To provide an overview of the CASL Conduit we'll look at the following:

• How the dbfile definition instructs the conduit to perform a HotSync operation
• How to use PRC Settings to specify the creator ID of your CASL database files
• How to use CondReg to register conduit settings
• How to create a companion desktop version of Palm app and share data
• How to use RemCond to unregister conduit settings

The CASL Conduit

CASL comes with a conduit that serves as a common conduit for all CASL databases. The way that the database files are defined, your PRC file is set, and the conduit is registered (with Windows registry), defines how the CASL conduit will behave with each database.

The following configuration settings are possible with the CASL conduit:

We'll look at each of these configuration properties one at a time.

Conduit Settings Using Dbfile Object

The CASL conduit will only perform a HotSync operation on a CASL database file defined using the dbfile object.

From the CASLide Manual, a dbfile definition has the following syntax:

dbfile name;
	{ field field_var, …. }
	{ sync_pref orientation; }
	{ data_source_name string_expression; }
end;

For example, a dbfile definition might look like this:

dbfile dbMydata;
	field sField1;
	field sField2;
	sync_pref merge;
	data_source_name "myODBClink";
end;

The variables sField1 and sField2 must have been previously defined, and the type declarations must be consistent with the field definitions of the ODBC data source, for example:

variables;
	string sField1;
	string sField2;
end;

Synchronization Preference

sync_pref defines the type of synchronization, which will be performed between your PDA and the PC application.

Database format

data_source_name is optional.

By leaving the data_source_name specification out of the dbfile definition, you'll be specifying that your CASL database will be saved on the PC using the CASL database format. This is a text file with header information, followed by data record information in a comma separated value (csv) format. For details, see the cdb format specified in the CASLide Manual.

By specifying a data_source_name, your CASL database will be saved on the PC using the ODBC object format.

When specified, data_source_name defines the name of the ODBC link you have created on your PC.  This allows you to synchronize with databases that support the ODBC object, such as Access, SQL Server, Oracle, or an Excel spreadsheet.

The DSN string can be up to 31 characters long and may contain spaces. If an equals sign is found in the data_source_name string then it is assumed that the string is the full connect string. If not then it will be used as a DSN name in the default connect string "DSN=<name>;UID=;PWD=".

You will need to use the full connect string syntax if you have password protected your PC database as is common, for example, with Access databases, "DSN=myODBClink;UID=username;PWD=myPassword".

For more information about DSN connect strings, see Chapter 5 in the Microsoft ODBC SDK Programmer's Reference.

Conduit Settings Using PRC Settings

For the HotSync operation to use other than the default Application Name and Hotsync Folder, the creator ID of all CASL database must be set to use that of its application.  This is done with the CASLide menu option Project | PRC Settings.  You check the "Database creator ID" option under the textbox where you enter your program's creator ID.  This option is only available with CASLpro.

Conduit Settings Using CondReg

Before the CASL conduit can perform a HotSync operation, the CASL conduit file must be copied to the user's HotSync path, and it must be registered with the Palm HotSync manager.  For a PC with the CASLide installed, these tasks have been done by the CASL installation program, for all other PC's the CondReg.exe utility performs the necessary copy and registration tasks.

CondReg.exe requires the CASL conduit dll file, CASLcn20.dll, to be available. You should also ensure that two standard Microsoft files, MFC42.DLL and MSVCRT.DLL, are also installed in the user's Windows folder. These files are generally present.  All these files are located in your  ".\CASLxx\" folder, where xx is the version number.  The full path will depend on your installation, but it's default location would be in the form of, "C:\Program Files\CASLsoft\CASLxx\". 

The syntax of CondReg is as follows:

CondReg DLLpath -Appname "name" -CreatorID id -Directory "dir"

CondReg.exe is used from the DOS prompt, the Start | Run line, in a command line in a Windows shortcut, or in a batch file.

An example of a command string which might be used for a normal CASL database, or a default CASLpro database:

CondReg "C:\temp"

An example of a full command string which might be used for a CASLpro database:

CondReg "C:\temp" -Appname "My App" -CreatorID FRED -Directory "My App Folder"

NOTE: When specifying the DLLpath, there is no trailing backslash. If the path name contains spaces, then it will need to be enclosed in quotes.

In both cases, this command will copy the CASLcn20.dll file from "C:\temp", and create a HotSync Registry entry.  Before the new settings can take effect, the HotSync manager must be restarted (exited and restarted).  The details of the HotSync registry entry are explained below.

Creator ID

Specifying a, -CreatorID id, option on the CondReg command string will only make sense if you have a registered version of CASLpro, and you've checked the "Database creator ID" option on the PRC Settings dialog box.

When using this option you'll want "id" to be your program's creator ID.

Application Name

Specifying a, -Appname "My App", option on the CondReg command string will only make sense if you have a registered version of CASLpro, and you've checked the "Database creator ID" option on the PRC Settings dialog box.

When using this option you'll want "My App" to be the program name that's displayed during a Hotsync operation, and in the Custom window of the Palm Hotsync manager.  During a Hotsync operation, the Hotsync progress dialog displays "Synchronizing My App" while synchronizing your application's databases.

If you don't use this option, or it's unavailable, "CASL" is displayed during a Hotsync operation, and in the Custom window of the Palm Hotsync manager.  During a Hotsync operation, the Hotsync progress dialog displays "Synchronizing CASL" while synchronizing CASL databases.

Tip: After restarting the HotSync manager, checking your Custom window of the Palm HotSync manager is a good way to determine if CondReg performed properly.

HotSync Folder

Specifying a, -Directory "My App Folder", option on the CondReg command string will only make sense if you have a registered version of CASLpro, and you've checked the "Database creator ID" option on the PRC Settings dialog box.

When using this option you'll want "My App Folder" to be the subfolder under the user's HotSync folder where databases are read from and written to during the Hotsync operation.  The full path specification will be of the form, "C:\Palm\user\My App Folder\", depending on each PC's individual configuration.  Be careful not to use the same folder name for applications with different creator ID's.  If you're synchronizing to an ODBC source, it can be considered a temporary folder and is not the location of the PC database itself, which is defined by the ODBC DSN link.

If you don't use this option, or it's unavailable, the "Casl" subfolder under the user's HotSync folder is used.  The full path specification will be of the form, "C:\Palm\User\Casl\", depending on each PC's individual configuration.

Installing a CASL database onto a Palm device

For installing a CASL formatted database file from your PC to a Palm device for the first time, you use the CDI extension. The CDI files must be located in the HotSync folder that's registered with the HotSync manager for your application.  The CASL conduit will install database files with this extension onto a user's Palm device. There are more details about this in the CASLide Manual.

CASL Desktop Companion for Palm OS Application

The easiest way to provide a desktop version of your Palm OS application is to compile your CASL program for the Windows target platform, and use the CASL database format. The Windows targeted application is compiled to pseudo-code, which is interpreted by the CASL runtime, CASLwin.exe.  CASLwin programs can easily access a CASL formatted database.  If you use this strategy your installation program will also need to install the Windows version of your CASL program, the CASLwin.exe runtime, and the runtime's associated dll files. For details you can refer to the CASLide manual.

The utility RemCond.exe is used to remove a CASL HotSync conduit registry entry.  The syntax is as follows:

Remcond -CreatorID id -KeepDLL