Review of version 6.1
SYWARE, Inc.
(www.syware.com) is a leading developer of database tools for business and
personal productivity. Founded in 1990, the company offers data management and connectivity
software for use in a wide range of mobile and database applications, including
patient monitoring, inventory management, and field surveys.
The cornerstone of SYWARE's
product line is Visual
CE®, the popular database development tool for Windows CE
handhelds.
One of the main reasons I
bought a Pocket PC was to take advantage of the ease and simplicity of MS
Access. As a long time MS Access user, I knew I could make database tables and
forms with relative ease. The Pocket PC is able to use the tables made in the
desktop version of Access, (it converts *.mdb files on the desktop PC to *.cdb
on the pocketpc). I thought “Pocket
Access” would do the trick but not only was it, not available for the PocketPC,
but when I did use Pocket Access, on my Jornada (not Pocketpc but H/PC); it was
essentially a glorified spreadsheet. Since MS did not include Pocket Access for
the Pocketpc, it was inevitable that other 3 rd party vendors would fill
the void. There are at least a half a dozen third party software
solutions that address making forms with access tables and I have used them
all. In my opinion, Visual CE fills that void better than any other vendor at
several different price levels.
The vendor that competes the
closest to VisualCe is Handbase which
is available for both the Palm and Pocketpc. The main advantage of
VisualCe compared to the Handbase, is that it
allows you to size and position controls, on your handheld device. With
Visual CE, You don't have to create one long annoying vertical form and use
scrollbars as you do with Handbase. With VisualCe you have more
custom control of your interface form. This can be a critical element
depending on how many fields you develop on your form. Also, the actual
.mdb table from MS Access can be exported to the handheld device. Also, if you
are so inclined, with the Professional Edition, you can distribute created
applications royalty free (although this feature is not as friendly as I would
like). There are other differences as well.
Visual CE was designed for
people who are comfortable with computers, but are not necessarily
programmers. The robust nature of
Syware’s version 6 takes this premise to the limit. This data capturing
software is becoming so robust that it’s a good thing in comes in several
flavors.
Visual CE Lite Edition 6.1
Visual CE Personal Edition 6.1
Visual CE Professional Edition 6.1
Visual CE Enterprise Edition 6.1
Report CE 2.3
Visual CE supports all
devices running Windows CE 2.0 or later, including palm-size or PocketPCs
(P/PCs), handheld (H/PCs), and H/PC Professional devices (H/PC Pros).
Forms:
Typically, the end user
will create forms on your desktop PC, and then download them to your Pocketpc.
(You can also create forms directly on the CE device itself with the latest
version 6.) Each Visual CE form is actually a compact application associated
with a Windows CE or Pocket Access table on the CE device. The table can be
empty initially, or you can initialize it with data from another table or
ODBC-enabled database. In other words you can put data in it and transfer over.
A “Form” is defined, by me, as one or more desired controls, on an interface
screen. This form enables the user to collect the desired data. When you use
the form on a desktop PC, it reads and writes data to a desktop database that
is synchronized with the form's table on the CE device.
Below are different forms I made for a table I named
MyPatients.
I can covert a .bmp file to a background image in a
scribble control. Demonstrating where the patient has their physical pain.
Controls:
Visual CE provides 15 types
of controls for use on your forms: edit boxes, labels, radio buttons,
checkboxes, drop-down lists, calculated fields, note boxes, command buttons,
scribble boxes, timestamps, jump buttons, autonumbers, lookups, grid controls,
and mEnable buttons. Visual CE's development environment is relatively simple
to use -- you specify each control you need and define its properties,
including associated table column, read-only or read/write, font, etc. You can
drag and size the controls to create the form's layout, which appears in the
development window exactly as it will display on the CE device. (See pictures of SOAaP).
From my experience, if you
can use Microsoft Access on the desktop, you can readily create forms and
databases with Visual CE. You really can build database applications for
Windows CE in minutes with Visual CE and the latest version makes it simpler
than ever. Simply decide what
information you'll need, then drag and drop controls to create your custom
electronic form. After your data is collected, just plug your Windows CE device
into your desktop PC and use popular ODBC-enabled software like MS Access, Lotus
Approach, or Visual Basic to upload, download, or update the data.
Visual CE provides the
application development features typically found only in Visual Basic, Visual
C++, Evb, and similar platforms used by professional programmers. Drop-down
lists, note boxes, search windows, and many other controls can be sized and
positioned as needed using a respectable WYSIWYG environment. Visual CE is one
of the best non-programming tools for making custom screens for an Access
table.
Tables:
Visual CE users have the
option of making their own table in Visual CE, make a table in the Desktop
version of Access or use one of the pre-made tables from the store of Visual
Ce. Visual CE makes a new form that corresponds to your table, with labels and fields
corresponding to each row or column in the database. These fields can then be
manipulated and esthetically organized as needed on the form, to view data on
the pocketpc. The nice part about this program is that depending on your
medical specialty; you can customize the form and underlying table for your
specific desires.
