Windows Mobile Application Development (September 16, 2008)
Chat Topic: Windows Mobile Application Development
Date: Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Sue Loh [MS] (Moderator):
Welcome to today’s live chat concerning Windows Embedded CE and Windows Mobile. We will begin this chat in just a couple of minutes. Thank you for joining us. Please feel free to post questions now if you have them and we'll respond once the chat officially starts. Just make sure to check the “ask the experts” box when posting your question.
Sue Loh [MS] (Moderator):
We are pleased to welcome our Experts for today’s chat. I will have them introduce themselves now.
RobTiffanyMSFT (Expert):
Rob Tiffany is a Mobility Architect in Microsoft Worldwide Services
Mike Francis [ms] (Expert):
I'm Mike Francis. I'm an Application Developer Consultant (ADC) focusing on Windows Mobile.
Sue Loh [MS] (Moderator):
Hi, I’m Sue Loh, a developer in the Windows Devices Core team at Microsoft. I work on the remote tools team, and have previous experience with the kernel and file system. I’m also moderating today’s chat. I hope we can answer some questions for you today!
ReedR [MS] (Expert):
I'm Reed Robison, an App Dev Consultant with Microsoft ... I spend my time working with partners who are developing apps on Windows Mobile. Thanks for attending!
Joshua [MS] (Expert):
Hi, I'm Joshua Partlow, a documentation writer for Windows Mobile. I primarily work with device driver documentation, but have some experience with mobile app development
Constanze MSFT (Expert):
Hi, I'm Constanze Roman, Community PM for Windows Mobile. Thanks for joining our chat this morning.
Sue Loh [MS] (Moderator):
Let’s begin the chat!
Constanze MSFT (Expert):
Q: Constanze, Hi, in your interview at Tech Ed with Paul Yao, Maarten, Andy Wigley and Neil, Paul mentioned that there is to be an update to his Compact Framework book for NET CF 3.5, can you provide any more information about this?
A: ok, here's the answer from Paul: he expects the new book to be available in early 2009
ReedR [MS] (Expert):
Q: What is the most efficient way to determine whether a utility application is running from a main application, I have tried querying a list of processes and also writing a flag file in the utility application and checking in the main application?
A: Paul - there are probably multiple ways to approach this. The ToolHelp APIs are probably the most powerful way to enumerate processes and with all their details and dependencies. I would likely start there. Depending on how the surrogate process started, you might also have a handle or other identifying information you could use to quickly keep an eye on it using a more simplistic API like FindWindow, etc. If you are doing something like a splash screen, see the LOB Solution Accelerator as example of another way to keep track of this. They use messages between apps…
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms886772.aspx
Sue Loh [MS] (Moderator):
Q: What is the most efficient way to determine whether a utility application is running from a main application, I have tried querying a list of processes and also writing a flag file in the utility application and checking in the main application?
A: Windows CE/Mobile doesn't have a concept of running "from" another application. Once you call CreateProcess on another process, that process is wholly independent. Are you trying to basically find out whether it's a "child" process or not? Or you're just asking how to check if another process is running at all?
Sue Loh [MS] (Moderator):
Q: Sue, I am just trying to determine whether the other process is running or not
A: Okay, well you can use ToolHelp to search by name as Reed suggests... That's probably best.
RobTiffanyMSFT (Expert):
Does everyone know that we shipped the Windows Mobile version of Sync Services for ADO.NET yesterday?
Mike Francis [ms] (Expert):
Q: I am not really a developer but am very interested in the ways in which Windows Mobile and corresponding devices (Smart Phones Pocket PC Phones) can be extended in their integration with SharePoint and extended to support enhanced Social Computing
A: Hi Michael - Sharepoint has mobile support built in. If you add 'm' to the URL, the site will be rendered for a mobile device. For example: www.mysite.com/m
ReedR [MS] (Expert):
Q: Do we have any plans other than IE 6 for mobile to increase the interaction that is pblicly available? Some type of enhanced client interface or is that more to the next rev of mobile
A: I see no signs of social networking slowing down… I can’t comment on unreleased products, but there is a huge opportunity for both Microsoft and partners in this space. You see that with mobile clients for social networking sites showing up on Windows Mobile and also many choices for browsing products outside of Microsoft that provide an alternate experience.
ReedR [MS] (Expert):
Q: I am aware of the wap support, I was referring to more enhanced support that would faciliatate rich media interaction. File upload, etc. that does not work today. A mobile client on phone to faciliate the richher interaction. I giess answer is IE 6 mobile
A: Our integration is pretty basic https://blogs.technet.com/vik/archive/2007/06/12/accessing-sharepoint-on-windows-mobile.aspx right now. There have been some integrators that have extended Sharepoint to handle more advanced feaures and needs in this area (trying to get you a link) but not much in terms of “rich” media out of the box. There is no reason you couldn’t build some of this in yourself if you wanted to do so.
AlexFeinman (Expert):
Q: Does anyone know how to perform GSM Cell Tower triangulation?
A: None of the current WM devices provides information about adjacent cells to the application layer. At best you can get 1 cell from RIL. And then you need a database of cells. Google has one, but it is an OEM only program
AlexFeinman (Expert):
Q: I have a DateTimePicker control and I have formatted it to display the time (HH:mm), is there a way to change the behaviour of the up and down arrows to increment or decrement by 30 minutes rather than by which ever element of the time is selected?
