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SprintDB Pro Desktop Companion 1.0
 

Overview

The SprintDB Pro Desktop Companion allows you to develop your SprintDB Pro Pocket PC applications on your Desktop or Notebook PC. This provides the user with a development environment which is far easier to use and therefore allows you to create feature-rich applications far more quickly than is possible on the limited screen real estate of the Pocket PC.

Of course there is nothing preventing you from using the Desktop Companion to create PC only database applications or applications that you want to run on both platforms. If you would like to do this, please refer to the Differences Between the Pocket PC and Desktop Companion section.

The user interface is the familiar Windows MDI format which allows you to open multiple windows simultaneously. You can, for instance, open a database in Table view, open multiple SprintDB Pro forms in either Edit or Run mode. This gives you unprecedented control over the SprintDB Pro development process.

 

System Requirements


Operating System: Microsoft Windows ME, 2000, XP, XP Pro.

 

Microsoft Windows 98x, NT4.0: Requires Microsoft Data Access Components (MDAC) 2.5 to run SprintDB Desktop Companion.

MDAC may already be installed on your PC. A simple way to check this to install SprintDB Pro Desktop Companion on your PC, and then try to open the sample database by using the Help > Sample Databases menu. If you encounter an error opening the database, please  install MDAC on your PC.

 

Download MDAC 2.5

Software: Microsoft ActiveSync 3.x to export/import form files to/from Pocket PC.

 

 

Elements of the Desktop Companion

 

The File Menu

Users of SprintDB Pro will be familiar with the general layout of this menu, but users of SprintDB Pro versions 1.0 - 1.7x will notice several items have been moved from the Tools menu to the File menu. This layout has also been replicated in the Desktop Companion and in SprintDB Pro version 2.0. File Menu

  • Open Database Opens an existing Microsoft Access database (.mdb). Note: you cannot open a Pocket PC (.cdb) database file in the Desktop Companion.
          

  • Import Forms From Pocket PC... Imports a SprintDB Pro Form file(.raf) from your Pocket PC.
    Note : Your device must be actively connected to your desktop PC via ActiveSync.
     

  • Export Forms to Pocket PC... Exports a Desktop Companion Form file directly to your Pocket PC.

    Note: Your device must be actively connected to your desktop PC via ActiveSync.
     

  • Form Path on Pocket PC... Allows you to set the default Form path on your Pocket PC. This allows the Desktop Companion to locate your SprintDB Pro form files. This setting only needs to altered if you change the default form path on your Pocket PC. The default path is: \Program Files\SprintDB Pro\Forms.
      

The Tools Menu in Form editor

When a form is open in Edit mode, the following items are available.

  • Fit Size to Pocket PC Resets the current form to fit the default Pocket PC screen size (240 x 320), portrait.
     

  • View Toolbar Displays the Floating Toolbar. To add controls to your form, click the desired control type (left to right: Button, EditBox, CheckBox, Label, List, Dropdown, Tab , PictureBox, Scribble control, Tree control, Bound control and Record Counter) and then click on the form. This will place the control on the form. To adjust its position, you can either drag it into position with the mouse or use the Placement buttons to fine tune the position.

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Working with Forms

Users of earlier version of SprintDB Pro will notice some basic differences in the layout of a new blank form. In both the desktop and PPC versions, the blank form shows a background grid and a dashed line.

  • The dashed line is the Input Panel Indicator. This is a design aid which allows you to see exactly how much of the form will be obscured by the system Input Panel on the Pocket PC (the software keyboard ).

  • Right-clicking on the form displays the Form menu shown in the screen-shot (right).

  • Double-clicking loads the Form Properties window.

  • The color and grid width can be changed by selecting File > Options.... You can also switch on the "Use Layout Snap" option, allowing you to place controls on your form and have them 'snap' to the closest grid line x-y position. This can be a helpful aid to aligning controls.

  • You can also switch off the grid display altogether. Note, this also disables the Input Panel Indicator.

Using Debug Mode

You can trace your macro/script line-by-line.
To run a form in debug-mode.

  1. Open the form in Edit mode first.

  2. Click File > Debug.

  3. This will enable you to trace your macro/script code.

  4. To stop debugging, click Stop. You can re-start debugging by clicking Start.

  5. You can specify a Control, Form and Event to trace. SprintDB Pro will trace all events on all controls and forms by default.

  6. To trace line-by-line, click NextStep.

  7. To calculate a variable or underlying table field, enter an expression and then click the Calculate button.
    E.g:     @var1 or !0!Table1.Field1 or @var1+!0!Table1.Field1

  8. To execute a macro/script command, enter a command and then click the Execute button.
    All of the macro/script commands are available.
    E.g:     SetVar(@var1,4)

  9. To quit debugging, close the form.

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The Macro Builder

The screen-shot below illustrates the components of the Macro Builder Window on the Desktop Companion.

 

Users of SprintDB Pro versions 1.0 - 1.7x should note that the Add(+) and Update(*) buttons are no longer needed, as code lines are automatically updated in the Code List as they are entered. However, you can use the Add(+) button to duplicate a line of code.

 

Key Shortcuts for editing code

  • Copy a line(s) - CTRL+C

  • Paste a line(s) - CTRL+V

  • Delete a line(s) - DEL

  • Select all lines - CTRL+A

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