Tip for working with multiple builds of eXpress++

[rdonnay]

I received an email yesterday from an eXpress++ user who was having a problem with build 253.
He asked me if I could add some of the features of 253 into 252 so he could continue working with 252.
I told him that I could not do that and asked why he just didn't work with 253 and send me the error log so I could fix his problem in 253.

This was his response:

If I can find the time, I will install 253 again and will produce an errror log for you..
It's only a bit boaring, because I am in a production process and have to provide
a stable runtime - so I have to install 253 and the after sending you the error have
to go back to 252.. If you fix something - I again have to reinstall 253 and check
the fix.. if it works, okay.. if not: I have to go back to 252..


I realized that there are probably a lot of eXpress++ users who struggle with the same problem.
Well here is a simple solution that I use every day.
I have to work with a lot of customer applications where the customer has not upgraded to either the latest build of eXpress++ or the latest build of Xbase++.

Because of this, I have multiple installations of Xbase++ and eXpress++ on my development system.

Examples:

c:\alaska\xppw3219 << Xbase++ build 331
c:\alaska\xppw3219_sl1 << Xbase++ build 355

c:\exp19252 << eXpress++ build 252
c:\exp19253 << eXpress++ build 253
c:\exp19254 << eXpress++ build 254
c:\expd19 << eXpress++ current development (255 beta)

I switch back and forth when running different applications by simply calling a batch file before compiling or running.
I always work from a command prompt so this makes it very simple to change the PATH, LIB and INCLUDE environment variables.

If I need to test some customer code with eXpress++ build 252 I simply do the following:

expver 255

I suggest that you install new builds of eXpress++ into a separate directory and always to as I do, this way you will never overwrite a version that is working for you.

Here is my EXPVER.BAT file:

Code: Select all

rem Usage EXPVER <build number>

@SET PATH=c:\public
@SET PATH=%path%;c:\xb2net30\190
@SET PATH=%path%;c:\alaska\hotfix19\12
@SET PATH=%path%;c:\alaska\hotfix19\16
@SET PATH=%path%;c:\alaska\xppw3219\bin
@SET PATH=%path%;c:\alaska\xppw3219\lib
@SET PATH=%path%;c:\alaska\xbtw3219\lib
@SET PATH=%path%;c:\alaska\adsw3219\lib
@SET PATH=%path%;c:\alaska\odbc19\lib
@SET PATH=%path%;c:\alaska\xml19\lib
@SET PATH=%path%;c:\alaska\asinet19\lib
@SET PATH=%path%;c:\exp19%1\bin19
@SET PATH=%path%;c:\exp19%1\bin
@SET PATH=%path%;c:\WINDOWS;c:\WINDOWS\system32;c:\WINDOWS\command;c:\WINDOWS\system32\wbem

@SET INCLUDE=c:\alaska\xppw3219\include
@SET INCLUDE=%include%;c:\alaska\adsw3219\include
@SET INCLUDE=%include%;c:\alaska\xbtw3219\include
@SET INCLUDE=%include%;c:\alaska\odbc19\include
@SET INCLUDE=%include%;c:\xb2net30\190
@SET INCLUDE=%include%;c:\exp19%1\include
@SET INCLUDE=%include%;c:\alaska\asinet19\include
@SET INCLUDE=%include%;c:\alaska\xml182

@SET LIB=c:\alaska\xppw3219\lib
@SET LIB=%lib%;c:\alaska\xbtw3219\lib
@SET LIB=%lib%;c:\alaska\adsw3219\lib
@SET LIB=%lib%;c:\alaska\odbc19\lib
@SET LIB=%lib%;c:\xb2net30\190
@SET LIB=%lib%;c:\alaska\asinet19\lib
@SET LIB=%lib%;c:\exp19%1\lib
@SET LIB=%lib%;c:\alaska\xml19\lib

@SET XPPRESOURCE=c:\exp19%1\lib
SET CODEJOCK_VERSION=13.0.0

@SET TEMP=c:\temp
@SET TMP=c:\temp

@SET OBJ=

@CALL DOSKEY DIR=DIR /o-d /p $1 $2

[sdenjupol148]

Roger,

Your solution/workaround is a good one which I've seen in action many times.
I haven't had the necessity of implementing it but it's nice to see it spelled out.
Plus, the idea of imcorporating new features from 253 opens up the possibility of breaking things in 252.

My 50 cents.
It went up from 2 cents because of the new NYS/MTA (Governor Patterson) 50 cent tax for cab rides.

Bobby

[Cliff Wiernik]

I use a similar method but do not change the paths.

Every version of express is run from the Exp directory and now Xbase++ from c:\program files\alaska.

My batch file doe the following
ren c:\exp c:\exp19252
ren c:\exp19254 c:\exp
ren "c:\program files\alaska" c:\program files\alaska19331"
ren "c:\program files\alaska19355" c:\program files\alaska"

I leave the environment variables the same.

[rdonnay]

Good idea. That looks like it would work quite satisfactorily.