Convert Library to Studio 10.2 at Runtime

[Doug Easterbrook]

hi Alan.

for quite a while we have been updating libraries on the fly.    We were at studio 5.2 as a baseline library, then studio 8.1.6, then 10.0.0.3 then 10.1.

In each case the user could be at studio 5.2, 8.1, 10, 10.1 or 10.2 … 

Now we are deploying a studio 10.1 library and people can have studio 10.1 or 10.2 runtimes.       


There is a nice simple trick to do this.


you have to deploy a very simple library that has already been converted to the version of the runtime.   lets call it ’startMe.lbs’

so if you deploy studio 5, it would have the library called ’startMe.lbs’ that is a studio 5 version.   studio 8.1 would have a studio 8.1 version of the library.



all that the library needs to do is start your fullLibrary that has all your code in it using the command below and it will convert your library at run time.


note that fullLibrary must be the complete pathname to you library such as

fullLibraryPath =  C:/User/AppData/Local/etc…Startup/MyLibs/FullLibrary.lbs




Open library (Do not close others,Enable conversion by runtime,Convert without user prompts) [fullLibraryPath]



we use sys(215) as the place to find the ‘fullLibrary’ within a subfolder of the Startup folder that omnis uses

eg, in the firstRunInstall folder, there is the omnis. ’Startup’ folder. it would contain

Startme.lbs.   (which the runtime atuomatically starts
Mylibs   (a folder which contains your ‘FullLibrary.lbs')



thus, you can place your studio 8.1 library (at run time) into MyLibs and find it using sys(215)

The StartMe.lbs library would do that for new deployments.

and then it would start  FullLIbrary and convert it.




been doing this for years.      simple trick — a startMe library that does a hand off to a second library that will get converted under program control.



hope this helps.     it sounds hard, but it is easy - and it solves your problem of developing in an older version of omnis and having a single version to deploy.



Doug Easterbrook
Arts Management Systems Ltd.
mailto:doug at artsman.com
http://www.artsman.com
Phone (403) 650-1978

> On May 21, 2021, at 11:19 AM, Alan Grinberg <omnis at alangrinberg.com> wrote:
> 
> Hi Paul,
> 
> I was thinking more of the situation where an existing user is getting a library upgrade. They already have the Runtime for Studio 10
> This might be useful for some quick fixes since we are still programming in Studio 8.
> 
> 
> - Alan
> ----------------------------------------------------
> Alan Grinberg
> AG Systems/ZOO-INK
> San Francisco, CA 
> 
> www.zoo-ink.com
> www.perfectfit.net
> alan at perfectfit.net
> ----------------------------------------------------
> 
> 
> 
> 
>> On May 21, 2021, at 11:15 AM, Paul Manning via omnisdev-en <omnisdev-en at lists.omnis-dev.com> wrote:
>> 
>> Alan,
>> 
>> If you have to send a user a new runtime why not include a converted Lib that has been tested
>> 
>> Paul
>> 
>> ************************************************
>> Paul R. Manning
>> paulrmanning58 at icloud.com <mailto:paulrmanning58 at icloud.com>
>> 
>> 
>>> On May 21, 2021, at 2:09 PM, Alan Grinberg <omnis at alangrinberg.com> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Hello all,
>>> 
>>> Is it possible to convert a Studio 8 Library to Studio 10.2 at Runtime?
>>> 
>>> If so, where can I find a setting or code to do this?
>>> 
>>> I am not totally convinced this is a good idea, but we would like to test it if possible.
>>> 
>>> Regards,
>>> Alan
>>> 
>>> ----------------------------------------------------
>>> Alan Grinberg
>>> AG Systems/ZOO-INK
>>> San Francisco, CA 
>>> 
>>> www.zoo-ink.com <applewebdata://6B3C5721-C652-4D9A-9E48-02D173391ED0>
>>> www.perfectfit.net
>>> alan at perfectfit.net
>>> ----------------------------------------------------
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> _____________________________________________________________
>>> Manage your list subscriptions at http://lists.omnis-dev.com
>>> Start a new message -> mailto:omnisdev-en at lists.omnis-dev.com 
>> 
>> _____________________________________________________________
>> Manage your list subscriptions at http://lists.omnis-dev.com
>> Start a new message -> mailto:omnisdev-en at lists.omnis-dev.com 
> 
> _____________________________________________________________
> Manage your list subscriptions at http://lists.omnis-dev.com
> Start a new message -> mailto:omnisdev-en at lists.omnis-dev.com