.. Your database, I mean

I am not talking about to the grave, and yes that saying is still true, that you can't take your money with you when you die.  For that matter, you can't take a database with you there either.  However, if you have a Pocket PC and Syware's Visual CE you can take just about any kind of database with you to most other destinations.

The Professional and Enterprise Editions let you distribute a run-time version of Visual CE.  A PPC based application may be all that is needed, but often it is used in conjunction with either a web based or desktop PC based application.  It gives a developer a way to add value to their other applications and the fact that you offer a Pocket PC application may add interest to your application and separate you from the competition. If you market software commercially, you may find an investment in Syware's Visual CE well worth the cost and recoup the expense many times over.  If you develop an application for internal use at your corporation or other organization you may find the runtime distribution license for a Visual CE application used by many users will also yield a good ROI.

After I requested and received a review copy of the latest version, I had a couple of questions before I started this review.  I received prompt and complete answers by email.  Among the changes with version 7.0 is the ability to store a database image in a binary column in your table.  Earlier versions featured a Picture control as well, but not bound to a an IMAGE field in the database. 

The screen shot below shows a Visual CE form with the Picture control in use.

NOTE:  Syware provided a Review Copy of the Enterprise Edition which includes Visual CE, Report CE and MEnable.  MEnable allows for developing wireless applications, however, in this review I cover only Visual CE and Report CE. 

Syware provides run-tme shortcuts for both Visual CE and Report CE to let you combine all the files your application needs to run in a setup routine to install for your users/customers.  A download of this sample application is available for those of you with a Pocket PC who want to try out this simple application.  

How I Did that..

In order to give Visual CE a review I decided to use the same Contacts Demo database I used for the web reviews of Code Charge Studio and ASPMaker.  I modified the original .mdb file by adding a binary field called Photo to the People table.

After installing to the desktop and installing on the Pocket PC you can develop forms and reports on either the desktop or the Pocket PC.  Although there are times when it is faster or more convenient to design forms and reports on the PPC, I prefer using the desktop application.  Visual CE includes the ability to synchronize ODBC compliant database so that when an entry is made on either the Pocket PC or the desktop databases so the changes can be updated using Microsoft's ActiveSync.  However, in order to do that the first field in any tables you want to sync has to be a numeric field named OID.  This field is used to let the syncing process know if the databases are up to date. 

I wanted to use an existing database named contdemo.mdb in the directory c:\contdemo so I created an ODBC DSN with the name contdemo.

I launch Visual CE and choose to download a table.  I am then asked if I want to keep the table synchronized - I do, which is why I created the OID field mentioned above.  

The next dialog lets you select the Desktop Data Source (ODBC DSN) and the path to the desktop database.

Now the program offers to create a data entry form for the table I downloaded. This is fine, but really a starting place.  The generated form is workable, but I want to do some customization, such as fields that lookup from a list, change the background of the form and field labels, etc.  But the auto generated form is a good starting point.  In the case of the People table, Visual CE guess that I wanted the blob file named photo to be a "scribble" field where I could write on the screen.  Handy, but in this case, I deleted the scribble field and added an image control.  I am then asked if the field depends on a column, and then select the Photo column from my table.

There are a number of choices when setting up a lookup type field..

In this example screen from Visual CE on the desktop, I have created a drop down list which is connected to the column Title.  I have added the values I want the user to be able to choose from and I could have checked the box to let the user add new values not in the list.  I could also have chosen to make an entry from the list required by checking the Required box.  By default, an automatically generated form would be black text on a white background.  I have made this form have a different color but it is all up to you.  I also deleted the scribble field that was added for my Photo column and replaced it with an Image field bound to the column.

After changing the form I download it to the Pocket PC.  I can further modify the form while working in Visual CE and also "run" the form when I open it in the design time interface.  When I distribute the form using the runtime distribution of Visual CE (included in the Professional and Enterprise versions) the screen above will look something like the one below.

Notice scroll bars as needed because my form is longer and wider than could be displayed without scrolling.  The menu at the bottom of the form has a variety of useful menu options, with keystroke equivalents.  This lets you user navigate through the records in the database. 

Next to the word Option on the menu are additional icons to create a new record, or to switch from form view to grid view and to search on a column you have defined as a sort column.

Visual CE also makes it very easy to search data.  The option menu includes a custom filter selection that let's you easily search for data in any field on your form.  Below I am using a custom filter to search on the Title field that I defined as a drop down list earlier.

I think you can see that developing forms with Visual CE is very easy to do, and requires no real programming or coding.  In the next section I will show how easy it is to design a report in Report CE and then how to distribute the forms and reports in a runtime setup program.

Run Time Distribution is Quick and Easy

An icon is provided to package the files needed to produce a run time installation.  When you click the icon you will be prompted for a directory to place the runtime files.  A .lod file (text file you can edit with Notepad) is included which you would edit to include the name of the form(s) you will be distributing as well as line to add the form to the start menu on the Pocket PC.  This .lod file is well commented so you easily understand what needs to be changed to distribute your application.  I have create a setup file for a simple application I created with Visual CE.  You can download and try this demo at the link below.  NOTE:  The installation I created with create an ODBC DSN named contdemo, create a directory with the same name, and copy my sample .mdb file to that directory, it then launches the setup created with Visual CE's Runtime icon.  After installation on the desktop and Pocket PC is complete you will need to synchronize again in order to get the sample data copied to the PPC.  It really is a pretty easy process.  An .exe named vicesync.exe is installed in the C:\Program Files\Visual CE directory.  You may want to create a shortcut on your desktop to sync the demo data on demand.

I have created a setup for the simple Visual CE Form I created above.  You can download it at http://www.developerreviewed.com/demos/vcedemo.zip 

Report CE makes it just as easy to create reports for your Pocket PC application as Visual CE is easy to create forms.

Report CE is not included in the Professional Edition, but is very handy - and for some applications - you may find it an essential add on.  As with the forms you design using Visual CE, reports created in Report CE can also include an image control as shown below.

You will also notice that in addition to printing a report, you can save a report as a file (either .txt or .rtf) and email it as an attachment.  This is great if you don't have a printer for use with your Pocket PC because you can transfer the report to your desktop and print it from there.  You can design reports for various paper sizes, including 8 1/2 x 11 inches - although you would have to scroll a bit to see the whole report on a pocket sized screen.  In addition to creating and printing the report, Report CE also allows you to easily "filter" the data just as you would in form view.

In this example screen shot I am filtering for FullName field contains the letters "mo" - part of my sample record for Grandma Moses.

Just as with Visual CE, a Runtime icon is provided to let you quickly and easily create setup or install files for distribution Report CE files.

The bottom line is that Syware makes it easy to develop applications and reports for the Pocket PC used most ODBC compliant database back ends.  Their support via email is prompt and effective.  If you want to develop database applications for the Pocket PC I strongly recommend that you consider the Visual CE line of products from Syware.

http://www.syware.com