Updating Projects Created with Previous Tools
Visual Studio provides powerful development tools for smart device developers. Programmers who use C++, C#, and Visual Basic can take advantage of the improved tools offered by Visual Studio.
The improvements to the Visual Studio 2008 development environment include the following:
Tools for testing Visual C# and Visual Basic smart device applications.
For more information, see Testing Tools for Smart Device Projects.
Improved tools for configuring security.
For more information, see Configuring Security on Windows Mobile Devices.
Improved smart device emulators.
For more information, see What's New in Device Emulator.
If you are migrating a smart device project that was created in Visual Studio .NET 2003, eMbedded Visual C++, or eMbedded Visual Basic, you also inherit the following development features from Visual Studio 2005:
C# source code refactoring tools.
For more information, see Refactoring.
Improved debugging.
For more information, see Debugging Device Projects.
Code snippets for C# and Visual Basic.
For more information, see Creating and Using IntelliSense Code Snippets.
Improved deployment tools.
For more information, see Packaging Device Solutions Overview.
Migrating Managed Projects from Visual Studio .NET 2003 or Visual Studio 2005 to Visual Studio 2008
Visual C# and Visual Basic smart device projects developed in Visual Studio 2005 or Visual Studio .NET 2003 can be migrated to Visual Studio 2008. To migrate, open the project and the Visual Studio Conversion Wizard makes all required changes to the project.
Smartphone 2003 Projects
The Visual Studio Conversion Wizard upgrades projects that target the .NET Compact Framework 1.0 to target the .NET Compact Framework 2.0. Additionally, projects that target Smartphone 2003 are upgraded to target Windows Mobile 5.0 Smartphone because Smartphone 2003 does not support .NET Compact Framework 2.0.
SQL Server Compact/Mobile Projects
Data projects that use SQL Server 2005 Compact Edition or Mobile Edition are upgraded to target SQL Server Compact 3.5. The Visual Studio Conversion Wizard automatically updates the project to reference version 3.5 of the managed data provider. The Visual Studio Conversion Wizard also converts the format of .sdf database files that are not password protected. If the .sdf file is password protected, the upgrade report will notify you to manually convert the .sdf file after the upgrade. For more information, see How to: Upgrade Managed Projects to SQL Server Compact 3.5 (Devices).
Migrating Projects from eMbedded Visual C++ to Visual Studio 2008
You can migrate eMbedded Visual C++ projects by using a migration wizard. For more information, see eMbedded Visual C++ to Visual Studio Upgrade Wizard.
Migrating Projects from eMbedded Visual Basic to Visual Studio 2008
Projects created in eMbedded Visual Basic are not automatically converted to Visual Studio 2008 projects. Instead, you must add the existing source and resource files to a new Visual Basic Smart Device project created in Visual Studio 2008.
Note
Windows Mobile 2003 devices do not contain the eMbedded Visual Basic runtimes in ROM. Although the runtimes may be downloaded to the device as a RAM install, this configuration is not supported.
See Also
Concepts
Device Capabilities and Required Development Tools