DXLab applications run on WindowsNT, 2000,
XP,
Vista, and 7 in both 32-bit and 64-bit flavors. Some DXLab applications can be individually
run on
Windows 95, 98, and 98SE. Using virtual machines,
DXLab applications can also be run on Linux and Macintosh:
The DXLab
Launcher automates the installation of new DXLab applications and the
upgrading of already-installed DXLab applications. If you're an aspiring DXLab
user who has not installed any DXLab applications on your PC, or if
you're a long-time DXLab user who has never installed the Launcher, then
installing the Launcher will make it easy to install new DXLab applications and
keep them up to date as upgrades are released. Clicking the Install Launcher button below will
download and install the DXLab Launcher on your PC. Step-by-step guides to
installing the Launcher are available in HTML
for browsing and in PDF
for printing.
Do not click the Install
Launcher button if the Launcher
is already installed on your PC. If you're not sure, here's
how to check.
With the latest version of the DXLab Launcher installed on
your PC, you can install
an uninstalled DXLab application by following these steps:
start
the Launcher
click the
Launcher's Config button to open its Configuration window
click the
Configuration window's New ? button to update the installation status
and release availability of all DXLab applications
click the
appropriate Install button in the DXLab Application
panel
The Launcher will confirm your intention to install the
application, and display the pathname of the folder into which the application
will be installed so you can confirm or correct it. The Launcher will then
initiate a Setup program that registers the application and its components,
prompting you for additional installation decisions such as the creation of
start menu entries, desktop shortcuts, and the installation of optional files
like country maps or audio announcements. A step-by-step guide is available.
With the latest version of the DXLab Launcher installed on
your PC, you can upgrade
an installed DXLab application to its latest release by following these
steps:
start
the Launcher
click the
Launcher's Config button to open its Configuration window
click the
Configuration window's New ? button to update the installation status
and release availability of all DXLab applications
click the
appropriate Upgrade button in the DXLab Application
panel
The Launcher will inform you when the upgrade is complete.
A step-by-step guide is available.
If you installed a DXLab application at some time in the
past but haven't been installing its upgrades, you can obtain all subsequent
defect repairs and enhancements by upgrading to the latest release, as described
above.
All DXLab applications are produced using a software
engineering process known as iterative development, characterized by
frequent releases referred to as development releases. Occasionally, a stable development release is used
to create a full release containing all software and documentation
components. To facilitate rapid evaluation, development releases are lightweight,
containing only those components that have changed since the most recent
full release.
When the DXLab Launcher installs
a new DXLab application, it first installs the application's most recent
full release; if a later development release is available, the Launcher
automatically performs the upgrade.
New releases of DXLab applications are announced on
the DXLab email reflector,
an open forum that you are encouraged to join.
This reflector plays a major role in driving the development of DXLab --
suggestions are refined, alternatives are considered, and releases are
critiqued; the result is a powerful flow of ideas whose implementation
benefits all participants. At your option, messages posted to the reflector
can be delivered via email -- either individually, or in a daily digest.
You can also determine whether new releases are available
by running the Launcher and clicking the New ? button in the upper right
corner of its Configuration window; in the DXLab Applications panel, Available
releases that are newer than what's installed on your PC are highlighted in red
font. You can configure
the Launcher to automatically check for new releases on startup; a message
indicating that new releases are available will appear on the Launcher's main
window.
If you installed an application's full release at
some time in the past but haven't kept up with development releases, you
can obtain all subsequent defect repairs and enhancements by upgrading to
that application's most recent development release, as described above.
For step-by-step help with common
installation and usage scenarios, see Getting
Started with DXLab. The table below provides links to feature summaries,
online documentation, and printed documentation for each DXLab application:
Defect Logs, and Enhancement Logs
are useful in identifying changes made over time if you haven't been
monitoring the release notes that accompany availability announcements;
links to these logs are provided in the Available
Releases table below.
DXLab applications interoperate using an open
protocol. This has stimulated the development of new applications that
work in concert with some or all members of the DXLab Suite:
