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AppsAnywhere Packaging Standards

Appset Naming

Projects, including the Project Name and project files, should be named as per this convention:

Title¹_Version²_Architecture³_Platform⁴_License⁵_Other⁶_Language⁷_Release⁸

All spaces in the filename are to be replaced with underscores.

The following table explains each numbered component in the naming convention.

Field #

Component

Description

1

Title

The commonly used title of the application, including any major strand. e.g. Filezilla, Stata_MP4, Dreamweaver_CC, or Endnote_X.

2

Version

The application version number. Replace dots with hyphens. e.g. 14-1, 22-0-0-0 or 2014a.

3

Architecture

Application architecture. Either 32bit or 64bit.

4

Platform

Supported OS architecture:

  • x86 – Only works on 32-bit OS

  • x64 – Only works on 64-bit OS

  • x86_x64 – Works on 32-bit and 64-bit OS

5

License

Identifies the type of application license included in the appset:

  • Local– license key or license file is included in the appset

  • Server– a network license server is configured to be used

  • Online– internet required for license activation (i.e. remote license server)

  • NLR– No License Required. Application doesn’t require license activation

6

Other

Optionally included to distinguish between .stp files if required. For example, multiple versions of the same app may exist but with different department licenses, e.g. Engineering or Computing.

7

Language

Language of the application.

8

Release

Release version of the final appset in the format rel1, rel2. Must be incremented when an appset is altered e.g. to fix an issue with rel1.

Examples of appset filenames

  • NVivo_11-3-2-7291_32bit_x86_Local_English_rel1.stp

  • Atmel_Studio_7-0_32bit_x86_x64_Server_Engineering_Spanish_rel2.stp

  • Unity_5-50f_64bit_x64_Online_Danish_rel1.stp

  • Filezilla_3-24-0_32bit_x64_NLR_English_rel1.stp

Files and Folders

  • All application shortcuts will be removed from the desktop and quick launch areas

  • All shortcuts in the Start Menu that require elevation will be excluded (unless otherwise requested)

  • Start Menu shortcuts will be placed in the All Users Start Menu location (Any shortcuts in the UserProfile location will be moved or excluded)

  • All Uninstall shortcuts will be excluded

  • Root folders will be set to Merged

  • Files or folders that need to be installed to the local machine (e.g. service files or drivers) and which are not excluded, will be set to Layer 2:

Machine-wide locations that should be set to Layer 2 (unless excluded):

ProgramData

ProgramFilesX64

ProgramFilesX86

SystemDir

SystemX86Dir

WindowsDir

The following user-profile and runtime-recreated locations should be excluded from the appset, or set to Layer 1 where they must be retained to preserve user data and support redirected folders.

User profile / runtime location

User profile / runtime location

User profile / runtime location

AppData

UserAdminTools

UserCDBurning

UserContacts

UserCookies

UserDesktop

UserDocuments

UserDownloads

UserFavorites

UserGameTasks

UserHistory

UserInternetCache

UserLinksDir

UserLocalAppDataLow

UserMusic

UserNetworkShortcuts

UserOriginalImages

UserPhotoAlbums

UserPictures

UserPinned

UserPrinterShortcuts

UserProfile

UserProfiles

UserQuickLaunch

UserRecent

UserSavedGames

UserSearches

UserSendTo

UserStartMenu

UserStartup

UserTemplates

UserVideos

VideosLibrary

Environmental Variables

  • Only variables required for the current app will be included in an appset

Services / Drivers

  • Services will be configured to operate in the same way as the original installation (e.g. set to “Start” if the service is always running in the background)

Configurable AppEvents

  • Compiled PowerShell, VBScript and Command scripts may be used as needed to ensure the correct licensing and execution of apps (using Configurable App Events)

  • Applications that require Firewall rules will have those rules added by CAE’s at the After Registration trigger and removed at the Before Deactivation trigger

Command Line (Launch Command)

  • The command line will always be set to the obvious choice i.e. the same as the main Start Menu shortcut, unless it is unclear which is the preferred executable.

  • Should an application have multiple shortcuts and executables e.g. a software suite, the customer will be contacted for their preferred Launch Command.

Cloudifying

  • Final Appsets will have Compression and Encryption set to the highest settings

Unnecessary assets ('noise') will be removed from appsets in accordance with the AppsAnywhere Package Cleaning Guide article.