ActiveSync question

[Simone]

We're building an app using SQL Server 2000, and .NET Compact Framework on
Pocket PC 2002. Requirements include the desktop application to control what
is being sent to the device, and what's being received on the desktop. The
data will be synced often, via cradle, no wireless. Data would consist of
some fields, and binary data. As soon as the device is docked, I would like
to send the data, no questions asked, and if an error occurs, the desktop
should handle it. Data would be passed back and forth from device to
desktop.

Browsing through the newsgroups I realized there were some many different
ways of passing data. I would prefer RDA, but reason I'm avoiding it is
because of this activesync requirement. I still have a lot of questions:
1) The only way to sync as soon as device is docked would be by creating an
ActiveSync provider, is this correct, or is there an easier way?
2) As of today are there any .NET wrappers for writing ActiveSync providers?
3) Can I program the ActiveSync provider to send data directly to ADO and
Sql Server over TCP?
4) Any sample applications for creating providers like that?

Thanks in advance for all your help.

Simone

 

[Paul G. Tobey [eMVP]]

If you want to completely ignore whether the device is connected or not on
the device side, MSMQ is the best way to do that. You drop the message you
want to send into the queue and then completely forget about it. When a
connection to the PC is available, the message is sent. The PC, then is
responsible for doing whatever it needs to do with the data. MSMQ is also
transport independent. Although you now think that the cradle is the only
connection to the device, you'll be wrong about that soon. Someone will
need to use cellular or RF Ethernet and you'll have to start writing special
cases for the connection...

Paul T.

 

[Simone]

Thanks for the input. MSMQ does seem like a more flexible option. I will do
some researching on MSMQ.

 

[John Atkins]

To start an app automatically when ActiveSync connects, set the following
key in the PC's registry

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows CE Services\AutoStartOnConnect

to the name of the exe to execute and any parameters.

For example, setting it to

"notepad" "C:\\temp.txt"

will invoke Notepad to open a file called C:\temp.txt

hence you could auto execute your RDA program

John.