Pull Files down to PDA

[Harry Simpson]

I've seen the reference to the OpenNetCF RAPI class for sending files to the
PDA.

I need to actually have the device pull files from a server's directory via
an tcp/ip connection (eConnect ethernet docking station not ActiveSync).

My plan is to build in functionality on the device which will look in the
\Update directory on the server and if a file is found, check the version
(possibly by name) against whether the device has the same file....if not
it'd pull this file from the server down into the device directory.

Can the OpenNetCF RAPI class do this? Or is there a better other way? I do
have a web service running that the device can use.

Basically I need a painless way for the client to update like 30 to 50
devices at a time....

TIA
Harry

 

[Paul G. Tobey [eMVP]]

No, you can't use RAPI to do things on the device end; RAPI is a desktop
component.

Possible ways: Web server with the updates, FTP server with the updates,
shared folder on the server with the updates, Web service with the updates,
custom program running on the server. Obviously, the first four are 'open',
while the last can be anything you want, since you'd be writing both ends of
the connection.

Paul T.

 

[Harry Simpson]

Thanks Paul,

That'll save me a little work with the RAPI tool....

<shared folder on the server with the updates>
I'm in a bit of a fog as to how to implement - does the CF have a way to
create a shared folder with a connected server?? I do have a proxy
connection established with the server that would have the updates but how
do i share FileIO across connection from Device to Server file directory??

TIA
Harry

 

[Paul G. Tobey [eMVP]]

You'd share a folder, just as if you were going to use it from another
desktop machine on your network. You know, find it in Explorer,
right-click, choose Share..., etc. At least some Windows CE devices can
share those folders by mapping them to the \Network folder in the
filesystem; they have a redirector for network shares that makes them look
like local folders. That is, if you have a share on a server FARSIDE called
Temp, you might run a command 'net use * \\farside\temp', which would, after
prompting for user name and password, maybe, create a new folder called
something like 'Temp on FARSIDE" in the \Network folder. The contents of
that virtual folder would be the shared files from the server. The WNetXXX
functions are the ones used to control this type of operation
programmatically. Not sure if they are on the Pocket PC, but our 4.2-based
devices have them. The Windows CE devices act just like any other share
client.

Paul T.

 

[Harry Simpson]

Thanks Paul,

Gee you'd think someone in the PPC world has had to pull files down to the
device from a server before. Guess I'm the first to ever do this too. <g>

Thanks
Harry