system tray application in c#

[Guest]

I've got a basic system tray application running now. The primary focus of
this application will be to get data from a remote db, and display it to the
user. Iam a newbie in the Windows programming world so I hope my questions
are not too dump. My questions are:
* Is it better/faster to have it read directly from a remote db or should
I have it read an xml file from a remote location, store the xml file on the
hard drive, and read from there?
* I want to put a timer on this app, so every day it goes out to the
remote server, reads data, and puts it into an xml file (?) on the hard drive
to display to the user. Is this the right way to use the timing function
(eg, dump data into a local xml file)
* Using this timing function, is there a way to make the icon in the
system tray blink if it has new data for the user to read?

 

[Michael Nemtsev [MVP]]

Hello ktpmm5,

k> I've got a basic system tray application running now. The primary
k> focus of
k> this application will be to get data from a remote db, and display it
k> to the
k> user. Iam a newbie in the Windows programming world so I hope my
k> questions
k> are not too dump. My questions are:
k> * Is it better/faster to have it read directly from a remote db

it's not good from architecture perspective to read directly from your DB.
Better to introduce the layer which will be responsible for these readings


k> should
k> I have it read an xml file from a remote location, store the xml file
k> on the
k> hard drive, and read from there?

it' depends how much disconnected data your need and reactiveness of your
application

k> * I want to put a timer on this app, so every day it goes out to
k> the
k> remote server, reads data, and puts it into an xml file (?) on the
k> hard drive
k> to display to the user. Is this the right way to use the timing
k> function
k> (eg, dump data into a local xml file)

yep. nothing wrong with this.

k> * Using this timing function, is there a way to make the icon in
k> the
k> system tray blink if it has new data for the user to read?

just change the icon in tray


---
WBR,
Michael Nemtsev [.NET/C# MVP] :: blog: http://spaces.live.com/laflour

"The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we
miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it" (c) Michelangelo

 

[ktpmm5]

ok thanks - that all makes sense. So instead of a db, I'll use the timer to
go out and grab new data from a remote xml file, store it locally, then
display it when the user brings up the form. Thanks for your help.

 

[ktpmm5]

actually one more question... in my system tray app, should i read the xml
from a remote url and rewrite it to a local file, or simply copy the xml file
from a remote machine to my local machine? which would be faster/more
efficient?

 

[Michael Nemtsev [MVP]]

Hello ktpmm5,

reading file from remote ulr is more neat solution, i suppose


---
WBR,
Michael Nemtsev [.NET/C# MVP] :: blog: http://spaces.live.com/laflour

"The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we
miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it" (c) Michelangelo


k> actually one more question... in my system tray app, should i read
k> the xml from a remote url and rewrite it to a local file, or simply
k> copy the xml file from a remote machine to my local machine? which
k> would be faster/more efficient?
k>