Compact Framework : Read a SQL CE database on a PDA from a PC

Question

Hello,

I have tasked with upgrading a CF Framework 1.1 suite of apps.

Currently, the PC starts a server [after confirming via RAPI that the device exists and is connected] and spawns a app on the PDA as the client. The client process on the PDA talks with the db on the PDA and returns records to the PC app [using SQL CE 2.0. OpenNETCF 1.4 for communication/io].

I have a chance to upgrade the PC and PDA suite of apps to Framework 3.5 & CF 3.5 respectively.

Due to a business requirement, I cannot get rid of workflow requiring the PC app to show a preview of the work done on the PDA.

Question : Are there better ways to achieve the above in general with the constraints I have?

I would really appreciate any Ideas/advice.

Answer 1

I'd say that if what you have is working, stick with it.

I mean yes, you could write a custom RAPI DLL that would then provide the data through RAPI calls (I'd probably have looked at that as an option at the project outset anyway), but I'm not certain that would really buy you any real gains. You'd still have a proprietary mechanism for serialzing and transferring the data, and you'd add the complexity of a native DLL to the mix (and RAPI extensions suck to debug).

Answer 2

Here is what I did to solve the above problem.

1. Use RAPI to check for device connectivity.
2. if connected copy the PDA database to an internal location.
3. Use the PC App to get the data out of the sql ce database, show the preview.
4. Once work is done on PC, use RDA (currently used by the PDA client anyways, to pull data) to refresh the SQL CE database.
5. Copy the the refreshed database back to the PDA