Visual Patch 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.
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Visual Patch’s Sophisticated Version Management
Visual Patch 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.
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!