Release 10.1A: OpenEdge Deployment:
WebClient Applications

Files generated by the WebClient Application Assembler

After you define the installation requirements for your application and are ready to deploy your application, use the WebClient Application Assembler Generate dialog box to create the deployment files for a version of your application. To access the Generate dialog box, shown in Figure 7–8, choose Deployment Generate... or choose the Generate button on the toolbar.

Figure 7–8: WebClient Application Assembler Generate dialog box

Whenever you use the Generate dialog box to create a version of your application, the WebClient Application Assembler creates a directory to store the deployment files for the current version of the application. The directory name matches the name you enter in the Version Information Name field in the Generate dialog box and is a subdirectory of the Output Directory. The name for this version directory appears in the Version Directory field of the Generate dialog box.

When you regenerate a version of the application, the WebClient Application Assembler first deletes all the files in the version directory and then regenerates the deployment files.

Caution: You must not regenerate a version of an application that you have already deployed.

When you generate a version of your application, the WebClient Application Assembler validates and updates the information about your application and creates the following files:

Application configuration file — Generated application definition file that contains deployment information for your WebClient application. The configuration filename is derived from the name of the project file and has an extension of .prowcapp. The WebClient Application Assembler places this file in a .CAB file that has an extension of .prowcapc. For example, if your .wcp filename is AutoInsurance.wcp, the WebClient Application Assembler places a file named AutoInsurance.prowcapp into a .CAB file named AutoInsurance.prowcapc.

If you click the Security button and select a digital signature option in the Security window when you generate your deployment files, the .prowcapc file and all the component files are signed with a digital certificate. (See the "Defining an application as signed" section for more information.)

WebClient version information file (.wcv) — Generated file that contains version information for all the files within the application including .r files within each .pl file. A .wcv file is generated for each version and saved in the version directory.
Note: The .wcv file is not deployed.
Application component files (.CAB) — Generated files that contain the files in an application component. The WebClient Application Assembler generates one .CAB file for each component and saves it in the version directory. The root of the .CAB filename is the component name you specify in the Component dialog box.
Application components update files (.CAB) — Generated files that contain the files necessary to update the application components. The WebClient Application Assembler generates one .CAB file for each component that needs updating from the previous version and is saved in the version directory.

Each .CAB file contains the changed files and a .wcm file that provides instructions for applying the changes to update the application. Each .CAB file has a unique name based on the component name, the previous version, and the new version.

Note: If you use an external installer, you must prepare this install image yourself.