Abstract: A method for automatically registering resources required for an application program module to execute. After the application program module is booted, a registration cache, which is stored in association with the application program module, is examined to determine its status. It indicates whether a registry on the computer system needs to be updated, e.g., after the user has moved files or renamed files. If so, a search is made through a predetermined directory to look for an application file or a dynamic link library file. If either is found, a resource fork in association with the file is opened, and it is determined whether there is a self-registration resource or an Object Linking and Embedded (OLE) Type Library (OTLB) in the resource fork. If found, any self-registration resource is registered by initiating a self-registration dynamic link library, and any OTLB resource is registered by initiating an OLE call.

Abstract: In a computer system, a method for automatically registering resources required for an application program module to execute. After the application program module is booted, a registration cache is examined to determine its status. The registration cache is stored in association with the application program module and it indicates whether a registry on the computer system needs to be updated, such as after the user has moved files or renamed files such that registry keys in the registry may no longer be valid. If the registration cache indicates that the registry needs to be updated, then a search is made through a predetermined directory, such as the application program module folder. The search is looking for an application file or a dynamic link library file. Upon detecting an application file or a dynamic link library file, then a resource fork in association with the file is opened and it is determined whether there is a self-registration resource in the resource fork.

Abstract: A method for installing files required by an application during execution, without requiring the user to invoke a installation procedure if the required file is deleted or missing. Briefly described, the present invention makes possible a method for detecting whether a file required by the application's execution is missing. If the file is missing, the application calls an installer module to install the missing file in the location expected by a shared library Dynamic Link Library (DLL). The application then terminates. In the event a second required file is being used by another application or computer process, the installer module will restart the system following the replacement of the missing file. In the event that a second required file is not being used by another application or computer process, the install module re-executes the application after replacing the missing required file.