Rockwell Automation 6182 SDK - Manual (Page 30)

2–2 Developing CE Drivers and Applications for the RAC6182
Publication 6182-UM002B-EN-P
Installing the Application
Once the user has obtained an installation script by one of these methods
and the script resides on the user’s local desktop PC, he or she may use
any of three methods to install the application on the RAC6182.
Perform a remote installation by running the script on a PC host that
is connected to the RAC6182 using Data Exchange.
Copy the script from a PC host using Data Exchange or from a
PCMCIA ATA memory card to the “\storage card\” folder on the
RAC6182 and run the script on the RAC6182.
Run the script directly from a PCMCIA ATA memory card on the
RAC6182.
Remote Installations
The install package can be quite large and the decompression process can
consume high levels of memory, so remote installation is an attractive
option. Data Exchange, using CeAppMgr.exe on the host PC and
WCEload.exe on the RAC6182, supports remote installation.
Application Upgrades
The application developer should make appropriate provisions for
issuing application upgrades from the beginning, adopting good practice
for source version control, bug reporting, etc. When upgrades are
required, typically by the desire to add new features or to implement bug
fixes, decisions will have to be made relating to the notification of users
and the distribution of the upgrades. Considerations for the distribution
and installation of application upgrades are exactly the same as those
discussed above for initial distribution and installation.
Persistence Considerations
Installation of a new application program on the RAC6182 typically adds
a new icon to the Windows CE Desktop and sometimes a new entry in
the Start Menu, in order to enable the user to launch the new program or
to launch it automatically. Shortcuts in the folder “\Windows\Desktop”
create the Icons on the desktop. Shortcuts and subfolders in the folder
“\Windows\Programs” form the Start Menu. A shortcut in the folder
“\Windows\Startup” will automatically launch a program at startup. A
control panel applet that was added by an application has a file extension
*.CPL and resides in the folder “\Windows.
All this appears very Windows-like and ordinary until one considers that
the “\Windows” folder is effectively a RAM disk that is recreated when
cold-started; i.e. it is not persistent. When the operating system boots it
creates a new file system including “\Windows” and that effectively
removes all traces of the end-user applications that once existed. With
that in mind, special considerations are necessary for applications on the