Syringe.Net.Nz - More Questions from my Webcast

Wednesday, February 25, 2004

1) If you add a file (say an xml config) file to a CF project and set its BuildAction property to Content would you still need to include it in the CAB inf file?

[CJTA]

No. If it is included in your project and set to BuildType 'Content' in VS.NET then the default CabWizard *.inf file will include that file in your final CAB.

However, if you want to be able to place some of those files into sub folders then you will need to edit the *.inf file. The reason is that the default *.nf generated simply places all of the content files (even if they are in folders in VS.Net) into the application directory.

[PMS] Ahh. Got it.

2) I installed Microsoft's Remote Desktop Manager as well as vxUtil, both of which I seemed to install via my desktop without my having to use ActiveSync directly. Which of the deployment models do these use? Can you point me to some more info on it?

[CJTA]

They both actually use Active Sync to manage the install. Basically what happens is

1. The package you download on your desktop installs the drops the cab files onto your desktop hard drive

2. The desktop installer application passes the CAB files to active sync which in turn passes them down to the device

3. Active sync on the devices executes the package on the device.

[PMS] This is the Exe that I ran I presume. How does step 2 happen? Is this a standard installer (e.g. MSI) or something custom written? What generated the Exe? Any references to info on this technology?

[CJTA]

The Active Sync App manager has an API that the sdetup program on your desktop talks to.

Take a look at http://msdn.microsoft.com/mobility/understanding/articles/default.aspx?pull=/library/en-us/dnnetcomp/html/netcfdeployment.asp

You can also buy off the shelf setup builders that make EXEs that can talk to the App Manager API

[PMS]

Related to that, for commercial PPC apps, what deployment mechanism is the most prevelent used? Simple CABs?

[CJTA]
Most commercial apps are deployed using Desktop based installers that communicate with App Manager. The focus of my discussion was really on enterprise apps where depolyment if often away from the desktop. It is worth noting here that even with a desktop installer approaqch there will be a CAB file written somewhere to your file system. If you need to install the app by had (or over the network somehow) you can go and find that cab file and copy it manually down to the device.

.NET|Wednesday, February 25, 2004 8:09:16 PM UTC|Comments [0]|

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