MySql on Pocket PC? 1

[TonyScarpelli]

Has anyone been able to put a MySql database on a Pocket PC?

I've been doing some VB .NET 2005 programming for the device, but it seems SQL tables would to too large and slow for use on a Pocket PC.

Thanks.

Tony Scarpelli
Clinical Engineering Dept.
Maine Medical Center
Portland, Maine 04102

 

[KarveR]

That entriely depends on how much data you want to put into your tables I guess.



______________________________________________________________________
There's no present like the time, they say. - Henry's Cat.

 

[TonyScarpelli]

Well, let's say that it isn't going to be a whole lot, maybe about 7000 bytes that will go onto a 64 meg pocket pc with plenty of room.

What I'm looking for in an answer is not a quantity but just is it possible?

I've put Microsoft SQL Server 2005 for the mobile device on one, but there may not be a mobile MySql version.

Thanks.


Tony Scarpelli
Clinical Engineering Dept.
Maine Medical Center
Portland, Maine 04102

 

[KarveR]

Personally I'd unzip the windows setup and give it a whirl, chances are very high it WON'T work, and those helpful peeps have this to say on the subject:

Pocket PC
Posted by: Mike Hillyer (IP Logged)
Date: November 22, 2005 08:49PM

There is no current project in the works, but please be aware that the forums are not the best place to make a feature request.

The best way to see movement on this is for one of you to make a feature request at bugs.mysql.com, then get others to comment in the feature request and second the request. This is how the dev team sees your request.

Mike Hillyer, Technical Writer
MySQL AB,

http://www.mysql.com

Office: +1 403-380-6535
Mobile: +1 403-330-0870
Blog: [www.openwin.org]

Search mysql.com for pocketPC and see if you can turn up any more info.

______________________________________________________________________
There's no present like the time, they say. - Henry's Cat.

 

[KarveR]

Hows your German, mine sux but this looks promising.

http://www.pocketgear.com/software_detail.asp?id=17574&associateid=9

______________________________________________________________________
There's no present like the time, they say. - Henry's Cat.

 

[TonyScarpelli]

Well, it looks like someone did it, so it's possible. There might be an English version at Pocket Gear. I'll look into it.

And it's a good idea about making suggestions on the MySql web site. I did a search there and nothing had come up.

Thanks all.

CU


Tony Scarpelli
Clinical Engineering Dept.
Maine Medical Center
Portland, Maine 04102

 

[TonyScarpelli]

I found two MySql programs for the Pocket PC on PocketGear.com, one is "Local mySQL Professional" and the other is "MySQLMobile 1.5". I am currently evaluating them.

CU


Tony Scarpelli
Clinical Engineering Dept.
Maine Medical Center
Portland, Maine 04102

 

[towerbase]

Tony,

Can you post the results when you have completed the evaluation of these two products? I guess that I won't be the only person is interested in them.

Andrew
Hampshire, UK

 

[TonyScarpelli]

Following are my comments concerning programs that can use mySql tables on a Pocket PC. They are Local mySQl Pro, MySqlMobile, and LocalDb.

Local mySQL Professional
Cost $12.95 from PocketGear

This is a program from 'dbace' that takes a mySql database, converts it, and allows you to copy the converted file to the Pocket PC, then access it on the PPC.

You create a DSN that gives you access to a mySql Database. You need the mySql 'mysql-connector-odbc-3.51.12-win32.zip' file installed first.

You install the program from a .msi onto your PC.

You run the PC 'Convert a Database' part which converts the table into a directory on your PC.

You copy the file to your PPC.

You install the 'PocketPC Setup' program onto your PPC.

The program on your PPC can now access the database file on your PPC.

You run the PC 'Synchronize' part to update the mySql database.

Comments:
dbace responded to my e-mails within one day.
The current instructions don't match the current program, but you can muddle through it. They indicated they will fix it.
The program on the PPC gets put into the Start menu, it should get installed in the Programs directory. The name in the instructions is different than the name on the PPC. They indicated they will fix it.
Limited use on the PPC. You can enter SQL commands, save commands, execute them, and synchronize.

mySql has a database called 'World' that you can use for testing. I converted it. It created a 1,284,096 byte file (MySqlDSN.ldb) on my PC. I stored this on an SD card on the PPC and was able to access it.

Unless you want to experiment, this isn't for developers where you need to develop a full fledged mySql database application.
Two other programs are for that: MySqlMobile and LocalDb from the same company.


MySqlMobile 1.5
Cost $119.00 from PocketGear

This is a program from 'dbace' that allows you to connect to a mySql database on the network or local PC from an application on the Pocket PC.

It uses a .dll or .ocx with many functions that let you manipulate mySql data.

You can write an application in VB .NET, VB6 or other programming language, and use the functions to connect to the mySql database, choose tables, create and run SQL commands.

Your program is then installed on the PPC and you have to have a connection to the PC via ActiveSync for instance.

There are sample programs in VB6, VB .NET, C#, C++ that you can run directly, or compile, and deploy them to the PPC.

Comments:
dbace responded to my e-mails within one day.
The instructions are adequate but could be better, and I only ran into one problem that wasn't explained in the instructions, you need to enter the IP Address of your PC into the network entry section. I used 'locahost' which never connected me to the mySql database. (I'm not an expert in this stuff so when working with local SQL Server programs I always used 'localhost', silly me.)

I was finally able to get a VB .NET program compiled and working and I was finally able to get a connection from the PPC through ActiveSync, then run the other parts of the program where you choose a database, enter and execute SQL commands.

You have to have a connection to your PC from the PPC for this all to work. You can't do anything without this connection.

To do work locally on the Pocket PC you need another program from dbace, LocalDB.

dbace indicated this program can be purchased from them directly for 10% off, but their instructions weren't in English, so I didn't want to take a chance.


LocalDB 1.12
Cost $95.00 from PocketGear

This is a program from 'dbace' that allows you to connect to a converted mySql, or created, database on the Pocket PC from an application on the Pocket PC.

It uses .dll's with many functions that let you manipulate mySql data.

You can write an application in VB .NET and use the functions to open a database, create and run SQL commands.

Your program is then installed on the PPC. From the application and you have to open the database and run the SQL commands to do anything.

There are two sample programs, one for the device and one for Windows. You can run them directly, or compile them. You can deploy an application to the PPC or emulator and try it out there.

Comments:
dbace responded to my e-mails within one day.
The instructions are adequate but could be better.

I was able to get the example VB .NET program compiled and working on both the emulator and the PPC, but the program is very limited, it only creates a database. Then you can open it, close it, and delete it. Without data there isn't much else to do, but there is an 'Example queries.txt' file that contains SQL commands you can try out.

To do a more real test I converted the mySql World database using 'Local mySQL Pro' and installed it onto an SD card, not only in the emulator, but also on the device.

I was finally able to open the World database, then execute SQL commands against it.

dbace indicated this program can be purchased from them directly for 10% off, but their instructions weren't in English.

Now comes the hard part, writing a real application that uses this stuff.

CU all. Hope this is helpful.

If you purchase these last two programs, I created a step by step and detailed install for both these programs if anyone is interested, just send me e-mail at ascarpe1ATmaine.rr.com. Remember to change the AT to @.


Tony Scarpelli
Clinical Engineering Dept.
Maine Medical Center
Portland, Maine 04102

 

[towerbase]

Thanks Tony. That seems to be a useful summary of the state of play at the moment.


Andrew
Hampshire, UK