When we have successfully set up a
FileZilla FTP server on our desktop or laptop to run on a WiFi
network which we named “ninjaFTP”, we are ready to
complete the creation of a data communication system using CSEntry
applications. Recall that we have three references for doing this
last part as mentioned in FTP Data Synchronization for Fun – I:
CSPro
User's Guide, pp. 143-153,Version 6.3.2 available here.
CSPro
Synchronization, available here.
Synchronization
File (.PNC), available here.
Based
on them I tried looking for a workable solution, found something and
here I am sharing them with you. And if you are as dumb as me, you
may get something out of this. But if you are from a smarter lot
forget about this. Or better still show us how to do it more
seriously. Anyway, you should be reading those references and play
with data synchronization on your own.
For
the purpose of this exercise we need to have a data file. If you have
your own data that will be good, but I find it convenient to cheat by
borrowing a data file from the examples that come with installing
CSPro
6.3
software. It is the PopstanEx.dat
data file found in the directory “C:\Program
Files (x86)\CSPro 6.3\Examples\3 - Tabulation\Adding Weights”.
In
the CSEntry
folder on my Android phone I created a folder called supervisorData
and
copied
the PopstanEx.dat
file into it. I am pretending that as a supervisor I've compiled that
data file from the data sent to me from my enumerators. Now I'm going
to send it to the Township Data Manager's laptop via the FTP tool
created as shown in my last two posts.
First
we create a synchronization script (.PNC) file called super2ninja.pnc
or
with whatever name you like using notepad.
Just make sure it contains the following text:
[SyncFile]
Version=CSPro
6.3
Description=Receive
Data from supervisor
[Connection]
Type=FTP
Host=ftp://192.168.173.1/
Username=supervisor
Password=superV@007
[Sync]
CreateServerPath=/%DeviceID%/%DateTime%/
ServerPath=/%DeviceID%/%DateTime%/
ClientPath=supervisorData
Put=PopstanEx.dat
We place the super2ninja.pnc
file in the D:\CSEntry\data directory.
Next we make sure that:
- Access point ninjaFTP on our laptop is started (see my post- FTP Data Synchronization for Fun – I: setting up a WiFi access point).
- FileZilla FTP server is connected (see my post- FTP Data Synchronization for Fun – II: the FileZilla server).
- Our Android phone is connected to WiFi access point.
Now to run synchronization we take the
following steps (1) to (4) and connect to the FTP server.
When we tap “Connect”, we should be
connected to the FTP server (5), with (6) and (7) to follow.
Then we should have the data file
written to the laptop's directory D:\CSEntry\data\ under a new
folder with identity of the supervisor's Android phone and the date
and time as the name of the folder.
Finally, we could open the date and
time folder to check if the PopstanEx.dat data file is
there.
For details on the procedures, syntax
of the scripts, options available, and explanation of unfamiliar
terms read the references given earlier in this post. Well, I suggest
plenty of learning by doing
(and experimenting)
while no one's looking over your shoulders!
