Using rapi from desktop to copy file from device to desktop

Tex8503 · #11 (**permalink**) 10-22-2010, 08:03 PM

Sorry to dig up this old thread but this is relevent to a part of the project I'm working on.

I'm trying to synchronize a database between the PC and device. I know I can use RAPI on the desktop - which wouldn't be a problem, except it seems to lockup to application while the transfer is occurring.

Using the network library solved this problem and I was able to get a status of the file being sent per the 'FileTransfer' example - however, I can only seem to get the network library to be able to send files to the PC from the device and not the other way around.

Is there something I can do with RAPI Library to make it not lock the application or something I can do with the Network Library to make the transfer bi-directional?

Thanks!

agraham · #12 (**permalink**) 10-23-2010, 08:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tex8503

Is there something I can do with RAPI Library to make it not lock the application

You could try running the transfer on a thread using my Threading library. If you are not familiar with threading read the help carefully to avoid coding in problems for yourself.

Quote:

or something I can do with the Network Library to make the transfer bi-directional?

There shouldn't be any problem as you have a two-way communucation channel between the client and server. You just need to write the code for both the server and client to implement this.

Tex8503 · #13 (**permalink**) 10-23-2010, 12:44 PM

Agrham - Very interesting. I know OF threading, so I'd be interested in trying that with the RAPI - but it'd be easier for me if I can figure out how to get the damn networking library to work because it's already implemented and serves more of what I'm trying to do.

I basically broke apart the file transfer app into two separate applications and the PC acts as the server and the win mo device is the client. The FileTransfer example was pretty straight forward of how the client can initiate a file transfer to the server - but I still don't understand how the server could send a file back.

I thought of the possibility of re-arranging it so when I needed to send the file back to the win mo device, that I made the win mo device the server and the PC the client and just doing it that way. This has yet to work for me and I wondering its because the it can't get the hostname for the device using PPP_PEER - or if it has something to do with the win mo device / cradle not having USB Host.

Any suggestions? Am I even going in the right direction?

agraham · #14 (**permalink**) 10-23-2010, 01:15 PM

I don't understand your problem with the Network library. The server can send a file back in the same way the client sent one to the server. Once you have a client and a server connected you just write the code to do whatever you want.

PPP_PEER is only applicable to identify the desktop host of an ActiveSync connection.

Tex8503 · #15 (**permalink**) 10-25-2010, 08:43 PM

agraham - Can the server send data back in the same way? I haven't seen anything to suggest that...

It seems like the steps that happen are :
1)Server waits for client connection
2)Client connects using 'connect' and establishes bitstream
3)Server sees data is available.
4)client supplies opening bit, file size and file name then file
5)server receives in that order
6)Server reconciliation occurs (happens outside network library)
7)?

That's where I'm stuck. Can the server just write to the bitstream and have the client receive?

Zenerdiode · #16 (**permalink**) 10-25-2010, 10:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tex8503

Can the server send data back in the same way?

Yes. Because on the Server side; a Client and BinaryFile stream are also set up. Add these snippets to your SERVER code. You will need two timers too, one WFC(Wait For Connection) and one WFD(Wait For Data):

'Server' is a Network.dll Server object
'Client' is a Network.dll Client object
'Stream' is a BinaryFile.dll BinaryFile object

Code:

Sub App_Start
    '...
    Server.New1(50000)
    Server.Start
    Client.New1
    TimerWFC.Enabled=True
    '...
End Sub

Sub TimerWFC_Tick
    If Server.Pending=True Then
        Client.Value=Server.Accept
        Stream.New1(Client.GetStream,False)
        TimerWFC.Enabled=False
        TimerWFD.Enabled=True
    End If        
End Sub

Sub TimerWFD_Tick
    If Client.DataAvailable=True Then
        Variable=Stream.ReadString
    End If
End Sub

To write anything back; use any of the BinaryFile.Writexxxx methods, such as

Code:

...
Stream.WriteString("ASCII Text")
...

Tex8503 · #17 (**permalink**) 10-26-2010, 02:35 PM

Thanks Zenerdiode & agraham - took me about an hour to work through the issues I was having with the bi-directional transfer and while it's not pretty at the moment, it is working, which is more than I could say for it as of yesterday!

Thanks again for your help. If someone needs/wants it - I probably can rip the the code out of my app and setup something to demonstrate the bi-directional transfer.

Tex8503 · #18 (**permalink**) 10-26-2010, 06:28 PM

One last quick question: is it possible for multiple clients to connect to one server at the same time?

derez · #19 (**permalink**) 10-26-2010, 07:48 PM

Yes, using timestamp as addition to the connection to diferentiate the clients, see my chat application which uses this technic, provided by Erel sometime in the past.

http://www.basic4ppc.com/forum/share...html#post19297

Tex8503 · #20 (**permalink**) 10-27-2010, 01:08 PM

Hey David,
Thanks for the tip. I'll take a look at your code and hopefully I can build it in!