The captured data on your
forms can be made to synch with your desktop PC Access table. Once in Access
you can manipulate the data with sorting, queries and reports. A user can exploit
the mail merge features of MS Word and Access to make custom reports as well.
A pop-up word list can now
be associated with a text input box. This means that while writing a custom
report, for example, double-clicking a button can bring up a list of common
problems that are associated with a particular set of complaints. A new grid
control feature displays rows from a related table on the handheld. Clicking on
the displayed row allows the user to jump to the particular table of data
associated with the row.
New to Version 6 is that
database forms can be created and maintained either on the handheld device or
on the desktop computer…no programming required. In addition, both forms and
databases can be run on the handheld device or the desktop. Once the
application is developed, records can be easily beamed from one handheld device
to another. Other new features include the ability to create pre-defined data
filters, more robust font selection to create a unique look-and-feel for the
application being developed, multi-select dropdowns for easy access to
repetitive data, and calculations on string data.
Macros:
Visual CE 6.0 features a
macro programming capability that allows for the easy creation of multi-step
sequences. This allows for the development of patient intake questionnaires,
for example, that can automatically move to a specific set of questions based
on an initial response. If a patient indicates he has previously been diagnosed
with back pain, the nurse can further analyze the situation with a set of back
function questions that include a differential diagnosis. Text that is boiler
plate or frequently used in a chart note can be memorized as a macro. Timestamp
Buttons take the current date/time and assign it to a column in the record. Jump
Buttons launch another form. Command Buttons can do a variety of things.
Concatenating Text:
Starting with the 6.0
release, calculated fields can now concatenate text. You can use the calculated fields "&" operator to concatenate
(chain together) character strings from multiple columns into a single field.
The combined text can be display only, or you can save it in its own text
column.
You can format data from
multiple fields in a desired order and even incorporate static text. For
example, if you have a column with FIRST_NAME and a column with LAST_NAME, the
expression FIRST_NAME & ' ' & LAST_NAME would give the full name. This
feature allows the user to make meaningful sentences with captured patient
data.
Wireless:
I didn’t get a chance to use
MEnable, but that is integrated into Visual CE 6. The architecture
extends handheld
applications with real-time, interactive access to server data. The mEnable
architecture allows Visual CE applications to wirelessly read from or write to
any ODBC-enabled data source, including Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, Microsoft
Access, or Sybase. Menable uses the universal TCP/IP protocol to communicate
between the Pocketpc handheld and the server, through standard wireless adapter
cards that plug into the handheld device. The mEnable architecture allows
handheld computing applications to be easily integrated with enterprise
business processes.
Reports:
Report CE allows users to create and print custom
reports.
The data from a report can come from a database in one
of three places:
- Interactive, wireless access to "live" corporate data.
This means that you can print reports from remote locations
- Data from tables built with Visual CE, SYWARE's popular database
software for handhelds
- Microsoft Embedded Visual Tools (Visual Basic and Visual C++),
ADOCE, or Pocket Access.
A single report can even draw data from multiple
tables within the same database.
Report design and layout is performed either on a desktop
computer or a Pocket PC device. Reports can include a header, footer, data, and
calculated data. Printing is done via the infrared port of the device or from
the desktop.
Report CE's filtering capabilities allow users to
choose only the records they wish to view. Columns can be sized for efficient,
professional presentation. The data can also be saved to a text file, enabling
import to other applications.
Summary: Visual Ce Version 6 is in a class of its own
with respect to data collection. If you are an MS Access user on the desktop,
VisualCe is the best mobile alternative if you want depth. If you’re not quite
a programmer, but want to make your own
forms and tables and collect custom data and are willing to spend some serious
time, this is a must have program that continues to get better and better.
Pros:
• Relative ease to customize
forms for custom tables, for personal needs.
• Most Robust form builder on the market.
• Automatic desktop synchronization with Active Sync
• Integrated
with mEnable making it capable of Real-time wireless access to ODBC enabled
server data. (Pro and
• Design
and run forms on desktop or handheld, access repetitive data quickly with
pop-up word lists, macro programming.
• Professional results with no programming required
• Develop a custom mobile database
• Eliminate paperwork
• Improve data accuracy
• Easily centralize data with Active Sync to desktop
• Good help available
• Manipulates jpg and bmp files better than older versions
Cons:
• No substitute for a custom EMR program with coding.
• Limited ability to concatenate text to form a meaningful
soap note.
• VisualCE
will only sync with *1* Access db. In other words, if you wanted (for sake of
discussion) to create a CD tracking db, a book tracking db and a patient
tracking db and sync them all to Access, you'll have to put them all in one db
in Access.
C.M.Wilkerson, D.C.