Visual CE 6.0 - Apr/May '02

Visual CE 6.0

I am afraid if I use the word “programming” in this sentence, I’ll lose half the readers of this review. I am no computer programmer myself, but with Visual CE 6.0, I am happy to report I found an application that lets me effortlessly create a completely customizable database program.

If you have chosen to stay with me so far, I do need to let you know that Visual CE 6.0 is designed solely for the Windows CE operating system. This means it works on Pocket PC personal digital assistants (PDAs) that run Windows CE 3.0 and handheld PCs that run Windows CE 2.0.

Visual CE literally allows you to create custom forms, which you can use to input and collect data directly on your Windows CE or Pocket PC device. For example, let’s say you are not happy with the programs for your Pocket PC that collect and store your “Contacts” data. All you really want is a form that will ask for a person’s name, phone number and e-mail address.

Visual CE gives you a quick and painless way to create this simplified “Contacts” form for your Pocket PC and even allows you to import the information to your desktop PC.

Don’t let the form creation and programming aspect of this fascinating application glaze your eyes over. I was hesitant about creating forms from scratch with Visual CE until I opened the program’s “Quick Tours.” The developers of Visual CE, Syware, included some of the best help files I have read.

Using a sample database called “My Expenses,” the first Quick Tour walks you through a form that allows you to input a date and description of a daily expense, along with the amount and some notes. You can check a box that asks if you have a receipt, and you even can have the program automatically calculate a 15 percent tip for you. The second “Quick Tour” starts back at square one of the sample database and expertly shows you how to create the same expense form from scratch.

Before you start designing forms on your own, you will obviously have to do a little planning for your database. Once you have the general idea of how your form should look, you will need to connect your Windows CE device to your desktop PC. You don’t need any training or programming expertise to design the forms since you will be working in a What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG) environment.

You create your forms by adding “controls.” Controls can be labels, text, radio buttons, drop-down menus, checkboxes or areas for notes. Once you create a control, you can drag it to where it belongs.

For those of us who don’t spend hours designing and developing software, creating a database program and actually having it work gives you a great feeling of accomplishment. Syware touts Visual CE as designed for people who are comfortable working with computers but who are not programmers. This is a way to create a database program that will do exactly what you want it to do without the hassle of configuring difficult tricks and functions.

And the good news is all the data you input and collect on your Pocket PC can be synchronized with your desktop PC. Using Microsoft Access, I was able to import my “daily expenses” data from my Pocket PC into a database on my desktop. The process can go either way. If I input information into my desktop PC, I can choose to have that information transferred and synced with my Pocket PC.

Because the program is so versatile, you can apply it to almost anything you do. You can create a form that will record the number of times your computer gives you an error and what you were doing at the time. You could use Visual CE to record details from your meetings with clients. You could use it to create a database of your CD or DVD collection. You could keep records of your favorite restaurants if you travel a lot.

Visual CE 6.0 is available in four editions: Lite, Personal, Pro and Enterprise. For most general purposes (i.e., “non-professional programmers”) the Personal and Pro editions are enough since they allow complete synchronization and form creation options suitable for the typical lawyer who is always on the go.

If you are a Pocket PC user and are excited about the prospect of developing your own customized database forms, then Visual CE is the perfect tool to use.

Syware Inc.
(617) 497-1300
www.syware.com

Price: $19.99, Lite Edition; $129, Personal Edition; $399, Professional Edition (reviewed); $599, Enterprise Edition

Windows CE 2.x and Pocket PCs that run Windows CE 3.x
Windows 95/98/NT/Me/2000

Reviewed by Brett Burney, a legal practice support coordinator for Thompson Hine in Cleveland. He also writes for Law.com’s Automated Lawyer and has a monthly legal tech review column on LLRX.com

Apr/May '02 Issue

PROS
Completely customizable database forms, synchronization with desktop PCs, WYSIWYG interface for easy design, great tutorials.

CONS
Only works with Windows CE.

VERDICT
I highly recommend this product for those that have and use a Pocket PC and want to work with a simple and easy-to-use database program.