LiveCode Forums.

I'm struggling to see how I can use files generally for transfer to/from an iPad and a laptop. I'd like to upload control files and download results files from a known area on the iPad, such as the special Documents folder.

For example, I'm developing an iPad app that will be used to present a number of different forms and the idea is that the form content is contained in 3 control files (the questions in one file and two different picking lists in the other two files) which are then used during the preopenstack handler to build the actual form elements on screen. This is all working fine in the simulator where, for testing purposes I have the control files in the same folder as the app when running as a Mac app and in the iPad simulator's special Documents folder when running in the simulator.

However, I don't see how I can upload these 3 control files into the special documents area or get results files back again from there with an actual iPad rather than the simulator. I thought of using the email as a way of getting the results back out again, but there doesn't seem to be a way of sending emails with attachments. Also, I'm not sure how I'd get the control files uploaded to the iPad to start with!

Some simple form of file transfer into and from the iPad must be supported somehow, perhaps not in the current LiveCode release, but at some point?!

Any suggestions please?

Peter

Sounds like you're working with some specific datasets, so your users might not mind running a small server app on the desktop.
Set up FTP on the host computer (laptop / desktop) and display the IP on the screen, then have the iPad app upload files to the entered IP?
It's a bit clunky, but should work...

Thanks for the response but your idea would be far too complicated for my users some of whom proudly announce that they don't do computing! So 'clunky' kills it for my users I'm afraid, it has to be really simple.

I'm just surprised that there isn't a simple means of getting files to/from an iPad from a laptop?!

Thanks again.

Peter

You could use the "File sharing" button on the iOS tab of the "Stand alone settings" panel. Then you could use iTunes to copy files to and from your app. There is an excellent tutorial by Obleo Beck at http://intkeystrokes.posterous.com/