Thanks Ginny and Daniel,

I'm just looking to jump into use of these tools and want to make sure I'm
jumping into the right pool. Its confusing to me to say the least - Even
the Code article intermengles Sync Services for ADO.NET and Sync Framework
as if they were the same thing. The way i understand it, the only bits I
can use are Sync Services for ADO.NET v.1 which is "included in VS2008" but
when I try to find reference to this in the help it's like it doesn't exist.
Now my boss tells me that he doesn't think it will work with smart device
projects at all.
So from a Windows Mobile 5 developer standpoint none of this can be used -
correct?

I've also had a terrible head cold/flu which doesn't help either.

I'm just trying to get the big picture before I dive deeper into any
particular technology.

Thanks and Merry Christmas to all
Harry

"Ginny Caughey [MVP]" <ginny.caughey.online (AT) wasteworks (DOT) com> wrote

Harry,

Your boss is correct for now, but this will be changing sometime in the new
year. Merry Christmas to you too! Hope you'll be feeling better soon.

--
Ginny Caughey
Device Application Development MVP


"Harry Simpson" <harry.simpson (AT) phgt (DOT) net> wrote

Thanks Ginny,
Barely survived.....
I'll put this on hold and see what comes about. Guess for now I can just try
to move the whole sync that I'm already doing to a background thread. And
suppose it would be possible to copy the recently synced SDF over the
existing one on the device in a split second right?

So the app may be calling the stale database and then after syncing in the
background thread I just copy one SDF (just synced) over the working one the
app uses? Is this what most are doing now?

Thanks!!
Harry

"Ginny Caughey [MVP]" <ginny.caughey.online (AT) wasteworks (DOT) com> wrote

Harry,

The only problem I see with that plan would be if the SDF file you want to
replace is in use by another thread, but probably you've already thought of
that.

I think in practice people are using a variety of syncing techniques
depending on the situation.

--
Ginny Caughey
Device Application Development MVP


"Harry Simpson" <harry.simpson (AT) phgt (DOT) net> wrote

That's "the problem" partially solved by at least just updating a separate
SDF database which is the duplicate of the working one the app is actually
using.
The trick would be to "copy" the updated one over the working one in a
locked fashion.

Anyone doing this?

Harry

"Ginny Caughey [MVP]" <ginny.caughey.online (AT) wasteworks (DOT) com> wrote

Harry,

The only way I can see to update the database already in use would be to
write code that determines when a row needed updating, similar to what the
Sync Framework does under the covers using a TimeStamp or LastEditDate
column.

--
Ginny Caughey
Device Application Development MVP


"Harry Simpson" <harry.simpson (AT) phgt (DOT) net> wrote

Ginny,

Could you not "lock the app" in some way and simply make the IO copy of the
one SDF over the other SDF on the device. Just copy the updated database
into the active directory where the SDF the app actually hits is located?

Harry

"Ginny Caughey [MVP]" <ginny.caughey.online (AT) wasteworks (DOT) com> wrote

Harry,

Well yes I guess you could but since I haven't done it I couldn't recommend
the exact best way to do it. I tend to think more along the lines of
multi-user access to the same data rather than somehow locking one user out
while another does an update, but just because my brain is prejudiced that
doesn't mean it's necessarily the best approach here.

--
Ginny Caughey
Device Application Development MVP


"Harry Simpson" <harry.simpson (AT) phgt (DOT) net> wrote

For the most part I'd just be doing a RDA PULL - the only uploading would be
logs via Web service.

"Ginny Caughey [MVP]" <ginny.caughey.online (AT) wasteworks (DOT) com> wrote