A: I don't believe there is
AlexFeinman (Expert):
Q: The HTC Touch HD supports an 800 x 480 resolution, is this supported in Visual Studio 2008?
A: Visual Studio does not make a distinction. You can change a form factor of an existing form to 480x800. Also WM6.1 emulator images include 480x800 if that's what you are interested in
JanYeh_TW (Expert):
Q: The HTC Touch HD supports an 800 x 480 resolution, is this supported in Visual Studio 2008?
A: You mean in Emulator or application development ? In Visual Studio 2008, you can write program for 800x480, as long as you design the form with that size.
JanYeh_TW (Expert):
Q: JanYeh, Both really
A: In VS 2008, no problem as long as you set the form size to 800x480. In Emulator, you can install WM6.1 Emulator Images which has a 800x480 image for you.
Sue Loh [MS] (Moderator):
Q: is it possible to get started without acutally having a Win mobo device, like running the program on the emulators?
A: Absolutely -- when you install VS, make sure to install "smart device" support. Then, you can download SDKs for different WM versions on MSDN. The SDKs ship with emulator images, and you can run against the emulator inside VS.
JanYeh_TW (Expert):
Q: is it possible to get started without acutally having a Win mobo device, like running the program on the emulators?
A: Sure. As you mentioned, using Emulator. Check "Smart device support" when installing VS 2005/2008. Emulator is very useful when you are developing application which is not not related to hardware. You can simulate the device, change device system configuration, integrate with cellular emulator, and even simulate a GPS device all in the emulator environment.
Mike Francis [ms] (Expert):
Q: is it possible to get started without acutally having a Win mobo device, like running the program on the emulators?
A: YES absolutely - you can use the emulators that are installed with the WM6 SDK and VS2008. Also check out the cellular emulator to simulate calls and SMS messages.
Mike Francis [ms] (Expert):
Q: very cool!!, there are a bunch of ways to program correct, one call the API directly, use MFC?(not sure) and use the Compact Framework
A: Yes - you can use all of the above, Win32 APIs, MFC or the Compact Framework.
Mike Francis [ms] (Expert):
Q: there is a bunch of .NET wrappers specifically for Win Mobo right?
A: Yes. The Compact Framework covers almost all of the programing tasks you would require. However, there are some native APIs that do not have an equivalent in the .Net CF. In that case, you can use P/Invoke to call that API from managed code (.Net CF).
AlexFeinman (Expert):
Q: Is it possible when you get incoming call can you play music on device and other part listen this music Every time you can not play music when you on call. is there any way to change this settings
A: In all current devices WMP is configured to stop playback whenever there is an active call. While this can be circumvented, I don't see the point in doing this. Note that it is also not possible to play music into the line, so that the remote party could hear it - due to the physical limitations
Mike Francis [ms] (Expert):
Q: I've heard the API is very similar to Win32 API, is it?
A: Yes, the Windows Mobile API is in almost all cases the exactly the same on the desktop as it is on the mobile devices. The difference you will see is that, in order to reduce the library footprint, not all the APIs are supported.
Constanze MSFT (Expert):
Q: Constanze, will the web casts of the 24 hour series be available in one big download when they have been recorded?
A: You'll be able to download each of them on an individual basis. but you're giving me a good idea, maybe we can put them all on a dvd or make them available for download. Maarten and I will look into this because that is a good idea!
Sue Loh [MS] (Moderator):
Q: What will the next version number of the compact framework be?
A: Sorry, we cannot comment on unannounced products or features.
Sue Loh [MS] (Moderator):
Q: Would the experts mind, if they have blogs, to post links to them here?
A: My team blog: https://blogs.msdn.com/ce_base/
My personal blog (old, no longer posting, but it still has useful posts): https://blogs.msdn.com/sloh/
JanYeh_TW (Expert):
Q: Would the experts mind, if they have blogs, to post links to them here?
A: You can find some in Microsoft Window Mobile Developer Center
Sue Loh [MS] (Moderator):
Q: Would the experts mind, if they have blogs, to post links to them here?
A: Also try https://blogs.msdn.com/windowsmobile. And https://blogs.msdn.com/mikehall has lots of info too.
ReedR [MS] (Expert):
Q: Would the experts mind, if they have blogs, to post links to them here?
A: You can check out my blog here: https://blogs.msdn.com/hegenderfer/archive/2008/06/20/my-10-mobile-developer-tips.aspx
Sue Loh [MS] (Moderator):
Hello everyone, we are just about out of time.
Sue Loh [MS] (Moderator):
Thank you for joining us today for our Windows Mobile app development chat!
Sue Loh [MS] (Moderator):
A special thank you to the product group members and MVPs for coming out.
Sue Loh [MS] (Moderator):
The transcript of today’s chat will be posted online soon, to https://msdn.microsoft.com/chats/transcripts/default.aspx. We’ll see you again for another chat next month. Please check https://msdn.microsoft.com/chats for the list of upcoming chats.
Sue Loh [MS] (Moderator):
If you still have unanswered questions, let me suggest that you post them on one of our newsgroups, such as Microsoft.public.pocketpc.developer.