---
name: "ColdSync::SPC"
section: "3pm"
platform: "linux"
package: "coldsync"
version: "3.0+pre3-3"
release: "Debian 4.0 (Etch)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/ColdSync::SPC"
---

# ColdSync::SPC(3pm)

SPC - Allows ColdSync conduits to communicate directly with the Palm.

```
    use ColdSync;
    use ColdSync::SPC;
```

The SPC package includes functions for sending Serialized Request Protocol (SPC) requests in ColdSync conduits.\
 **dlp\_req**

```
    ($err, @argv) = dlp_req($reqno, @args)
```

Sends a DLP request over SPC. `$reqno` is the DLP request number; `@args` is the array of DLP arguments. `$err` is the DLP return status; `@argv` is the array of values returned from the Palm. This is a fairly low-level function. It is much easier to use one of the DLP wrapper functions. However, not every DLP function has been implemented yet.\
 **spc\_get\_dbinfo**

```
        $dbinfo = spc_get_dbinfo();
```

Returns a reference to a hash containing information about the database currently being synchronized:

```
        $dbinfo->{size}
        $dbinfo->{misc_flags}
        $dbinfo->{db_flags}
        $dbinfo->{type}
        $dbinfo->{creator}
        $dbinfo->{version}
        $dbinfo->{modnum}
        %{$dbinfo->{ctime}}
        %{$dbinfo->{mtime}}
        %{$dbinfo->{baktime}}
        $dbinfo->{db_index}
        $dbinfo->{name}
```

The `"size"` field indicates the size of the database information block, and is not at all useful here. The `"creator"` and `"type"` fields are four-character strings specifying the creator and type of the databse. The `"version"` field indicates the version of the database. The `"modnum"` field indicates the modification number of the database. Each time the database is modified, this number is incremented. Since there is no mechanism within ColdSync to keep this number consistent between the Palm and the desktop, this number is not very useful. The `"name"` field gives the name of the database. `"$dbinfo->{ctime}"`, `"$dbinfo->{mtime}"`, and `"$dbinfo->{baktime}"` indicate the creation, modification, and backup time of the database. They are all of the following form:

```
        $dbinfo->{ctime}{year}
        $dbinfo->{ctime}{month}
        $dbinfo->{ctime}{day}
        $dbinfo->{ctime}{hour}
        $dbinfo->{ctime}{minute}
        $dbinfo->{ctime}{second}
```

**dlp\_ReadSysInfo**

```
        $sysinfo = dlp_ReadSysInfo();
```

Returns a reference to a hash containing information about the Palm:

```
        $sysinfo->{ROM_version}
        $sysinfo->{localization_ID}
        $sysinfo->{product_ID}
The C<ROM_version> field indicates the version of the Palm's ROM.
```

I don't know what the `"localization_ID"` field is. The `"product_ID"` indicates which particular model of Palm this is. The following fields may not be returned by all Palms:

```
        $sysinfo->{DLP_version}
        $sysinfo->{compat_version}
        $sysinfo->{maxrec}
```

The `"DLP_version"` indicates the version of the DLP protocol that the Palm implements. I'm not sure what the `"compat_version"` field is. I suspect that it gives the earliest version of DLP with which this Palm is compatible. The `"maxrec"` field indicates the maximum size of a record or resource.\
 **dlp\_OpenDB**

```
        $dbh = dlp_OpenDB($dbname, $mode);
```

Opens a database on the Palm. `$dbname` is a string indicating the name of the database; the name of the current database can be gotten from `"spc_get_dbinfo"`. `$mode` indicates how to open the database. It is the bitwise-or of any of the following values:

```
        0x80            Open for reading
        0x40            Open for writing
        0x20            Exclusive access
        0x10            Show secret records
```

If successful, `"dlp_OpenDB"` returns a database handle: a small integer that refers to the database that was just opened. The database handle will be passed to various other functions that operate on the database. If unsuccessful, `"dlp_OpenDB"` returns `"undef"`.\
 **dlp\_CloseDB**

```
        dlp_CloseDB($dbh);
```

Closes the database associated with the database handle `$dbh` (see "dlp\_OpenDB").\
 **dlp\_DeleteDB**

```
        dlp_DeleteDB($dbh);
```

Deletes the database associated with the database handle `$dbh` (see "dlp\_OpenDB").\
 **dlp\_ReadOpenDBInfo**

```
        $dbrecords = dlp_ReadOpenDBInfo($dbh);
```

Reads the info from the current database associated with the database handle `$dbh` and returns a reference to a hash containing information about the database:

```
        $dbrecords->{numrecords}
```

Returns the number of records in the database.\
 **dlp\_CleanUpDatabase**

```
        dlp_CleanUpDatabase($dbh);
```

**dlp\_AddSyncLogEntry**

```
        dlp_AddSyncLogEntry($dbh);
```

Adds an entry in the sync log for the database associated with the database handle `$dbh`.\
 **dlp\_ReadUserInfo**

```
        $user = dlp_ReadUserInfo();
```

