Legacy App Packages vs "Hacks", A Community Discussion

Hi John,

in my opinion You must to continue with the legacy package route,
BUT:
1. Put a notice on the portable program's download page and state that a hack is available for that program and specify which version of Windows will 'fixed';
2. create a new subfolder in the installed PAF build:
--> Other --> 'Hack' or, better, 'Windows 7/8'
and insert in this 'Hack' subfolder the 'exe' or 'dll' with instruction how to use this fix (for advanced users).
If the hack is of considerable size, then put in the Other - Hack folder only the instructions on:
1. where to get the fix
2. how to perform the fix

This would only allow a few new portable programs to be 'fixed' and you would continue with the legacy way.

Hi John!

Off-topic:

I use this title, when there are two opposed opinions. a sort of an abstract word play.

Nowadays, days of IRL Barbie World, Consumerism and Planned Obsolescence, and the true story of a Fiberglass Car eaten by a cow. Even food tastes comme du papier-mâché. Software companies won't undertake a different pathn, rare are the developers who do not follow the 'herd'.

On-Topic:

Let's say, I'm inclined towards the Hack:

• The reasons: New versions will include new fonctionalities & opportunities, on old machines, that (some) people are 'forced' to use.
• The pros: The same (working) version for everyone.
• The cons: (Relatively) More work for the developer(s).

About legacy Packages:

• The reasons: Less preocupations and work.
• The pros: Essentially less work & stress for the developer(s).
• The cons: Too many versions of a same app, which are missing some functionalities when users move from→to different computers.

Opinion about hybrid apps:

• Better to split enormous apps no longer supporting 32 bit OSes. For CherryTree users for example, the app now is less huge.
• Another example: Is Stellarium. That looks like a pregnant mutant, dragging an alien in her hump. Let's split it.
• This will also reduce the website's coasts, when people (who do not care) download such 'Mastodons' directly from the website.

TLDR; Let's hack small and easy (to do) apps, and let's split huge and complicated ones!

PS. Tired right now, will try to add other details, let's say tomorrow if we're still here..

As already said in this post https://www.portablefreeware.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=108030#p108030

Software based on Python 3.9 is not working on Windows 7
Errors around api-ms-win-core-path-l1-1-0.dll and a such basically requires to install a particular vcredist_x86.exe/vcredist_x64.exe.
But specifically that error in the Python 3.9 is because the DLL is a part of Windows 8.

So this error is specific of Windows 7.

In effect the dll api-ms-win-core-path-l1-1-0.dll exist in Windows 8-8.1 and up (Win10 and Win11) and it's similar but incompatible with the dll of this hack https://github.com/nalexandru/api-ms-win-core-path-HACK.

So I suggest You (I have partially changed my opinion):
1. create a new subfolder inside '\PDF Arranger\App' with the name 'Windows7 hack'
2. this subfolder must contains the content of 'api-ms-win-core-path-l1-1-0.dll' (extracted from zip archive): x86 and x64 subsubfolders + a text file with explanation of this hack
3. if Your launcher can test witch Windows version is installed (Windows 7 and if 32 or 64 bit), therefore
4. You can extract from Your PAF installer the subfolder 'Windows7 hack' and put them inside '\PDF Arranger\App'
5. Your launcher PDFArrangerPortableLegacy can copy the appropriate dll from 'Windows7 hack' to '\PDFArranger' and launch PDFArranger for Windows7
6. or if the installed Windows is 8,8.1,10 or 11 You can prepare a launcher with name PDFArrangerPortable and launch PDFArrangerPortable.
7. to conclude this is my suggestion, but I don't know if you can make it.

b.t.w.
This hack should also work for later versions of PDF Arranger: v1.11.1 and up.