My app has a large collection of PDBs (with mapping data) that might be installed either in device memory or on an expansion card. Only one version of the PDB is used, wherever it is stored.
My original preference was to keep these PDBs in a separate root-level directory on the expansion card, but it's looking like this method is a nuisance, and I'm not even sure now that it's the right way under the guidelines. I could call VFSRegisterDefaultDirectory to cause the PDBs to be installed, by the Install Conduit, into my private root directory. The difficulty comes in installing both the program and a bunch of PDBs, in the case where the program doesn't exist on the device yet. That means that my program can't call VFSRegisterDefaultDirectory. Now there's an example in the KB of using a conduit to build a private directory and install files to that directory, but I would hate to have to write a conduit that's used simply for installation. The choices that I see, if I rule out my own install conduit, are: A) plunk all the PDBs into /PALM/Programs, the "Catch-all for other applications and data." according to the Companion. Drop the idea of using my own private directory. B) move the PDBs into my own private /MAPFILES directory at first run of the program (maybe triggering from a Hotsync-complete launch code or notification). I'm leaning strongly toward (A), simply because I don't like the idea of moving a user's data around without his permission. It also simplifies the instructions for people who are mounting expansion cards directly on their desktop using a cardreader: "put all your mapfiles into /PALM/Programs, or, if using the Desktop Installer, just install it to the expansion card". It does potentially make for a crowded /PALM/Programs, though. Comments/suggestions, anyone? Anything wrong with monopolizing /PALM/Programs with my data? Is there a simple way to tell the desktop (programmatically) to create a subdirectory on an expansion card? I can't assume a standalone cardreader. TIA, Hal -- For information on using the Palm Developer Forums, or to unsubscribe, please see http://www.palmos.com/dev/support/forums/
