Identifying a Pocket PC or PDA

[swoozie]

When a PDA/PPC is docked for syncronization is there a way to determine the name or ip or something of the PDA/PPC?

Also, is there an event that occurs that could trigger an access database function would that have to be kicked of manually?


Thank you,

[Shaggy Hiker]

Well, there is probably a good way to do this, but I have an almost good way. Basically, what would you expect to have happen when the PDA is plugged in? Surely you wouldn't expect that a random Access DB macro would spontaneously be told that a PDA was plugged in. However, if you had a program listening for a connection, and the PDA transmitted a connection request when you plugged it in, that would be close.

What I have is a program that has a TCPListener running on a background thread. In this case, I decided that I didn't want the PDA to connect automatically, so the user has to press a button on the PDA (one button out of several, depending on what data transfer is desired). However, if the PDA connected automatically, that would be doing just about what you want.

Unfortunately, I have heard that there is no event on the PDA that fires when the device is plugged in. Frankly, I don't believe that, but I have never gone looking for any way to determine that connection just occured.

As for the name, if you establish a connection, just have the PDA send its name right off. Of course, if you establish a TCP connection, you have some info, but it may not be quite unique enough for you.

[swoozie]

I am sorry for my lack of knowledge on this topic. I am charged with the portion of the project transfering the data from the sync to the Access DB. Basically I know that daily several PDAs will be uploaded data from the access DB and at the end of the day the same PDAs will be downloaded into the Access DB I would like to make this as simple as possible with the least amount of personal interaction. Of course, if it can't be in a reasonable amount of time, it just can't be.

[Shaggy Hiker]

First off, are you absolutely tied to Access? Newer PDA's link very well with SQL Server, and what you are doing sounds like it would be well suited to this.

However, if you are tied to Access, the technique I mentioned requires only one button click on the PDA, which is pretty minimal. Could I get rid of the one click? Maybe, I've never given it any serious thought.

However, it requires that there be a 'receiver' program running on the desktop system. I doubt there is a way to get around this using Access, but the program can be very minimally intrusive, as it would be simply a TCPListener listening to a port when nothing is happening.

As for the mechanics, I package the data into XML and transmit over the connection. I have posted various pieces of this on this forum, if it sounds like it might suit, look around. I can post more if needed (but only for a few days, then I leave for a good month long walk).