RosterLog - The Computerised Rostering and Logbook Program

The Computerised Flight Report and Logbook Program

Preparing for the Initial Installation of Pocket RosterLog

The following describes how to set up your PC and PDA for the initial installation of Pocket RosterLog for PDAs. Before installing the PDA version of the program, the PC version, RosterLog, must be installed and running bug-free on the PC.

We suggest you print this guide to make your life easier. It's not as scary as it looks. Promise.

Background to the File Structure
The PC and PDA programs are basically 'reader' programs, taking information from the folders in the RosterLog folder, displaying it, changing it, then saving it again back into the RosterLog folder. The plan for running the two programs (PC and PDA) together is to have each program on its own machine, and the RosterLog folder available to both. So if you change a day on the PDA, the PDA's version of the day will differ from the PC's version until you Sync the PDA with the PC when the PC files will be brought up to date with the PDA's. If you follow.

The Plan
So to run the two programs, we need to move (not copy) the RosterLog folders to your Shared Documents folder, i.e. the folder where the PDA and PC synchronise.

Step 1. Do you have a Shared Documents folder?
That's the folder that is shared by the PC and PDA, and anything inside is copied to both machines. If you've never come across a folder called 'Pocket_PC My Documents' or something similar, it's possible that your installation of ActiveSync is not set up to transfer files to and from your PDA.

If you have a shared documents folder then skip this step. If not or you're unsure, launch ActiveSync and go Tools, Options,

and select Files (make sure there's a tick in the box!) and then click Settings...,

it will give you the location of your shared folder.

If it's too long to read in the window (as above), click the cursor on it, then scroll right using the arrow keys. You can enter a different folder if you wish, just type it in. Write down this path.

Step 2. Moving your RosterLog Folder to the Shared Folder.
We need to move (not copy) the entire RosterLog folder into the shared documents folder. Windows Explorer (My Documents) is the best method.

Open My Documents and find your RosterLog folder (the one that contains Airports, Aircraft etc.) and right-click on it.

If your Shared File is called Pocket_PC My Documents or something similar, it will also appear on the Send To menu. So right click over the RosterLog folder, choose Send To, and then the Shared Folder, and Bob's your Uncle. That has copied the folder over, but to prevent duplication, I suggest that you delete the original RosterLog folder otherwise we'll be up to our eyes in them soon, not knowing which one has the most recent info! Check the transfer has taken place by looking in the shared documents folder for a folder called RosterLog, then return to your original RosterLog folder and delete it.

If you're successful, then you should have all the files and folders in the shared documents folder. But the PDA can't read the PC's RosterLog program, and there's little point having 1.7mb of useless program taking up space on your PDA. So we need to move the program (and one other file) out of the RosterLog folder in the shared documents folder, and place it somewhere else. I suggest directly into My Documents.

So, in 'My Documents' open the new RosterLog folder in your Shared Documents folder, and there will be:

We need to move (not copy) the Interop.Outlook.dll file and the RosterLog 05Jun04 (or whatever date)to the My Documents folder. Right click over each in turn, Send To, My Documents, then delete the ones in the RosterLog folder in the shared documents folder.

So now we should have a file structure that looks like:

When you next run RosterLog, it will ask where the RosterLog folder is (as it's no longer in it!)

Click Browse... and navigate to the path to the shared documents folder (you wrote it down in Step 1.) When you find it, select it so it turns blue (or whatever wierd colour you have) then click OK, and on the next screen, Save.

Step 3. Updates

When you come to update the program, please remember that the PC version (RosterLog) is now in the My Documents folder, and that is where you should Browse... to to install future RosterLog Updates.

Step 4. Make a Cup of Tea

You've deserved it!
So far so good. (Or not!) The RosterLog folder is now available to both the PDA and the PC.

Step 5. Preparing Your PDA for Pocket RosterLog

Now we need to load the Pocket PC's version of RosterLog, cunningly called Pocket RosterLog. This program is written for Pocket PC 2002 Operating System that was launched in 2002, and was superseded by Pocket PC 2003 about a year later. Most PDAs have a sticker on the back of them quoting the Operating System that they run. So PDAs bought before early 2004 will not need any patches as they run the Operating System that Pocket RosterLog was written for.

For older PDAs running PPC2002, go back to Pocket RosterLog Installation and follow the rest of the instructions.

New PDAs running the PPC2003, PPC2003 Second Edition or Windows Mobile 5 will need a set of files called 'VB Runtime Files' so they can run programs written for PPC2002.

1. Remove any previous copies of Pocket RosterLog. You can leave the RosterLog folder (containing the data folders Airports, Aircraft etc) if you have copied them onto your device, but you must remove the actual program. Tap Start, Settings, System, Remove Programs, select Pocket RosterLog if it appears, and Remove.

2. Download the eMbedded Visual Basic Runtime For Pocket PC 2003 (2.8mb) to your PC. Save it somewhere you can find again.

3. Establish a link to your PDA using ActiveSync or other program.

4. Open My Documents and navigate to where you saved the vb Runtime file.

5. Right-click on it and select Send To, and then the shared documents folder for your PDA, usually Pocket_PC My Documents or My Device. It should now be copied across to your PDA via ActiveSync. This might take some time...

7. On your PDA, open the File Explorer program by choosing it from the list after taping the Start symbol. If it doesn't appear there, tap Start, Settings, Menus and tick the box marked File Explorer. It will now be in the Start list.

8. Navigate to where you placed the file (called msvbppc.armv4.cab in case you've forgotten!) and when you find it, tap on it. It will now install the vb Runtime file.

9. Continue with the Pocket RosterLog Installation.