A few weeks ago I said I would post my results for a pocket PC App build around .NET and using XML for a data source. The data originates from files on our VFP accounting system, filtered by salesman code and built using the VFP CURSORTOXML() function.

For those of you that care....here you go.

Language used: C#
Data Format : XML, no scheme, attribute-centric
Hardware : Dell AXIM X5, 300mzh, 32mbRAM, 256mb SD Card
Software : Contains one form using a tab control with several pages.
Controls used include, combobox, datagrid, listbox,
textbox,button

XML Files:
arcust.xml 60 records
armast.xml 380 records
artran.xml 2081 records
arcusp.xml 2872 records
somast.xml 6 records
sotran.xml 50 records
sqmast.xml 133 records
sqitem.xml 1275 records
sqcust.xml 131 records

Starting app and loading arcust.xml file to combobox -- 10 seconds

Selecting customer from combobox, loading customer specific records from
armast.xml, arcusp.xml, somast.xml, sqcust,xml into various grids
and comboboxes -- 8 seconds

All other apps under 3 seconds to find specified records and display in listbox or grid. Those apps include the following:
Selecting invoice number from list and displaying line items in grid
Selecting sales order number from list and displaying line items
Selecting quote for end user and displaying line items
Displaying sales analysis for YTD sales history

When selecting customer specific, invoice specific, sales order specific or quote specific I read through the entire appropriate XML file using the XMLTEXTREADER() method. If the record needs to be included, I either add it to the control or to the data table in a specified dataset.

The System is currently not using a business class or data class but is what Kevin McNeish likes to call "a monolithic system". In other words all methods for data access and validation rules are sitting inside the form. Not good, but this is the first shot so cut me some slack....<s>

I'm sure there are significantly better ways to design and write this, but it was my first attempt and a good learning experience. Most importantly, I found that the delay is not that bad when using XML. Long term, our salespeople will log on to our website using the PDA, tell the system to build new XML files and download them. Since I don't use SQL server, this is the best alternative I have found so far.

I'm a novice at C#, but if anyone has question feel free to reply here or shoot me an email.