Wireless Push
3.67/5 (8 votes)
Push files from PC to PDA using C#
Introduction
This article was published on my website on 2nd September, 2008. I put it here in order to let more people read it. I welcome any suggestions and questions.
Problem: I listen to music while I am driving. I plug my MP3 player into my car, and enjoy whatever it has in there. The memory is not big enough, so that I have to reload some new music once in a while. It bothers me because I have to remind myself to take the player into my room, and take it back to my car. I need a new solution to make my life easier.
Solution: Using wireless - I have a PDA with built-in GPS, so I keep it in my car all the time in case I cannot find my way home. It runs Windows Mobile 5.0, and has .NET 2.0 Framework, and a wireless card as well. I wrote two pieces of applications in C#. One is the Server running on my PDA, the other is the Client running on my desktop in my room.
Using the Code
How It Works
I drive home, and park my car outside the house. I connect to my wireless router (no internet needed) using PDA's wireless card. I will get an IP address (normally, I set it static as default). I start my Server program on the PDA, ready to listen to the connection. I turn off other applications and darken the screen to save power. I lock my car, and go into my room. Then I run the Client program on my desktop, specify the server IP (usually it sets as default). I choose a folder where I want my music to be pushed. I press "Start to send" to begin the job.
Screenshots
Server on PDA: Connect to the wireless router (LAN).
Server on PDA: Open the server program.
Server on PDA: Start the server to listen for connections.
Server on PDA: Got the files.
Server on PDA: Good, new music is in the folder.
Here is the music you want to push to the device:
Client on PC: Start the Client program, and specify the Server IP.
Client on PC: Choose the folder where the music is, and Start to Send.
Client on PC: All done!
Source Code
// author: sunny sun
// website: www.sunnyspeed.com
// date: September, 2008
// Client on PC with GUI
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Data;
using System.Drawing;
using System.Text;
using System.Windows.Forms;
using System.Net;
using System.Net.Sockets;
using System.IO;
namespace Client_GUI
{
public partial class Form1 : Form
{
public Form1()
{
InitializeComponent();
Client_GUI.sendingPath = "";
Client_GUI.receiverIP = textBox1.Text;
}
private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
if (Client_GUI.sendingPath.Length > 0)
{
Client_GUI.receiverIP = textBox1.Text;
button1.Enabled = false;
button2.Enabled = false;
textBox1.Enabled = false;
backgroundWorker1.RunWorkerAsync();
}
else
MessageBox.Show("Please select file sending path");
}
private void timer1_Tick(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
label5.Text = Client_GUI.sendingPath;
label3.Text = Client_GUI.curMsg;
}
Client_GUI obj = new Client_GUI();
private void backgroundWorker1_DoWork(object sender, DoWorkEventArgs e)
{
obj.StartSend();
}
private void button2_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
FolderBrowserDialog fd = new FolderBrowserDialog();
if (fd.ShowDialog() == DialogResult.OK)
{
Client_GUI.sendingPath = fd.SelectedPath;
}
}
private void Form1_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
}
}
//FILE TRANSFER USING C#.NET SOCKET - SERVER
class Client_GUI
{
TcpClient tcpClient;
static NetworkStream nStream;
static StreamWriter writeImageData;
static string Base64ImageData;
static string BlockData;
static int RemainingStringLength = 0;
static string fileName; // include the path and file name
public Client_GUI()
{
}
public static string sendingPath;
public static string curMsg = "IDLE...";
public static string receiverIP;
public void StartSend()
{
// that's the IP you want to connect to, and any number for the port
tcpClient = new TcpClient(receiverIP, 5657);
nStream = tcpClient.GetStream();
writeImageData = new StreamWriter(nStream);
try
{
string[] filePaths = Directory.GetFiles(sendingPath);
byte[] ImageData;
foreach (string i in filePaths) // get all files in a directory
{
fileName = i;
