Updating Extensions

OpenOffice.org Developer's Guide

Extensions

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• Extension Manager

• Extension Repositories
• The Active Extension
• Updating Extensions
• Processing Extensions
• Packaging Notes For Bundled Extensions
• Deployment Items
• Installing Extensions for All or a Single User
• Extension Manager in OpenOffice.org
• unopkg
• Location of Installed Extensions
• Extension Layers

• Checklist for Writing Extensions
• File Format
• description.xml

• Description of XML Elements
• Localized XML Elements
• Example

• Display Name
• Icon
• Extension Description
• Extension Identifiers
• Extension Versions
• Target Platform
• Simple License
• Dependencies
• Publisher Information
• System Integration
• Online Update of Extensions

• Running Online - Update
• Concept
• Example Scenario for Providing Updates
• Migration of Update Information
• Description of the Update Information
• Description of Atom Feed
• Examples

• Options Dialog

• Creating the GUI of the Options Page
• Saving and Reading Data for the Options Page
• Defining the Usage of Options Pages

• Adding a Leaf to an Existing Node
• Adding Several Leaves
• Grouping of Leaves
• Adding Nodes
• Adding Several Nodes
• Absolute Position of Leaves
• Grouping of Nodes
• Assigning Nodes to Modules
• Defining a Module
• Absolute Position of Nodes

• The Options Dialog of the Extension Manager

• Help Content

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(As of OpenOffice.org 3.3)

An extension can be updated by either explicitly installing the extension or by running the update function in the extension manager. Updating an extension consisted originally in removing the installed extension and then installing the new version of the extension in the same repository. This meant that it was necessary to have write permission for the extensions folder of the shared repository for updating shared extensions.

Updating shared extensions is now possible. If the user has no write permission, then the update will be installed in the user repository. The actual shared extension will then remain unchanged, but it will be superseded by the update, because it has a higher priority.

Bundled extensions cannot be updated by the extension manager (see Setup - Bundled Extensions). However, users can still download and install these extension themselves.

Users will be informed if there are newer versions of extensions, which they currently use, are available. It does not matter if the currently used extensions are from the user or shared repository. If there is a better version, then it is offered as an update. This allows users to always obtain the latest versions of their extensions.

The updates, that is, the extensions with a newer version, will either be obtained from an online repository or locally, depending on which ones have the highest versions. In the latter case, the newer version will come from the shared or bundled repository if there is one available. If the version of an extension in a local repository is the same as the one from the online repository, then the local one is used.

Using a local repository (bundled or shared) as update source is useful for the case when a user has installed an user extension and then a more current version is installed in the shared or bundled repository. The user would then use the "old" version, although a better one is already available.

The following tables show scenarios where the user can update extensions. If a cell contains a “1” then this simple means there is an extensions installed. If it contains a “2” then this represents an extension with the same identifier then “1” but with a higher version. If there are several “2”s under each other, then it is sufficient if just one of them has a higher version than “1”.

The first table shows the case where a user has no write permission in the shared folder. In all cases the update is installed in the user repository. The new version comes either from the shared, bundled or online repository, depending on which has the best version.

	Case a	Case b
User repository	-	1
Shared repository	1	2
Bundled repository	2	2
Online repository	2	2

In words: An update (installing in the user repository) is possible, if

1. there is shared extension (no user) and the bundled or online repository contains a higher version
2. there is a user extension and the shared, bundled or online repository contains a higher version

The next table shows the case where the user has write permission in the shared folder. In all those cases the update/installation will happen in the shared repository. If a user extension exists does not matter.

	Case a
Shared repository	1
Bundled repository	2
Online repository	2

In words: An update (installing in shared repository) is possible, if there is shared extension and the bundled or online repository contains a higher version

This also means that, if there is only a user extension (no shared, no bundled) and there is one with a higher version in the online repository, then no update is done in the shared repository.

The next table shows the case where the user has write permission in the shared folder. In all those cases the update/installation will happen in the user repository.

	Case a
User repository	1
Shared repository	2
Bundled repository	2
Online repository	2

In words: An update (installing in user repository) is possible, if there is a user extension and the shared, bundled, or online repository contains a higher version.

Content on this page is licensed under the Public Documentation License (PDL).