A simple way to offer both v1.x and v2.x updates to a 1.x user

Asked by Thomas Tempelmann

There has already been quite a similar question answered here: https://answers.launchpad.net/sparkle/+question/45528

In my case, I'm using Sparkle for Carbon, so I cannot easily implement the hook suggested there.

My requirements are a little different as well:

I, too, want to offer to a free v1.x user to either upgrade to a paid v2.x or to keep updating any free 1.x updates.

The functionality I like to see is as follows:

Let's assume the user has v1.0, and the appcast offers 1.1 and 2.0

First, by default behavior, Sparkle will offer him 2.0. It will explain to the user that this version costs money, but he can keep using 1.x instead for free. So what I suggest to the user is to klick on "Skip this version" if he wants to stay with 1.x.

Now, the thing I like to see Sparkle do is that it ignores that 2.0 version in its update check, thus finding the 1.1 version now and offering that to the user.

Basically, I wonder if that mechanism could be implemented by default in Sparkle. After all, if a user says to skip a version, it doesn't mean that he wants to skip any other versions automatically as well. And if he also wants to skip other, older versions, he would usually have skipped those explicitly already anyway.

So, IMO, this change I suggest should hardly cause any annoyances but would add flexibility. Or, maybe, this could be made optional with a setting in the Info.plist?

Would that be agreeable? I'd be happy to implement that in Sparkle.

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Andy Matuschak (andymatuschak) said :
#1

This would work, except that users don't read. http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/001306.html

It'd be wayyy too easy (and I've done this) to click "Download Update" and get stuck with a paid version. And what if the user has checked the "automatically download updates" option?

Thanks for writing!

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Thomas Tempelmann (tempelmann) said :
#2

Good point.

I'll have to devise a check and separate dialog of my own, I think.