Converting Access Database to PDA

[dswalwell]

I have a Dell Axim and am using ActiveSync 4.1, Windows Mobile 5 etc... but every time I try to copy/convert an access 2003 table to the PDA it tells me that the "remote procedure call failed". Does anyone have any suggestions?

[petevick]

Hi,
WM5 doesn't support Pocket Access, so there will be no conversion done.

Pete

[dswalwell]

Hi,
WM5 doesn't support Pocket Access, so there will be no conversion done.

Pete

Hi, thanks for your reply.
If I want to synchronise data on my PDA with data on my desktop which applications would you recommend?

[Sven Johannsen]

PPC2000, 2002, 2003, 2003SE didn't support Pocket Access either but the conduit between .mdb and .cdb in Active Sync existed and worked, fairly well. Not perfect because the reason for being was ADOCE and support for Pocket Access on Handheld PCs, and that support has been dropped. AS4.x does support pre-WM5 devices, and actually it does still do Access syncing for pre-WM5 devices (in a AS 3.8 mode), but AS4.x and WM5 has eliminated the vestigal Access sync feature.

Barring some developer (or MS) writting an Access to SQL Mobile conduit, about the only thing you can do at the moment to sync DBs is to get a different DB system. HandBase is a desktop/PPC database that syncs.

[rocky_raher]

I used to use Access databases a lot. I had databases for my address book (prior to getting Outlook), for my checkbook, and for recording my postal chess games. When I got my first PDA (Jornada 545) I wanted to port my chess database to it. ActiveSync would convert Access files to .cdb files, but Pocket Access was only available for the larger handhelds, not PPC's. I used Forward Pass (which supports ADOCE) to write an interface to the .cdb files. Even then, I had to redesign my chess database. It connected two tables with a two-field foreign key, which the .cdb format apparently couldn't handle.

Once I became familiar with Visual Studio 2003 (of course I have now upgraded to VS 2005), I ported my checkbook database to an XML database, and am converting my chess database to XML as well. I will no longer have to buy an Access upgrade every few years. (I've heard a few times that Microsoft may drop Access soon anyway.) I love the idea that my data are no longer dependent upon any proprietary software!

You should look into the other database programs available, but if you have any programming talent at all, I recommend that you get Visual Studio and go the XML database route.

[Frank Yacano]

I have a Dell Axim and am using ActiveSync 4.1, Windows Mobile 5 etc... but every time I try to copy/convert an access 2003 table to the PDA it tells me that the "remote procedure call failed". Does anyone have any suggestions?

Windows Mobile 5 removed support for adoce, which is what ActiveSync used for the conversion.

As an alternative, please consider Visual CE from my company Syware, Inc. It is very similar to Access in look, feel and capability, runs fine with Windws Mobile 5 and is royalty free. You can easily convert mdb files to tables on the device and keep them synchronized. It also allows you to build forms, reports and Macros.

You might say its what Pocket Access should be.

Details at http://www.syware.com/products/visual_ce.php

My Best,
Frank Yacano

[Horus]

The makers of NS/Basic have just released a download that allows ADOCE/Pocket Access to work on WM5 devices - including converting desktop apps.
This means your applications that use ADOCE or CDB files will now work. (Data On The Run, SprintDB, etc.)
The download is here: http://www.nsbasic.com/pub/ce/6/installers/ADOCE.WM5.exe

The blurb about it near the top of this page: http://www.nsbasic.com/ce/info/technotes/TN10.htm