MMF 2 - Automatic Download of Needed Extensions

[droberson]

I want to suggest, and see what other think, about MMF 2 having the ability to automatically download and install needed extensions.

Today the user has to download and manually install extensions. However, if you receive a MMF 2 application, MMF 2 will kick up an error message that your are missing "some extension" and you need to download and install it.

Since MMF 2 know already the extension you need why not have MMF 2 simply ask if you want it to download the needed extension and automatically install it????

I know that some extension MMF 2 may not be able to locate if they are special in some way or exist only on a third-party website. But in that case it could report the issue and then request the user the locate it.

In most cases however I bet a standard download area for extensions could be established and maintained by Clickteam and the third party developers.

Comments???

[Jeff]

Yes there have been discussion on how to fix/improve the distribution of extensions but a final solution has not yet been decided or implimented.

I am leaning towards this in the short term.

A menu choice on the help menu

This will bring you to a listing maintained by Clickteam

This list will list all the bonus packs and 3rd party extensions or download links that have been submitted to Clickteam.

Then at least everything submitted will be in one place on a stable server for people to download.

[Matt]

I think a neat idea would be to allow the user to install a program (like the add-on obtainer) that MMF could call in the background to grab needed extensions. This way, CT can provide their own mechanism when it is ready, but users could provide their own mechanisms if CT's is found lacking.

[MrCyberpunk]

Love this idea, I think it'd stop a lot of us having to run about the forums searching for links.

[Patrick]

No, no background software!
MMF2 should have a little dialog with a webpage in it linking to the extension list on the CT website.
Using the same mmfao:// technique used in MMFAO they could install the extensions to save lots of work by downloading trough sock and stuff.

Suggestion for CT on how todo that:
<a href="mfx://clickteam.com/extensions/superstringobject.mfx" target="_blank">mfx://clickteam.com/extensions/superstringobject.mfx</a>
or
<a href="mfx://clickteam.com/extensions/superstringobject.zip" target="_blank">mfx://clickteam.com/extensions/superstringobject.zip</a>

then it will call something like "MMF2.exe -newextension clickteam.com/extensions/superstringobject.zip"
Download it, and isntall it.
Or have a seperate "INSTMFX.exe -clickteam.com/extensions/superstringobject.zip"
Or in case its a MFX download to the right directory at once.

[droberson]

I like the idea of Clickteam having a solution they maintain.

I would like to see the solution be able to handle multiple versions of the same extension. For example, I create a program with superstring ver. 1.0. Now ver. 1.5 comes out. I need to be able to use both. Why? because 1.0 is in my production application, and 1.5 I need to test before committing to it. The extension may not have the same fuctions or some fuctions may have been dropped. So I would like to see the extension have a version number attached so I could select superstring1.0 or superstring1.5 and use in different MMF 2 applications.

[droberson]

Maybe I dont understand the "no background" comment. I guess I would like a small MMF 2 background program that would keep checking for new versions of MMF 2, Clickteam extensions, and third party extensions and pop up a message letting me know they are available.

Perhaps I misunderstand the message.

[Matt]

What you suggested is what I was suggesting except that the INSTMFX.EXE could be a 3rd party application in my scenario. Not sure what your "No, no background software!" bit meant.

[Patrick]

[]....that MMF could call in the background to grab needed extensions.....[/]

A background proccess is software that is (useually) running &gt;&gt;hidden&lt;&lt; all the time.
If that would be MMFAO i would have a CPU load of 100% all day long. That is not an option.
Why would we need software that checks all the time for updates? as if every 5 min a new extension is released.
I think once a day is enough, and that on command, so not automated. (unless its within MMF2)
But don't get me wrong <img src="/center/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> i love the idea of recieving extensions.

[droberson]

I see what mean. Then perhaps the check could be part of the help like Jeff suggested.