Parsing the pdb is not difficult - so don't be overwhelmed by the
thought...
I have a simple utility I wrote a while back to examine PDBs after
they've
been "backed up" via hotsync. In fact, I often use it whilst working
on
conduits as it is a convenient testing tool - as is "exporting" pdb's
from
POSE and then examining them. The other things that come to mind on
this
topic is to consider the byte packing of structures on the palm vs
desktop
as well as the byte ordering of numeric data types. They differ, so
careful
attention must be made when writing a structure to a pdb and then
reading/processing it on the desktop.
Frank
cfgsolutions.com
Hi Frank,
The 'parse the PDB' approach WAS the first idea - and the thought was
to do that in a FileMakerPro plug-in. The problem there is that an
Excel plugin would also have to be created and if some other
data-accumulating app was to be brought into the picture, then it'd be
yet another tool that would have to be created - all of which would
have to be maintined/upgraded over time. So, the XML file approach was
next up at bat. It all looked great until it dawned on me that the
PalmOS sees all information as some belonging in some sort of database
- again, I AM a newbie to the PalmOS world. So, I wondered about the
FileStream avenue - then 'conduit' was suggested as a serious contender
for the chore. Whatever gets chosen had better be the right choice
because I don't have the time to do this four different ways so as to
then be able to compare.
All that duly noted, I appreciate your chiming in with what are
obviously words of well-earned wisdom. I've poked at the contents of a
PDB file and although I can figure out what's going on in there, I'm am
not excited at the prospect of creating a general-case parsing routine
- which would then have to be executed before the XML was available to
the target. I might as well just write the FMP and XL plug-ins at that
point.
Right now the XML file still feels like the best thing to do - I
just need to get comfortable with how it will be stored in the Palm
and/or transported via HotSync.
Many thanks,
Lance Drake
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