Returns a reference to a hash containing information about the user info.

```
        $user->{'userid'}
The Palm user id.
```

```
        $user->{'viewer'}
I don't know what this is.
```

```
        $user->{'lastsyncpc'}
The last pc that the Palm synced with.
```

```
        $user->{succsyncdate}{year}
        $user->{succsyncdate}{month}
        $user->{succsyncdate}{day}
        $user->{succsyncdate}{hour}
        $user->{succsyncdate}{minute}
        $user->{succsyncdate}{second}
The last successful sync date, broken down into year, month, day,
hour, minute, second.
```

```
        $user->{lastsyncdate}{year}
        $user->{lastsyncdate}{month}
        $user->{lastsyncdate}{day}
        $user->{lastsyncdate}{hour}
        $user->{lastsyncdate}{minute}
        $user->{lastsyncdate}{second}
The last sync date, broken down into year, month, day, hour, minute,
second. If this does not match the last successful sync date then the
last attempt to sync failed.
```

```
        $user->{'usernamelen'}
        $user->{'passwordlen'}
The number of characters in the username and the number of characters
in the Palm password.
```

```
        $user->{'username'}
        $user->{'password'}
The username and passwrod that is used for syncing.
```

**dlp\_DeleteRecord**

```
        dlp_DeleteRecord($dbh, $recordid, $flags);
```

Deletes one record of the database associated with the database handle `$dbh`. The `$recordid` is the id of the record to delete. I don't know what `$flags` does (you can omit it for now).\
 **dlp\_DeleteAllRecords**

```
        dlp_DeleteAllRecords($dbh);
```

Deletes all the records from the database associated with the database handle `$dbh`.\
 **dlp\_ReadRecordById**

```
        $record = dlp_ReadRecordById($dbh, $recordid, $offset, $numbytes);
```

Returns a reference to a hash containing information about the record specified by `$id` for the database associated with the database handle `$dbh`. `$offset` is the offset at which to begin reading, relative to the beginning of the record, with 0 being the beginning of the record. `$numbytes` is the number of characters to read.

```
        $record->{'id'}
        $record->{'index'}
        $record->{'size'}
        $record->{'attrs'}
        $record->{'category'}
        $record->{'data'}
        $record->{'attributes'}{'deleted'}
        $record->{'attributes'}{'dirty'}
        $record->{'attributes'}{'busy'}
        $record->{'attributes'}{'secret'}
        $record->{'attributes'}{'archived'}
```

**dlp\_ReadRecordByIndex**

```
        $record = dlp_ReadRecordByIndex($dbh, $recordindex, $offset, $numbytes);
```

Returns a reference to a hash containing information about the record specified by `$recordindex` for the database associated with the database handle `$dbh`. `$offset` is the offset at which to begin reading, relative to the beginning of the record, with 0 being the beginning of the record. `$numbytes` is the number of characters to read.

```
        $record->{'id'}
        $record->{'index'}
        $record->{'size'}
        $record->{'attrs'}
        $record->{'category'}
        $record->{'data'}
        $record->{'attributes'}{'deleted'}
        $record->{'attributes'}{'dirty'}
        $record->{'attributes'}{'busy'}
        $record->{'attributes'}{'secret'}
        $record->{'attributes'}{'archived'}
```

**dlp\_ReadAppBlock**

```
        $appinfo = dlp_ReadAppBlock($dbh [, $offset, $len]);
```

Reads the AppInfo block of the database associated with database handle `$dbh` (see "dlp\_OpenDB"). `$offset` is an integer specifying an offset from the beginning of the AppInfo block at which to start reading. `$len` is the length of the data to return. If omitted, `$offset` defaults to 0 (read from the beginning) and `$len` defaults to -1 (read to the end). The value returned by `"dlp_ReadAppBlock"` is a string of binary data. It is not parsed in any way.\
 **dlp\_WriteAppBlock**

```
        $err = dlp_WriteAppBlock($dbh, $appinfo);
```

Writes a new AppInfo block to the database indicated by database handle `$dbh`. `$appinfo` is a string of binary data, the raw AppInfo block; it is not parsed in any way. Returns the DLP error code.\
 **dlp\_GetSysDateTime**

```
        $datetime = dlp_GetSysDateTime();
```

Reads the date and time from the Palm. Returns a reference to a hash containing the date, with fields "year", "month", "day", "hour", "minute", "second".\
 **dlp\_SetSysDateTime**

```
        $err = dlp_SetSysDateTime($year, $mon, $day, $hour, $min, $sec);
```

Sets the time on the Palm as indicated. `$year` must be a 4 digit number, and is not 1900 subtracted, as returned from *localtime()*. `$mon` must be a 1-offset number (January = 1). The first argument may be a reference to an hash, using the same format as the one returned by dlp\_GetSysDataTime . Returns the DLP error code. *ColdSync*(3) *Palm::PDB*(3) *ColdSync Conduits: Specification and Hacker's Guide* Andrew Arensburger \<arensb@ooblick.com\> Alessandro Zummo \<azummo@towertech.it\> \`\`SPC'' is a stupid name.
