Java Application MSI Best Practices?

[landsharkbark]

I know this question doesn't really fit under InstallShield as a topic, but we are using InstallShield to build a Java application installation.

We are looking to deploy a Java desktop application and I am wondering if there are any Best Practices for doing that. We have a number of Windows applications we are deploying and patching and the biggest thing I am concerned about is being able to patch the application correctly.

A lot of the files are named like JavaFileName_12_0_1_RELEASE.jar. Basically [Function]_[Version]_[Environment].jar

My concern is that if this file is patched/fixed and it then becomes JavaFileName_12_0_2.jar and I need to build a patch for it, I will start to have issues.

I have done a lot of searching, but if anybody has some existing links or thoughts to share, I would like to hear them. Thanks.

[MichaelU]

If you are using Windows Installer and its .msi or .msp files to deploy your package and its updates, then you will be bound by its component rules. One of them is you cannot change file names; another makes it difficult to remove a file. So yes, if you approach this with anything less than a lot of care, you will encounter problems.

On the other hand, if you are using an InstallScript project, or perhaps an InstallAnywhere project (I'm not familiar enough with those) the rules will differ and this scenario may be fine.

[landsharkbark]

Thank you. Yes, we are using MSI/MSP to install. We have been doing some removing with the QuickPatch feature but understand that can do some special things. We'll see how it goes.