Problem:        How To use PalmDB (PDB) tables in a PocketPC application

Updated: Starting with Satellite Forms 7.1, the recommended build target is named "PocketPC".  Wherever you see "PocketPC PDB" in the article below, use "PocketPC" instead with Satellite Forms 7.1 and higher.

Solution:        Starting with Satellite Forms 7.0, PocketPC applications can utilize the more efficient Palm Database (PDB) format for handheld tables, instead of the PocketPC Compact Database (CDB) format.

Using PDB format tables on the PocketPC offers numerous advantages over CDB format tables, including:

• PDB tables are significantly smaller than CDB tables because of their more efficient structure.  While CDB tables have a minimum size of 48KB even when they are empty (128KB on PocketPC 2002 devices), the minimum size of a PDB table is a mere 80 bytes.
• Using PDB tables on the PocketPC removes the reliance on the Microsoft ActiveSync functions that convert desktop databases to/from the handheld CDB databases, thus improving the speed and reliability of data synchronization.  With the changes Microsoft made to ActiveSync 4.x, handheld database synchronization using CDB tables has become less reliable than it was with ActiveSync 3.x, especially on Windows Mobile 5 powered devices.  Using PDB tables on the PocketPC avoids these reliability and performance issues.
• With the use of PDB tables on the PocketPC and PalmOS devices, the data tables can be transferred between platforms with complete compatibility.  You can use the same PDB tables created on the desktop PC with both PocketPC and PalmOS handhelds.  You can transfer PDB tables directly between devices on different platforms, using infrared beaming, Bluetooth, or SD memory cards.
• Compiling Satellite Forms applications for the PocketPC platform is quicker and easier using PDB tables than it is with CDB tables, because there is no need to generate the handheld tables on the connected device at compile time (this is how CDB tables are created, which makes the compile process take longer).  With the PDB format, the data tables can be generated directly on the desktop PC without needing a connected PocketPC device.
• The same application target can be used for PocketPC 2002 devices in addition to PocketPC 2003, 2003SE, and Windows Mobile 5 for PocketPC devices.  There is no need to build a separate application target for PocketPC 2002 devices when using PDB tables, as there was when using CDB tables.  PocketPC 2002 CDB tables are not compatible with PocketPC 2003 and later devices.

To create a new PocketPC application that uses PDB tables, we recommend using the new PocketPC application platform target.  This build target is preset to use PDB tables on the PocketPC platform.  The figure below shows the PocketPC PDB platform option in the Add Target selection screen that is displayed when you create a new project:

To modify an existing PocketPC application to switch from PocketPC CDB databases to Palm PDB databases, open the Project properties for your existing project.  In the Device DB Format droplist, select Palm DB instead of PocketPC DB.  That build target will now generate and use PDB tables instead of CDB tables.

Another possible option for existing applications is to add another build target using the PocketPC platform to your project.  This would result in your application having multiple build targets, to select either the PocketPC CDB or Palm PDB format handheld tables as per your needs.

TIP: Unless you specifically require the PocketPC CDB format for the tables in your handheld application (perhaps due to some server synchronization requirements, for example), we recommend using Palm PDB format tables for your Satellite Forms PocketPC applications.  The advantages of the PDB format make it the preferred choice, especially on Windows Mobile 5 devices.

Keywords:      Palm, PDB, PocketPC, CDB, table, platform, target, build

KB ID: 10033 

Updated: 2010-06-22

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