Welcome to j200lx home page.

Last modification 10/26/2002

News

10/26/2002 Alpha 2 is released. The new release have the folowing improvements:

• New Filer protocol Documentation.
• Add the rename function to the Filer library.
• FTP server add the function to rename files.
• Database support has improved.
• Multilanguage database editor (DbEdit) is released with read/write, sort, columns managment and much more.

Screenshot:

Ftp Server

DbEdit

Next release Alpha 3.

Features:

• Support appointment database format.
• DbEdit modify database structure.
• Syncronization: Files, appointment, phone book, task, notes, etc.

Introduction

Eight years ago I bought a HP200LX, American version, with 1 MB RAM memory and an ACE 5 MB flash PCMCIA ATA. It was an memorable / unforgettable experience. The calculator, Lotus 1-2-3, the databases and the calendar, all were really helpful and very easy for use.

Four years later, I enthusiastically purchased an HP320LX, and that was a mistake. Please try to Imagine my expectation when I saw the announced 200LX SUCESOR. Although it had attractive features, Windows CE 1.0 was nasty. I've never seen anything like that. it looked like a laboratory prototype instead of a package. This new package with Windows CE had new features, like graphic environment, high level communication services, and other wonderful advanced features, but practically speaking, the HP200LX was much better. It was another case where new technology was prematurely introduced in the market place. But HP, has it lost its practice for designing software?

Months later, an upgrade of Windows CE appeared, version 2.0, and I bought it, but it was still far away from the HP200LX.

Two years later I decided to give a new chance to Windows CE and I acquired an HP Jornada 430Se. And that was my second mistake and another disappointment. The 430Se was better but still far away from the HP200LX. Even though it was possible to play MP3 files, and it had a colorful screen, it did not have a usable spreadsheet as the HP320LX had. And once again, practically talking, the HP200LX was still superior. (What happened to HP designers? Were they fired?).

So, during the four years when I used both WinCE machines, I watched my HP200LX sleeping inside a box and had a desire to revive it. Then I made up my mind. I sold both WinCE machines (320LX and 430Se) and I started looking around the Internet for software I can use to integrate my wonderful HP200LX with Outlook and other files. But disappointingly, I didn't find such software.

Because of that experience, I decided to start this project. This project has libraries and tools for integrating this wonderful machine with contemporary software.

This is my contribution to 'Free software' and to everyone who is still using the great HP200LX machines.

Enjoy it.

Rodrigo Serra.

The software

The entire software package is written in Java.

I structured the software in the following java packages

• Filer: Communication service with the file manager or "Filer". Requires Java Communications API. It contains a gateway to FTP server.

• Db: It manipulates the databases.

• Sync: Synchronize with Outlook and other files. Not implemented.

Filer

This package linlks the applications with the file manager or "Filer". The most important classes are "rmserra.j200lx.Filer.Filer" and "rmserra.j200lx.Filer.ftpd". The result of my research of Filer protocolo here.

The class rmserra.j200lx.Filer.Filer list directory, delete files and directories, rename files and directories, send and transmit file.

The class rmserra.j200lx.Filer.ftpd is a FTP server that serves as bridge to Filer. It allows serving more than one palmtop, and for this reason it requires that each palmtop have a different name. I opted to implement this server and not a GUI because there are many FTP clients of good quality and implementing a FTP protocol is more useful than to implement a GUI only, since it can be integrated very easily with other software. Online documentation.

Db

This package provide access to .NDB, .GDB., etc., files. Data base structure manipulation will be added in future versions. I used standard programming for access. I used java.sql.ResulSet interface for accessing the data. I plan to build a JDBC driver with the basic functionality. The class rmserra.j200lx.DbEdit is a gui for editing databases. See  Online documentation.

Sync

This package will synchronize the palmtop files with Outlook and other applications. This will be the last step of the project and to be started after finalizing the Filer and DB packages.

Installation

Warning: You must install Java Communications API before continuing the installation process.

Windows NT, 2000, XP and .NET

Note: To execute the FTP server like service I have used the software JavaService. Distribution contain the binary JavaService.exe with the name j200lxFtp.exe.

A. Choose a directory and unzip the file.
B. Click on start, then run, type "cmd" (without the quotes) and press enter.
C. Change the current directory to the one you chose in step A.
D. Enter: cd bin
E. Enter: install.js javaRuntimeHome tcpPort name@port:bps
    replacing items as follows:
        javaRuntimeHome is the directory where java runtime is installed. Eg. C:\Program Files\Java\j2re1.4.0
        tcpPort is the tcpip port used by ftp server. Eg. 32000
        name is the name of your palmtop. Eg 200LX.
        port is the communication port. Eg. COM1
        bps communication speedy in bits per seconds. Eg. 57600

    According to the example: install.js "C:\Program Files\Java\j2re1.4.0" 32000 200LX@COM1:57600

F. Start the service writing net start j200lxftp
G. Connect and turn on your palmtop and test the correct operation in the following way:
    Go to Start/run and write: ftp://localhost:32000
H. In desktop you see a shortcut to DbEdit. Try it.

Another Operation Systems.

I haven't tested other operating systems yet. All i can say is that is possible to start the ftp server executing the command:

FTP Server: java rmserra.j200lx.Filer.ftpd 32000 200LX@COM1:57600

(The variable CLASSPATH should include path to the librarys j200lx.jar and comm.jar.)

DbEdit: java rmserra.j200lx.Db.DbEdit

Acknowledges

Distribution list HPLX. I found a lot of information from all over the world in this list, with people who still use the 200LX. It served me as inspiration to continue with this project. Thanks to all.

Project lxtools-ng in sourceforge: I used the sources of this project to understand the Filer communication protocol.

Project hp200lx-db in sourceforge: I used the sources of this project to understand the Database format.

Andrew J. Gryc has explained in two files (dbdoc.txt and radio.txt) the format of the database of 200LX. HTML Version

Thanks

To my wife for her infinite patience.

To my friend and collaborator in this project, Ignacio Bagnoli