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Overview of DeltaMAX 1.0
January 30, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
DeltaMAX is an advanced binary differencing engine library for Windows. It allows you to create and apply binary difference files (”patch files”) from your applications. It is the same binary differencing engine used in Visual Patch.
Binary differencing is the process of analyzing two files and then compactly representing the differences or “delta” between them. Also known as “delta compression,” binary differencing is able to represent the data that differs between two files in the most compact way possible.
The most common application of binary differencing is in creating software patches. This involves analyzing two versions of a file in order to extract only the data that has changed from one version to the other. The results of this analysis can then be used to recreate the newer version from any file that exactly matches the original. By only containing the differences, such a patch file can be very small.
Of course, there are many other uses for binary differencing beyond deploying software updates. Because so little data needs to be transmitted, delta compression makes it possible to distribute changes to large data files as efficiently possible.
Key Features
Very fast encoding. DeltaMAX is able to perform multiple passes in less time than it takes other tools to perform a single pass.- Fast decoding. DeltaMAX uses efficient file I/O buffering in order to apply differences quickly.
- Low memory requirements for decoding. DeltaMAX requires only minimal amounts of memory for decoding, and is able to apply differences in low memory situations.
- Compact encoding format. DeltaMAX uses a custom encoding scheme that is very efficient.
- Unique multi-pass optimization. DeltaMAX can perform multiple encoding passes in order to experimentally achieve the best results. This is especially important because the optimal settings can vary according to the unique internal structure of each individual file.
- Works with all file types. DeltaMAX can create differences for all kinds of files (e.g. software executables, word documents, satellite images, medical databases, ocean maps, game data files…)
- Support for large files. DeltaMAX is exceptional in its ability to handle very large files (up to 2GB) and to encode these large files very quickly.
- Developed for Windows. DeltaMAX was developed specifically for the Windows platform, and does not sacrifice performance to achieve platform independence.
Benefits of Binary Differencing
Binary differencing is the process of analyzing two files and then compactly representing the differences or “delta” between them. Also known as “delta compression,” binary differencing is able to represent the data that differs between two files in the most compact way possible.
This technology is most commonly used in software updating and patch management applications, however it is also ideal for use in backup software, server synchronization, data transmission or wherever the environment calls for reduced storage space and lower bandwidth usage.
Having less data to transmit means that file changes can be sent and received faster, which means less time is spent waiting for updates, improving productivity and making “background” updates possible.
In addition to reduced file sizes, binary differenced files are very secure. Difference files contain only the byte level differences between the two source files. Transmitting only tiny portions of a file in a format that can’t be used without the original greatly reduces the risk of unauthorized use.
Competitive Position
Some binary differencing libraries claim to include large-file support, but they process large files so slowly that it really isn’t feasible to use them for that purpose. DeltaMAX uses a unique binary differencing algorithm that was developed to process very large files as quickly as possible. It does this while also achieving the best compression performance possible on all file sizes, large and small.
For example, in benchmark testing DeltaMAX was able to create a patch for a 1.2 GB data file in under 3 minutes, whereas the nearest competitor we tested required more than 70 minutes to process the data on the same system. Some of the competing libraries we tested were not even able to process such a large file, and either failed completely or were still processing after more than 24 hours.
Remarkably, DeltaMAX achieves its speed without sacrificing performance, creating difference files that compare favorably in size to difference files created by other tools. In fact, the speed of DeltaMAX permits additional size optimizations that are not feasible with other tools. For example, it can perform multiple passes with different settings in order to find the optimal parameters for each particular file-and still manage to do so in less time than competing tools require for a single pass!
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Screenshot Gallery
January 10, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
Visual Patch 3.5 is a fast and efficient solution for software developers wanting to create secure binary difference software patches. Simplify your software version management and turn the otherwise complicated task of managing point releases into a fully automatic solution. There is no better way to make professional-quality, full-history binary patches for software and other electronic content.
Click on any of the screenshot images below to see a larger, more detailed version.
Visual Patch 3.5’s Sophisticated Version Management
Visual Patch 3.5 makes it easy to manage your software releases. All of your versions are organized into tabs, each with an intuitive list of the files and folders that belong to that version. You can quickly and easily add, remove and organize your versions, and see all of the important details about your files. A task bar along the side provides quick access to all of Visual Patch’s features.
Optimized Patching Engine
Visual Patch features state-of-the-art binary differencing and compression algorithms. This ensures smaller and better performing software patches. The algorithms used by Visual Patch were developed specifically for their impressive speed characteristics.
Full-History Patching
You have full control over which versions of your software can be patched with a single executable. You can choose to update only a single version, or offer a patch that can update any version that has ever been released.
Advanced Project Settings
Robust fail-safe features include automatic file backups, rollback support, deletion of legacy files, and detailed logging to assist in debugging and auditing.
Project Wizard
The project wizard simplifies the process of setting up your patch, distilling the complicated logic of patching into a series of easy questions and options.
Adding Files
Visual Patch makes it easy to add the files from each version into your project. You can add them recursively or just drag and drop them onto a file list from Windows.
File Properties
Editing the settings for a file is as easy as double-clicking on it in the file list. You can easily change source and destination paths and designate “key files” for version detection.
Folder References
Folder references are similar to files, but they reference a folder on your system instead of a single file. They’re useful for including folders full of files without having to reference each file individually.
File Conditions
Conditionally include or exclude a file from the patch at build time or run time.
Screen Gallery
Visual Patch ships with many different kinds of pre-made screens that you can add to your projects.
Screen Manager
The screen manager allows you to add, remove, edit and re-order your patch’s screens. This gives you full control over the user interface and flow of your patch.
Themes
Choose from dozens of built-in themes (skins) for your patches or create your own using your favorite images. You can easily configure everything from fonts and banner images to background graphics, control colors and more.
Screen Properties
Every screen has unique settings and attributes that can be customized. All screens dynamically adjust their layout as you edit the screen’s controls and text. The language selector allows you to perform in-place translation of the screen’s text.
Screen Events
Go behind the scenes and modify the built-in functionality of any screen. Each screen provides a number of events where you can create intelligent scripted responses to everything from clicking ‘Next’ to any other message fired by a user interface control.
Action Library
Visual Patch isn’t limited to just updating files. A built-in library of 250+ actions allows you to leverage powerful functionality without having to do any programming. There are actions to handle everything from text file editing to system registry changes. You can execute programs, call DLL functions, query drive information, manipulate strings, copy files, start and stop services, interact with web scripts, display dialog boxes, and much more. Simply choose the action you want from a categorized list, fill in the requested information fields and the wizard does the rest.
Powerful Scripting Engine
Visual Patch includes an incredibly powerful free-form scripting engine. Based on the popular Lua language, this easy to understand scripting language features everything from ‘for, repeat and while’ loops, to ‘if/else’ conditions, functions, variables, and tables (associative arrays). The integrated script editor features color syntax highlighting, code completion, function highlighting, as-you-type action prototypes, Ctrl+Space function listings, and even context-sensitive help.
Language Support
Unsurpassed support for multilingual patches is included right out of the box. Patches created with Visual Patch can automatically determine the language of the client operating system and adjust the display of screens and messages appropriately. Whether you need to support English, French, German, Spanish, Italian or any other language recognized by Windows, with Visual Patch you simply provide the text and your patch takes care of the rest!
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Video Tutorials for Setup Factory
January 8, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
Learn all about Setup Factory. These videos were created for Setup Factory 7.0, but are fully compatible with Setup Factory 8.
