Mobile device: Installing an application on a mobile device (Pocket PC)

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Overview
CAB format
Initial setup
Update in CAB format
Retrieving and installing the update on the mobile device
MSI format
Initial setup
Update in MSI format
Deployment by direct copy
Various
WINDEV Mobile framework (".DLL" files) used by the executable program
Special case: setup performed on a Smartphone

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Mobile device: Installing an application on a mobile device (Pocket PC)

Overview

Several methods can be used to install a WINDEV Mobile application on a mobile device:

setup in CAB format. This setup program is run on a mobile device directly.
setup in MSI format. This setup program is run on a PC running Windows connected to a mobile device.
setup by direct copy of the executable from the PC to the mobile device.

See Setup program for more details.

CAB format

Initial setup

This setup consists in:

creating the application executable on the development computer via WINDEV Mobile.
generating the setup program of application on the development computer via WINDEV Mobile. This setup program corresponds to a ".CAB" file.
copying this setup program onto the mobile devices of the end users (via a memory card, by GPRS from an Internet site or via the file explorer).
running this setup program on the mobile devices. This program installs all the files required by the application. At the end of setup, the ".CAB" file is automatically deleted from the mobile device.

To use this application, start the application on the mobile device (double-click the ".EXE" file for example).

Note: A setup in CAB format does not allow you to:

display a license agreement.
display a "Readme" file.
perform a HFSQL Classic/HFSQL Mobile synchronization.

Caution: Only the wizard for creating the setup program allows you to generate a setup program in CAB format.

Update in CAB format

The CAB format proposes two types of updates:

update by re-installing the application entirely. In this case, the update is identical to the initial setup. See the previous paragraph.
Internet update (HTTP protocol). This update consists in:
- creating the application executable on the development computer via WINDEV Mobile.
- generating the setup program of application on the development computer via WINDEV Mobile. This setup program corresponds to a ".CAB" file.
- copying this setup program onto a Web directory by FTP.
- retrieving and installing the update on the mobile device. See the next paragraph for more details.

Note: During the initial setup of an application, the Control Center of Applications is automatically installed on the mobile device. The Control Center of Applications is used to update the different WINDEV Mobile applications installed on the mobile device.

Retrieving and installing the update on the mobile device

The steps for updating the application on the mobile device are as follows:

checking the schedule for update verification when starting the application.
starting the Control Center of Applications (called CC250MobileApp).
finding the updates for the different WINDEV Mobile applications installed on the mobile device. This search is performed on all the WINDEV Mobile applications installed in order to optimize the data transfer with the Web directory.
selecting the requested updates.
downloading the updates via GPRS (".CAB" file). To perform this download, the mobile device must:
- be a GPRS (Smartphone for example).
- be connected to a PC with an Internet access.
running the updates.
closing the Control Center of Applications.
starting the updated application.

MSI format

Initial setup

This setup consists in:

creating the application executable on the development computer via WINDEV Mobile.
generating the setup program of application on the development computer via WINDEV Mobile. This program corresponds to a ".MSI" file.
distributing this setup program to the end users.
running this setup program on PCs. The application will be automatically installed on the mobile device connected to the current computer, via ActiveSync.
Note: If no mobile device is connected, the setup will be performed during the next synchronization between the PC and the mobile device.

To use this application, start the application on the mobile device (double-click the ".EXE" file for example).

Update in MSI format

The MSI format proposes two types of updates:

update by re-installing the application entirely. In this case, the update is identical to the initial setup. See the previous paragraph.
Note: When installing the update, if no mobile device is connected to the PC, the automatic data modification will be ignored.
update by Internet (HTTP protocol) in CAB format. See "Update in CAB format" for more details.

Deployment by direct copy

This feature is used to:

creating the application executable on the development computer via WINDEV Mobile.
automatically copy this executable onto the mobile device connected to the current PC.

To use the application installed, run this executable on the mobile device (double-click the ".EXE" file for example).

Note: The executable can also be copied onto the connected mobile device via the file explorer.

Various

WINDEV Mobile framework (".DLL" files) used by the executable program

By default, when installing an application on a mobile device, the WINDEV Mobile framework (all the WINDEV Mobile libraries) is copied into the "\Windows\PC SOFT\WD25.0" directory. This framework is used by all the WINDEV Mobile applications installed on the mobile device.

To copy the WINDEV Mobile libraries into another directory, all you have to do is rename the libraries when creating the executable. During the setup, the renamed libraries will be copied into the application directory.

Special case: setup performed on a Smartphone

On a Smartphone, only the data found in the "Storage" directory (and in its sub-directories) and in the storage card are kept once the phone is switched off. The application must be installed in one of these directories.

When installing an application via a setup in MSI format, the Smartphone does not allow you to choose the location of this application. Therefore, we advise you to:

use a setup in CAB format (recommended setup format).
copy the WINDEV Mobile framework directly into the "Storage" directory (and its sub-directory) or onto the storage card before installing the application.
To install the application only, use a setup in MSI format only if there is enough available memory on the Smartphone. Otherwise, use a setup in CAB format.