AppSnap 1.3.3

I finally got around to releasing version 1.3.3 of AppSnap. It took a lot longer than I expected but I wanted to be sure that the update mechanism was solid. This would ensure that any interim updates will be accessible to users without requiring a new build.

AppSnap 1.3.3 was long overdue considering over 18 bugs have been fixed since 1.3.2 came out. There were many issues being reported by users, most of which were resolved with these fixes. Considering pre-releases do not get as widespread distribution, the fixes were not getting out. With the new update mechanism, such delays will be less likely.

There are also several enhancements worth mention. As usual, the change logs since 1.3.2 list all these improvements. Some of the previous posts also discuss some aspects in detail. In a nutshell, this new version adds the following new features:

• Support for Firefox and Thunderbird add-ons
• Update detection and self-update without reinstallation
• Web-based database management
• Improved version detection and text replacement engine
• Support for multiple databases

Thanks for all the suggestions and bug reports. Have fun using the new version. You can download it from here.

AppSnap 1.3.3-pre2 is out

The second pre-release for the 1.3.3 version of AppSnap is now available and adds a very useful feature: AppSnap can now self-update instead of having to download an installer everytime something changes. This means that updates can now be measured in kilobytes instead of megabytes. Also, considering AppSnap is still growing its feature set, database updates often require code enhancements. Hence, AppSnap now updates the database as well as the code base simultaneously to keep both of them in sync.

Another advantage is that end users have quicker access to bug fixes and enhancements from within AppSnap thus encouraging me to release more often. The current installer based update is time consuming because of all the testing required to ensure that the posted builds are stable. Pre-releases help a bit with stability but extend the time between releases unnecessarily. Hopefully, this enhancement will help speed up AppSnap’s growth and uptake.

Feel free to examine the changelog for details on other enhancements. Also consider updating to pre2 now itself. It will be much easier to get 1.3.3 and all future enhancements and fixes going forward.

AppSnap 1.3.2

Version 1.3.2 is here to fix several bugs that were found in 1.3.1. The changelog goes into the details as usual. Thanks to Gabriel Cossette for all the bug reports, testing and a bunch of new applications that have been added to AppSnap.

AppSnap 1.3.1

Well, it took much longer than I wanted, but 1.3.1 has finally been released. Apart from the CLI crash bug fix, I’ve added a whole bunch of features, making the release more than worth it. The main enhancement worth mention is that AppSnap can now detect if supported applications are installed. This makes it a lot more useful in application management since most users of AppSnap will install it on a system that’s been up and running for a while.

The GUI now loads faster, can cancel active downloads and has a few more meta-categories. A simple Add/Remove programs front-end has been added to uninstall applications. The backend is also improved to provide more fail resistant uninstalls. As usual, please see the changelog for all the details.

Thanks for all your support and feedback and enjoy the update.

AppSnap 1.3.0 is out

It took a while but version 1.3.0 is finally ready for public consumption. If you have an older version of AppSnap, update your database and use AppSnap to update itself, or head to the download page. The list of changes from 1.2.1 is a long one and best gleaned from the changelog.

AppSnap now has a long and growing TODO list. Some major features you can expect in future releases include:-

• An online application database – this will make adding and maintaining applications easier and encourage collaboration.
• Detection of installed versions of supported applications dynamically instead of limited tracking of those installed within AppSnap.
• Hierarchical categorization of applications.
• Add to cart paradigm for a cleaner user experience.

As usual, feel free to provide your inputs to guide the evolution of AppSnap. I look forward to your feedback and thank all of AppSnap’s supporters for their time and energy.