Ready to deploy to production

[szlamany]

Ok - I'm ready to deploy an app to production users. I've only ever deployed a VB6 workstation-type app - so PPC's and this environment is completely new to me.

My app uses the SQL CE database. Other then that it pretty much only reads and writes to the SQL CE DB and also creates a log file with a streamwriter.

How do I go about packaging this for setup? Most of the users will not have any framework on their desktops - but they shouldn't need that since this app doesn't require any .Net stuff to be running on the workstation.

How much of a nightmare is this about to be? Dozens of users all over town in different buildings...

[petevick]

Hi,
personally, I use PocketPC Installer, which I find excellent, but there is a great article here by Chris Tacke. Also try a search for the following articles on MSDN for:
Deployment Patterns for Microsoft .NET Compact Framework by Jon Box and Dan Fox

Pete

[szlamany]

Well - this has been a nightmare.

Does anyone use VS 2005 to create setup packages?

I've finally got the APC.exe going into Program Files\APC on the PPC. And a shortcut is now being found under Start\Programs - that took many tries to get to the bottom of.

So how do I get CF 2.0 on the PPC? How about the SQL CE and SQL CLIENT stuff that I need for the app to run?

How do all those .dll's get onto the PPC and do they need to get registered??

[szlamany]

I found some .CAB's for SQL CE and SQL CLIENT on my laptop - and dragged those to the PPC through ActiveSync.

This is now allowing the application to run.

Odd error I'm getting - in my network SQL connection string I'm specifying DATASOURCE=SPSERVER (which is the network server for SQL 2005 on our domain). It's connecting to a laptop SQL 2000 instance - laptop name is FPS-LAP-SZ. I've googled for a bug like this and found no info.

How do I guarantee the latest .CAB's for SQL CE and SQL CLIENT for my PPC??

[petevick]

Hi,
try using an IP address instead of a name.

Is it SqlServer2005 or SqlExpress?

Pete

[szlamany]

I'm working with two PPC's. My development PPC is fine - that's the one that gets "deployed" when VS runs the app in debug. That's finding the network SqlServer2005 box no problem.

The other PPC - I'm testing setup/install package - I think I'm installing bad .CAB's - I'm totally clueless about how to do this.

The first thing I do after a clear-reset is upgrade to CF 2.0 - that's done through Add/Remove programs on my laptop. I guess there is a CAB for that I could simply copy to the PPC through ActiveSync.

I'm currently searching my whole laptop for .CAB's to try and find the CF 2.0 CAB, the SQL CE CAB and the SQL CLIENT CAB (for talking to the network server).

I pulled an all-nighter - something I haven't done in 20 years - and I'm getting no where

[petevick]

Hi,
netcf.all.wce4.armv4.cab or similar for .net
sql.wce4.armv4.cab or similar and sqlce.wce4.armv4.cab or similar for SqlCe

Take a look at the FAQ for PocketPCInstaller - http://www.pocketpctoolkit.com/FAQs.php#


Pete

[szlamany]

Thanks so much - if you don't mind I've got a couple of questions.

Difference between WCE300 and WCE400 folders?

What does ARMV4 mean? As compared to the X86 and such in the other filenames?

ARM4T - ARM4I

[petevick]

Hi,
Windows CE 3.x and Windos CE 4.x - the base release of windows CE that the PPC is built on.

ARMV4 is the processor in the device

Pete

[szlamany]

So since these are new PPC's that are running Windows CE 5.0 - do I use 4.0 or 3.0??

The DLL reference in the app for System.Data.SqlServerCE.dll is for V3.0 (at least that's the folder path that it's on my laptop under).

[petevick]

Hi,
use the ones in 4

Pete

[szlamany]

How do I find the DEPLOYMENT LOG that VS 2005 creates when it deploys to a clean reset ppc?

[petevick]

Hi,
don't know if it does, as I use PocketPCInstaller, but it would be on the PC I guess, not on the PPC

Pete

[szlamany]

The deployment log supposedly is made by VS when it deploys to the device in debug mode - so if you clean-reset the PPC you can find all the CAB's that are pushed to it when run - I'll SEARCH my laptop for it.

[szlamany]

Cannot find any logs - I'm back to square one now...

Finally found a set of .CAB's that I could push to the PPC but now the SQLCLIENT is acting wierd. It won't open the NETWORK SERVER DB - it seems to just default to my laptop instance - which is SQL 2000 on top of it all!

I'm so confused.