Sonny Software

it would be very nice if bookends used the type of automatic upgrade used by firefox.

Which is what, exactly?

Jon
Sonny Software

I guess (s)he is talking about an automated update mechanism that online installs/updates those parts of the application that have actually been changed for the update…

The typical Mac OS X mechanism for installing software is to download a .dmg and drag the new app to Applications folder. Very straightforward and clear. And it allows you to keep an older version around (if you want) and "downgrade" to it if there are problems. It takes little effort to trash the older version if you want to get rid of it (and again, you are in control).

I suspect that swe just wants to ensure that formats/filters/glossaries that he has modified are used after an upgrade (please correct me if I'm wrong, swe). But that's not a problem. Bookends separates user-modified files from Sonny Software-supplied files. If you create your own formats/filters/glossaries, they are stored in the Custom folders, and *they* will be used before files with the same name supplied by us. Likewise, backup files and databases and files used with Bookends Server are kept in their own folders (in ~/Documents/Bookends/Backup and ~/Library/Application Support/Bookends/Server, respectively).

Bookends has to provide hundreds of useful support files and at the same time allow you to modify/create and use files with the same names. I think the current method (which has evolved due to user feedback over the last year) is safe and works pretty well.

Of course if there any examples that I have missed and could use improvement, please let me know.

Jon
Sonny Software

If you are used to for example Debian, updating programs with MacOSX is a tiring process. But Firefox (mac) downloads update in background and after that you get some options and the next time you start the program you are using the new version.