VMware THINAPP 4.6 - Application Updates that the Administrator Triggers

ThinApp User’s Guide
60 VMware, Inc.
File and Registry Collisions in Linked Packages
Ifthebaseapplicationandadependentpackagelinkedtothebaseapplicationcontainfileorregistryentries
atthesamelocation,acollisionoccurs.Whenthishappens,theorderofimportoperationsdetermineswhich
packagehaspriority.Thelastpackageimportedhaspriorityinsuchcasesandthefileor
registrycontentsfrom
thatpackagearevisibletotherunningapplications.
VBScript Collisions in Linked Packages
VBScriptnamecollisionsmightpreventscriptsinotherimportedpackagesfromrunning.Ifyoulinkpackages
withApplicationLinkandthosepackageshavescriptswiththesamename,ThinAppplacestheVBScripts
fromthelinkedpackagesintoasinglepool.Forscriptswiththesamename,ThinApprunsthescriptfrom
the
lastimportedpackageanddisregardstheotherscript.
Forexample,abasepackage mightcontainthea.vbs andb.vbsfilesandadependentpackagemightcontain
theb.vbsandc.vbsfiles.Becauseafilenamecollisionexistsbetweentheb.vbsfiles,theVBScriptinthelast
importedpackagespecifiedina
RequiredAppLinksorOptionalAppLinksparameteroverridesany
previouslyimportedscriptswiththesamename.Inthiscase,ThinAppcondensesthepooloffour.vbsfiles
intoasinglepoolwiththea.vbsfilefromthebasepackageandb.vbsandc.vbsfilesfromthedependent
package.
VBScript Function Order in Linked Packages
InapoolofVBScriptsforpackageslinkedwithApplicationLink,functionsinthemainbodiesofthescripts
runinalphabeticalorderofthescriptnames.ThinAppcallbackfunctionsinthescriptsruninreverse
alphabeticalorderofthescriptnamesinthepool.
Storing Multiple Versions of a Linked Application in the Same Directory
Ifthedirectoryholdsalinkedpackage,andyouaddanupdatedversionofthelinkedpackageinthesame
directory,theApplicationLinkutilitydetectsandusestheupdatedversion.
Using Application Sync for a Base Application and Linked Packages
IfyouuseApplicationLinktolinkpackagestoabasepackage,andyoustartthebasepackage,Application
Synccanupdateonlythebasepackage.Forexample,ifyoubuildaMicrosoftOffice2007packagewith
ApplicationSyncentriesinthePackage.inifile,buildanAdobeReaderpackagewithApplication
Sync
entriesinthePackage.inifile,useApplicationLinktolinkthetwopackages,andstartMicrosoftOffice2007,
ApplicationSynconlyupdatesMicrosoftOffice2007.YoucanupdatebothMicrosoftOffice2007andAdobe
Readerbystartingeachapplicationseparately.
Ifyoudonotupdatealltheapplicationsandlink
abaseapplicationtoanexpiredplug‐in,thebaseapplication
canstillloadandusetheplug‐in.
Application Updates That the Administrator Triggers
ThinAppprovidestheAppSync.exeandsbmerge.exeutilitiesforadministrators.
TheAppSync.exeutilityforcesanApplicationSyncupdateonaclientmachine.
Thesbmerge.exeutilitymakeincrementalupdatestoapplications.Forexample,anadministratormightuse
theutilitytoincorporateaplug‐inforFirefoxortochangethehomepageofa
Websitetopointtoadifferent
defaultsite.