Application Dependencies

This property page lets you create a list of applications (referred to as dependent applications) that must be distributed and launched before this application (referred to as the primary application) is distributed and launched.

You can specify one or more dependent applications. For example, assume that the primary application (Application A) is dependent on three other applications (Application B, Application C, and Application D). By adding all three applications to the Application Dependencies list on this page, Novell^® Application Launcher^TM ensures that all three dependent applications are distributed and launched before running Application A.

A dependent application can be a single application or it can be an application chain. An application chain exists when a dependent application is dependent on additional applications. Continuing the above example, if Application C is dependent on Application C1 and Application C2, then Application B, C, C1, C2, and D must all be distributed and launched before Application A will be distributed and launched.

When setting up application dependencies, you should be aware of the following:

• Distribution: Application Launcher only distributes a dependent application the first time the user launches the primary application, unless the dependent application's version is updated (Application object > Distribution Options tab > Options page) or the distribution is unsuccessful. If Application Launcher is unable to distribute a dependent application (for example, the user's workstation does not meet the dependent application's distribution rules), the primary application is not distributed or launched.
• Distribution through Removable Media: If you distribute the primary application through removable media such as a CD or through an image add-on, its dependent applications must be included on the removable media or as another image add-on.
• Distribution to Disconnected Workstations: For workstations running in disconnected mode, the applications must be force cached to the workstation before it becomes disconnected (or they must be distributed through removable media). If changes are made to dependant applications after the applications have been cached to workstations, the version number of the primary application must be updated in order to force a re-cache of the applications.
• Launch: Application Launcher launches a dependent application each time the primary application is launched. During launching, Application Launcher executes the dependent application's pre-launch and post-launch scripts, and then launches the dependent application. If a dependent application, such as a setup program, should only be run one time, you should configure the dependent application to only run once (Application object > Run Options tab > Application page).
• Uninstall: If you uninstall the primary application (Common tab > Uninstall page or Associations tab > Associations page), all dependent applications that are not used by another application are also uninstalled.
• Application Dependencies List
  The Application Dependencies list displays the applications that the primary application has a dependency on. The order in which the dependent applications are listed is the order in which Application Launcher distributes and launches them, going from top to bottom. However, if an application has dependencies, the dependent applications must be distributed and launched before the primary application can be distributed and launched. You can use the up and down arrows to change the order.

Add
To add an application to the list, click Add, browse for and select the Application object, then click OK. After the application is added to the list, you can modify the following two attributes:

• Continue Distributions Immediately: Select this option if you want Application Launcher to distribute and run the dependent application but not wait for the application to finish running before continuing with the next dependent application distribution.
  
  If this option is not selected (the default), Application Launcher waits until it has distributed and run the application before continuing with the distribution of the next application in the list. Application Launcher only continues after all files, registry settings, and so forth have been distributed and the application (or file) listed in the Path to File field (Run tab > Application page) has been run and completed.
  
  For example, if Regedit has a dependency on Notepad, the default action is for Application Launcher to distribute Notepad (if necessary), launch Notepad, and wait for the user to exit Notepad before it launches Regedit. The Continue Distributions Immediately option, however, would cause Application Launcher to distribute and launch Notepad and then, if the distribution and launch of Notepad was successful, continue immediately with Regedit. In other words, it does not wait for execution of the application to be completed.
  
  
• Reboot Wait: If distribution of the application requires the workstation to be rebooted, select this option to have Application Launcher postpone the reboot until 1) it distributes another application in the list that requires a reboot (and doesn't have this option checked) or 2) it has distributed all applications in the list. This option also applies when uninstalling the application.

Delete
To remove a dependent application from the list, select the application in the list, then click Delete.

Show Chain
To see whether or not a dependent application consists of an application chain, select the dependent application in the list, then click Show Chain.

Up-Arrow and Down-Arrow
The order in which the dependent applications are listed is the order in which they are distributed and launched, going from bottom to top. You can use the up and down arrows to change the order.

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