Feature request: automatic update availability check

Discussions and requests related to new CMSimple features, plugins, templates etc. and how to develop.
Please don't ask for support at this forums!
Post Reply
cmb
Posts: 14225
Joined: Tue Jun 21, 2011 11:04 am
Location: Bingen, RLP, DE
Contact:

Feature request: automatic update availability check

Post by cmb » Mon Jun 27, 2011 4:21 pm

Hello community,

isn't it possible to include an automatic update availability check to CMSimple? Wouldn't it be a nice feature?

The system could check for updates when the user logs in. Perhaps there could be a hook for plugins too. I'm not talking about an automatic update, as that may cause problems. Only the information: "an update is available, consult your webmaster".

Any comments appreciated,
Christoph
Christoph M. Becker – Plugins for CMSimple_XH

Holger
Site Admin
Posts: 3470
Joined: Mon May 19, 2008 7:10 pm
Location: Hessen, Germany

Re: Feature request: automatic update availability check

Post by Holger » Tue Jun 28, 2011 11:13 am

Hi Christopf,

I have sth. like that in my SVN ;) .
But I'm not sure how to release it.
As a plugin? As a single function? As an include-file to use with other plugins :? .

It consists of some ideas I've found a long time ago on different places on the web.
I've used it in a Standalone-Project with success.
It needs socket-support (like the internal link-check - when I'm right) - but not
allow_url_fopen(), which is almost off this time.
On remote-side it looks for a csv-file which can hold some informations like version, download-url etc.

I'll put the code together and rewrite it for use with CMSimple-Variables.
But please please please: do not ask about a time-line.
There're so much open projects at the moment...
Let's close them first!

BR
Holger

cmb
Posts: 14225
Joined: Tue Jun 21, 2011 11:04 am
Location: Bingen, RLP, DE
Contact:

Re: Feature request: automatic update availability check

Post by cmb » Tue Jun 28, 2011 1:36 pm

Hello Holger,

that sounds really nice! If it is possible to release it as a plugin, it would be better IMO (no discussion necessary about bringing it to the core). It would be nice, if it could be done as a single plugin, with a simple hook for other plugins. Perhaps it's possible that those plugins keep a file with the necessary information in their plugin dir.
Holger wrote: But please please please: do not ask about a time-line.
I won't. I don't know how to express the following in english, so: ich werde nicht nur nicht darum bitten, ich werde nicht mal fragen ;)

I had the idea for this kind of thing, when I read in a thread about FotoGallery that 1.4.1 was just released. But it could be especially useful for jQuery4CMSimple users to be informed of updates of jQuery.

Thanks,
Christoph
Christoph M. Becker – Plugins for CMSimple_XH

svasti
Posts: 1659
Joined: Wed Dec 17, 2008 5:08 pm

Re: Feature request: automatic update availability check

Post by svasti » Tue Jun 28, 2011 6:06 pm

I have also thought about it,...
The source code editor I use (PSPad) has something very simple: You press a button and a notice appears with the newest version number.
I liked it so much that I implemented something similar in the coming Calendar plugin: the user presses a button and will see if there is a new version available. Just one (long) line of code.
The button method is so simple that it could easily be put under the System Info and Help tab.

If there is an automatic check I would rather like to switch it off in the websites I do for other people.

Just my 2 cents
svasti

cmb
Posts: 14225
Joined: Tue Jun 21, 2011 11:04 am
Location: Bingen, RLP, DE
Contact:

Re: Feature request: automatic update availability check

Post by cmb » Tue Jun 28, 2011 6:40 pm

Hallo Frank,
cmb wrote: It would be nice, if it could be done as a single plugin
I think it should be possible to make it as a separate plugin, so nothing has to be configured ;) Would that be a good idea.

Christoph
Christoph M. Becker – Plugins for CMSimple_XH

svasti
Posts: 1659
Joined: Wed Dec 17, 2008 5:08 pm

Re: Feature request: automatic update availability check

Post by svasti » Tue Jun 28, 2011 9:41 pm

Hi Christoph,

The plugin — or whatever — has to get its information from somewhere.
One could put a file into http://www.cmsimple-xh.com/downloads with — let's say — the name cmsimple_xh_latest_version.txt
The file would just contain a number like 1.4.1 so that one could use version_compare()
What do you think about it?

svasti
Frank

cmb
Posts: 14225
Joined: Tue Jun 21, 2011 11:04 am
Location: Bingen, RLP, DE
Contact:

Re: Feature request: automatic update availability check

Post by cmb » Tue Jun 28, 2011 10:00 pm

Hi Frank,

each plugin could have information about the place to look for the newest version in it's plugin dir, but it would be a nice service, if this place would be on cmsimple-xh.com. And I guess when the file only version information in php style, that will be a good idea, because all developers must agree on a common versioning scheme.

But
Holger wrote: I'll put the code together and rewrite it for use with CMSimple-Variables.
this sounds like Holger already has a solution, maybe we should wait for his reply.

And
Holger wrote: But please please please: do not ask about a time-line.
so we should be patient, even if I think, that this feature is not only nice to have, but quite natural for a web based software these days.

BTW: thanks for telling me of version_compare()! I posted some code 3 days ago which contained my own version! :oops:

Christoph
Christoph M. Becker – Plugins for CMSimple_XH

Post Reply