[Idea]: Portable version for Windows

[ux-git]

Is your idea related to a problem?

Do you consider creating a portable version for Windows? MacOS does already have this on the system level.

Describe your idea

A USB-stick-friendly version might be quite useful for emergency help for those, who don't use M³. Since we've recently faced plenty of JW Library bugs, this quick solution could have saved us many times.

1.Connect your personal USB stick, 2. Open the app, 3. Sync the media, 4. Present them. Only two minutes to organize all this.

Emergency tool 👨‍⚕️

Describe alternatives you've considered

Bringing a laptop to the meeting and connecting it to an external HDMI input

Additional context

No response

[mtdvlpr]

How do you envision this feature? Would the congregation settings be saved on the usb stick? Would the additional media be saved on the usb stick? Would the cache of jwpub files be stored on the usb stick?

[ux-git]

Yes, most likely all the data and settings should be stored on the stick to ensure real portability.

This use case is for those who don't use M³, therefore it's not installed (yet). So inserting the USB drive, saving the meeting and then demonstrating the app for others is quite realistic, though rare, scenario. It's definitely not for weekly use, therefore storing settings and some jwpub cache + some media shouldn't be a bis problem. For the portable version it makes sense to have some kind of auto-clear period for old caches, since the drive's capacity is quite limited.

But that's basically it. Even if the current version with no changes could be simply installed on a drive, it would be wonderful.

[sircharlo]

A "portable" version exists here, but it's only portable in the sense that it doesn't require installation. We'd have to look into making it fully portable, as in only touching the directory the executable file is located in.

[ux-git]

Thanks! Could you please clarify what does the following mean?

it's only portable in the sense that it doesn't require installation

What other aspects of portability are missing? What is further planned?

[sircharlo]

A true portable app only writes to its own directory and leaves no trace that it was ever run. As it was, the app would open without installation, but would write its settings and downloaded media cache to the Windows AppData directory just like the regular app.

I've since fixed that as of a997bae, though. 😄
The next version will include a (truly) portable version for those who know to look for it!

[ux-git]

Wow! Awesome, you're fast!

I'll be able to test the portable version tomorrow, I'm excited to give it a try 🙂

[sircharlo]

Let me know if it works as intended!

[ux-git]

@sircharlo what is a workaround to determine and clear the temp folder after using the current portable version?

[sircharlo]

No need to clear anything. It just reused the existing installation's settings and folders.
The latest portable build here should create a new folder wherever the exe is located to store the portable data. For example, if the portable application is on a flash drive, the directory with cache and publications will be right next to it.