ReleaseDate=20000110

ReleaseDate=20000120

ReleaseDate=20000130

....

ReleaseDate=20000360

And the Parent Module had a ReleaseDate=00000005

No luck, display order had no relationship to ReleaseDate order.

BUT, when I changed the Parent Module ReleaseDate to 20000005 it all worked fine!

So I hope this helps others....

John

I'm curious, is the parent module you created inside another module or is it on the root of AP? If it's inside another module, this would explain why you had to up the ReleaseDate from 00000005 to 20000005. (The parent module has have a larger number than the module that it's in)

  Tenchi103 said:
I'm curious, is the parent module you created inside another module or is it on the root of AP? If it's inside another module, this would explain why you had to up the ReleaseDate from 00000005 to 20000005. (The parent module has have a larger number than the module that it's in)

It's a root module - the APM file resides in "\autopatcher\modules".

All the actual modules (the ones I numbered sequentially) reside in "\Autopatcher\modules\stand_alone_mods".

Here's the contents of the root module APM file:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

[AutoPatcher 5.6 Module]

[General]

Title=Stand-Alone Modules

Description=

Author=Various

ModuleAuthor=ModuleEditor2

WebPage=

ReleaseDate=20000005

[behavior]

ParentID=

UniqueID=STAND_ALONE_PARENT

Critical=False

AutoExpand=True

Depends=

TimeToInstall=0

TimeToRemove=0

RequiresReboot=False

[DetectionRegistry]

RegistryPath=

KeyName=

KeyValue=

[DetectionFile]

FilePath=

FileName=

FileVersion=

[OperatingSystem]

WindowsVersion=ANY

SystemLanguage=1033

[systemComponents]

InternetExplorer=ANY

WindowsMediaPlayer=ANY

DotNetFramework=ANY

WindowsInstaller=ANY

MSNMessenger=ANY

[OfficeComponents]

Word=ANY

Excel=ANY

PowerPoint=ANY

Outlook=ANY

Publisher=ANY

Visio=ANY

Project=ANY

OneNote=ANY

FrontPage=ANY

InfoPath=ANY

Access=ANY

[installation]

[Removal]

--------------------------------------------------------------------

-John

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Posts

    • I’m new to the Neowin forum and just wanted to introduce myself. I’ve always had an interest in tech — especially Windows, software updates, and gadgets. I’ve been reading posts here for a while, and it seemed like a good time to finally join in and be part of the conversation. Outside of tech, I enjoy music, movies, and keeping up with the latest news in the digital world. I’m hoping to learn from others, share a few tips of my own, and have some good discussions.
    • Hey! What a difference it makes to upgrade from an old WiFi 5 router to a new one. The Asus BE88U and BE92U are both very top picks. Asus gives you more control and better firmware support than most. Netgear’s new stuff is decent, but locked down. If you need more than 4 wired ports, I’d suggest a separate 2.5G or 10G switch. It makes life easier. Synology’s UI is clean too, but they don’t have a WiFi 7 router yet. If the price isn’t a big deal, go with Asus and pair it with a switch. Let us know what you think!  
    • Honestly, I think the long-term play here is for Microsoft to ditch the idea of a traditional console entirely and just turn Xbox into a full-on operating system. They (or anyone!) could release hardware like a Mac Mini or a typical console with built-in GPU and RAM, but instead of being locked into a console ecosystem, they run the Xbox OS. It makes total sense because it pushes Game Pass, Windows, and all their other software. The handheld angle is really interesting too. You’d basically have a portable PC. Hook up a keyboard and mouse, and suddenly you can edit videos or get some real work done while on the go. Something like a prebuilt Xbox PC would be more than just a gaming box. It could be a decent little PC that people might actually upgrade with each generation. And since it’s running a PC-based OS, you’d get all the usual perks like mod support, cheaper games across different stores, and no extra charges just to plug in a webcam or other standard accessories. Plus, if they let you install the OS on your own rig, then you’ve got full upgradability too. Best bit also being Microsoft wont even need to build them anyone can and when they do Microsoft just wins. The competition is kind of stuffed. Those maybe relying on SteamOS might be ok but will still have software support issues and no Game Pass. Sony and Nintendo can’t really offer the same kind of flexibility at all not sure how they will live on. They’d struggle to match something that works as a desktop OS, console, handheld, streaming box, and media hub, all with your game library ready to go, never needing to rebuy games. Console exclusives are the only way they can live I think, but if they ever get blocked by antitrust rulings down the line, it’s game over. I'm waiting to see the bloat that's still left on these and if they let you install on a regular old PC. Fingers crossed this could be the lightweight OS we have been asking for.
    • I take my Apple Watch off at night and put it on the charger when I go to bed. Then I wake up the next morning I put it back on.
  • Recent Achievements

    • Conversation Starter
      NeoToad777 earned a badge
      Conversation Starter
    • Week One Done
      VicByrd earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • Reacting Well
      NeoToad777 earned a badge
      Reacting Well
    • Reacting Well
      eric79XXL earned a badge
      Reacting Well
    • First Post
      brynmot earned a badge
      First Post
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      480
    2. 2
      +FloatingFatMan
      277
    3. 3
      ATLien_0
      243
    4. 4
      snowy owl
      209
    5. 5
      Edouard
      187
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!