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Pendragon Forms Distribution Toolbox Version 5.1 Upgrade
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For users with Distribution Toolbox 5.0 or earlier
What’s New in Pendragon Forms Distribution Toolbox 5.1 Support for the new Forms 5.1 client on both Palm OS and Pocket PC.
Changes in Pendragon Forms Distribution Toolbox 5.x • Pendragon Forms 5.1 features including: • Pocket PC support. • Built-in SyncServer with data caching. • Smaller memory footprint on Palm OS devices. • New Licensing Mechanism - Distribute evaluation versions that can be unlocked with custom registration codes. • Enhanced SyncServer Support - Synchronize Pendragon Forms and Distribution Toolbox applications on a single server. |
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• Enhanced icons - Transparency and high resolution capability have been added.
• New Silent Install Capability - Generate components that can be called from most third-party tools (e.g. InstallShield)
Technical Changes in Version 5.0
In Pendragon Forms 4.0, a HotSync conduit was used to synchronize desktop applications. A conduit is a DLL file that runs as part of the HotSync software on the desktop. In Forms 4.0, the conduit DLL directly communicated with the database file on the PC. Generally, this meant that the user who was running HotSync Manager on the desktop required file access to the database that was being synchronized.
Pendragon SyncServer was developed so that the database synchronization process could be isolated from communications with handheld devices. This was achieved by separating synchronization into two components, a server that talks to the database, and a client that communicates with the handheld. The server and client components communicate with each other over a TCP/IP network.
The server runs continuously, waiting for connections from remote devices. When a Palm OS device synchronizes at a desktop, the client’s conduit creates a temporary network connection to the server. The client then sends data and configuration information from the handheld to the server over the network. After the server has performed the synchronization, it sends updates back to the client via the network. The client disconnects from the network and stores the updates on the handheld.
This separation of function has several advantages. First, the client software that installs on each user’s desktop does not need any database software. Second, the client does not need direct access to the database in order to synchronize with it, making the system much more secure. Third, it enables handhelds to connect and synchronize with the server directly over a wireless network by emulating desktop clients.
The primary development goal for Pendragon Forms 5.0 was to support Pocket PC devices. Since TCP/IP networking is an ideal way for Pocket PC devices to communicate with PC’s, Pendragon SyncServer made an ideal platform for synchronizing Pendragon Forms on Pocket PC handheld. Pendragon Forms 5.0 is, in fact, based exclusively on Pendragon SyncServer technology. When Forms 5.0 is installed on a stand-alone desktop, both server and client components are installed on the same system. When a Palm Powered device synchronizes, the client conduit makes a network connection to a server that is running on the very same PC.
Pendragon Forms Distribution Toolbox 5.0 had to be modified so that it could build applications that were based on Pendragon SyncServer while preserving the ability to re-brand the distributed components. In previous versions of the Distribution Toolbox, each application had its own, branded conduit DLL files. In version 5.0, the Distribution Toolbox utilizes the same components as in the retail release of Pendragon Forms 5.0, but with settings that cause those components to display alternate branding.
In some instances, such as machines used for Distribution Toolbox development, you may have both Pendragon Forms and a Distribution Toolbox application installed on the same machine. If this is the case, then the server passwords will need to be the same in the Pendragon Forms and all Distribution Toolbox applications.
It is not possible to have more than one instance of Pendragon SyncServer running on the same PC or server. However, the new 5.0 synchronization server can identify which application is being served, and synchronize with the appropriate application database. In this way, a single instance of SyncServer can synchronize the retail version of Pendragon Forms along with one or more Toolbox applications (even from different vendors). The server uses a single authentication password across all applications, and all applications share a single server log file.
Additional Information
Order Distribution Toolbox Version 5.1 Upgrade License
Note: The Distribution Toolbox 5.1 upgrade includes Pendragon Forms 5.1 upgrade.
A Look at Forms 5.0 on Palm OS and Pocket PC handhelds
Compare Pendragon Forms 5.0 forms and field types on on the Pocket PC and Palm Powered devices.
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using Pendragon Forms Distribution Toolbox?
Pendragon Forms Distribution Toolbox 5.0 Manual (3.3 MB PDF)
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