string fn = i.Substring(i.LastIndexOf('\\') + 1);
// send the file name over first
// just the file name, not the file path
writeImageData.WriteLine(fn);
writeImageData.Flush();
//curMsg = "Sent file name: " + fn; //too fast to be seen
//start sending the file content
FileStream fs = File.OpenRead(fileName);
ImageData = new byte[fs.Length];
fs.Read(ImageData, 0, ImageData.Length);
Base64ImageData = Convert.ToBase64String(ImageData);
int bufferSize = 100; // up to you
int ttl = Base64ImageData.Length / bufferSize;
RemainingStringLength = Base64ImageData.Length - ttl * bufferSize;
//curMsg = "Transferring " + fn;
for (int offset = 0; offset <= ttl; offset++)
{
if (offset < ttl)
{
BlockData = Base64ImageData.Substring
(offset * bufferSize, bufferSize);
}
// deal with the last chunk of data, if there is any left
else if (offset == ttl && RemainingStringLength != 0)
{
BlockData = Base64ImageData.Substring
(offset * bufferSize, RemainingStringLength);
}
else
{
break;
}
writeImageData.WriteLine(BlockData);
writeImageData.Flush();
curMsg = "Transferring \"" + fn + "\" " +
(offset * 100 / ttl) + " %";
}
fs.Close();
// send a signal to notice the server one file is completed
writeImageData.WriteLine("DONE");
writeImageData.Flush();
//curMsg = "Transfer Complete: " + fn;
}
writeImageData.Close();
nStream.Close();
tcpClient.Close();
}
catch (Exception er)
{
curMsg = "Unable to connect to server";
curMsg = er.Message;
}
curMsg = "All done!";
}
}
}
// author: sunny sun
// website: www.sunnyspeed.com
// date: September, 2008
// Server running on the PDA
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Data;
using System.Drawing;
using System.Text;
using System.Windows.Forms;
using System.Net;
using System.Net.Sockets;
using System.IO;
// this is the server running on my PDA
// listen to the client to connect, and receive the incoming file
namespace Server_pda
{
public partial class Form1 : Form
{
public Form1()
{
InitializeComponent();
}
private void menuItem1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
Close(); // click "exit" to exit this program
}
private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
button1.Enabled = false;
//string path = ".\\Storage Card\\FromPC\\";
// up to you, save into the memory card is way too slow
//I saved the incoming files in a folder on my PDA
string path = ".\\FromPC\\";
bool haha = true;
IPAddress ipAddress = IPAddress.Any;
TcpListener tcpListener = new TcpListener(ipAddress, 5657);
tcpListener.Start();
//label2.Text = "Server started.";
while (haha)
{
TcpClient tcpClient = tcpListener.AcceptTcpClient();
//label2.Text = "Client connected.";
NetworkStream nStream = tcpClient.GetStream();
StreamReader readImageData = new StreamReader(nStream);
//label2.Text = "Start to receive the file.";
//receive the first file name first
string fileName = readImageData.ReadLine();
// create the first file
FileStream fs = new FileStream(path + fileName, FileMode.Create);
string data; //received string data
int counter = 0; //number of files
bool moreFile = false;
byte[] byte_image; //data to binary file
while ((data = readImageData.ReadLine()) != null)
{
if (moreFile)
{
fileName = data;
// create the file
fs = new FileStream(path + fileName, FileMode.Create);
moreFile = false;
}
else if (data.Equals("DONE")) // one file is finished
{
moreFile = true;
counter++; // count files
//clean
fs.Flush();
fs.Close();
nStream.Flush();
GC.Collect();
GC.WaitForPendingFinalizers();
}
else
{
byte_image = Convert.FromBase64String(data.ToString());
fs.Write(byte_image, 0, byte_image.Length);
}
}
readImageData.Close();
nStream.Close();
tcpClient.Close();
if (counter > 1)
{
label2.Text = counter + " files are saved.";
}
else
{
label2.Text = counter + " file is saved.";
}
}
}
}
}
Points of Interest
- PDA can be turned off automatically after a certain time. However, I let it run all the time, so that I can push music whenever I want to. The standby mode doesn't consume too much power. The PDA can be charged on the go, or charged using solar power.
- I can download the PC Client here, so that I can get it anywhere (work, friends' place, etc.), and push new music to my device. NICE!
History
- 24th September, 2008: Initial post