Defining the WebClient application's platform support
A WebClient application can support 32-bit only, 64-bit only, or both 32-bit and 64-bit. If you define an application for a particular platform, it indicates that the application must be run with a WebClient version for that platform only. For example, if you define an application as a 32-bit application, it will run only with 32-bit WebClient, or if you define an application as a 64-bit application, it will run only with 64-bit WebClient.
When installing 32-bit WebClient applications on a 64-bit Windows platform, the applications are by default installed in the same file system and registry where other 32-bit applications are stored. 64-bit WebClient applications are by default in the file system and registry where other 64-bit applications are stored.
Applications that are defined to support both 32-bit and 64-bit can run on either 32-bit or 64-bit versions of WebClient. It lets you support both platforms within a single WebClient application with a single set of deployment files and you do not need separate versions of the same application.
Note: WebClient applications prior to OpenEdge 11.4 are 32-bit applications.
Applications that support both 32-bit and 64-bit have special handling. Consider the following:
If the application is new, the WebClient platform required must match the Windows platform, for example, if installed on 32-bit Windows, 32-bit WebClient is required and if installed on 64-bit Windows, 64-bit WebClient is required. This allows a vendor to support both platforms with a single application and relieves the end-user of the decision of whether they should run 32-bit WebClient or 64-bit WebClient.
If you have an existing 32-bit application, you can define the application for both 32-bit and 64-bit. The existing end-users of the application must manually migrate to the new platforms. End-users with 64-bit Windows running older versions of the application will have been running a 32-bit application with 32-bit WebClient. You can define how the end-users can move to 64-bit WebClient in the following ways:
forcing the end-user to upgrade to 64-bit WebClient
asking the end-user if they wish to use 64-bit WebClient
continuing to use 32-bit WebClient
Note: Location of 32-bit and 64-bit applications is different as per 64-bit Windows standards, so if you want to upgrade to 64-bit WebClient, you must uninstall the older version of the 32-bit application and install the application as 64-bit.
The WebClient Initializer (prowcini.exe) detects whether the packaged application supports both 32-bit and 64-bit platforms, or just one of them. The following pseudocode explains its operation:
if prowcapc format not supported by prowcini
upgrade to newer webclient version
else
if app already installed for the available platform(s)
if win64 and prowcapc is 32-bit and 64-bit
if installed app is 32-bit
if (force uninstall) or (ask uninstall)
uninstall and reinstall
else /* continue as 32-bit */
run/upgrade as normal
else /* installed app is 64-bit */
run/upgrade as normal
else /* app is installed for this platform */
run/upgrade as normal
else if app is installed for wrong platform
uninstall and reinstall
else if 64-bit app and win32
error, cannot install
else /* new app */
install app
If the application is new, the WebClient platform required must match the Windows platform, for example, if installed on 32-bit Windows, 32-bit WebClient is required and if installed on 64-bit Windows, 64-bit WebClient is required. This allows a vendor to support both platforms with a single application and relieves the end-user of the decision of whether they should run 32-bit WebClient or 64-bit WebClient.