H5s is designed to be used as an evergreen application using the redoubtable Squirrel installation and update framework for Windows Desktop applications, designed by Paul Betts.
Squirrel uses semantic versioning, so you will see H5s with major.minor.patch nomenclature. While H5s does not expose a framework API that has strict rules for versioning and backward compatibililty, it still attempts to behave in accord with the spirit of this format. Admittedly, this can sometimes be a judgement call when it comes to matters of UI.
But first…three important things.
Auto-updating is a non-negotiable requirement
H5s is a UI application and paramount to its success is supporting the capability to sync to new releases without imposing additional work on you. (We are hoping to make you more productive and your work more enjoyable, not less.) You can see how this is done in the details that follow. The rules are simple, though: No nagging, no re-installs, no reboots, no interruptions.
Installation is to your local user account
By design, admin privileges are neither required nor desired. Setup installs H5s to your %LocalAppData% under H5s. A shortcut is placed on your desktop and in the Start menu. Setup does not provide a machine-wide install and it does not touch C:\Program Files.
Uninstalls must be clean
Finally, it is critical for you to know that if you don't like H5s, you can easily whisk it off your machine without worrying about what kind of flotsam and jetsam washed up in your registry. Squirrel provides for clean installs, and clean uninstalls naturally follow.
