DonS.CF : .NET Compact Framework

My Code Camp 7 Presentations and Samples Now Available for Download

Dons — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 15:45:38 GMT

Thanks to everyone who attended my two sessions at this weekend's Code Camp7: Deer In The Headlights event. I really enjoyed the interaction, questions and comments during both sessions!

As promised, my two presentations are now available for download. The ZIP files contain both the Powerpoint slides and any sample code shown during the session.

As an "added bonus", I have put up the C# project I wrote to test out Ink and Speech with Vista and the Tablet PC. It is the little spelling application I wrote for my son to do his homework, and domenstrates speech synthesis and the Tablet PC ink APIs. Even if you don't have a Tablet PC, you can fill in the fields using your keyboard. The download also includes a setup installer for the compiled version of the application, allowing you to just install it and play around with it if you'd like.

Vista Spelling Practice Application (3.75 MB)

Enjoy!

Windows Mobile Installers and Vista/WMDC

Dons — Wed, 11 Oct 2006 13:23:00 GMT

Just a heads up to all of you Windows Mobile application developers -

If you build an installer for your application, be sure that you do *not* hard code your path to ceappmgr.exe in order to copy and install your CAB files. Instead, you should be looking at the registry for the location of ceappmgr.exe first. The registry key is the same as it has been in the past -

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\CEAPPMGR.EXE

The location of ceappmgr.exe has changed, and (always a possibility) could change again.

I have noticed that some application installs are failing under the new Windows Mobile Device Center ("WMDC"), while others are succeeding. Having used the registry key technique for all of my CAB installs, Imy applications are not experiencing any issues.

Windows Mobile Developer Virtual User Group Meeting September 20th

Dons — Wed, 16 Aug 2006 18:50:00 GMT

The next meeting of the Windows Mobile Developer Virtual User Group (”WMDVUG”) will be held on Wednesday, September 20th from 12 Noon - 2 PM EDT. You can register for this Live Meeting event at the Microsoft Events web site.

AGENDA
* Welcome
* Announcements

This month’s presentation:
Sharing assets between the .NET Compact Framework and the .NET Framework (Presenter - Daniel Moth)

Whether you were first introduced to .NET via the Compact Framework / Windows Mobile or via the full .NET Framework on the PC, it may make sense to share your code assets between the two platforms. In this session we will explore when you should be doing this and when not. We will then explore the options available (e.g. directly sharing binaries or conditional compilation) and drill into problems and workarounds. This will include framework differences, platform/OS differences, optimal usage of Visual Studio 2005 and how things have improved since NETCF v1

Call To Contact Smartphone Edition V1.0 Released

Dons — Mon, 03 Jul 2006 18:37:00 GMT

Lest anyone out there think I had forgotten about the Windows Mobile Smartphone world when I announced the release of Call To Contact for Phone Edition devices -

"The BHighlyMobile Group, L.L.C., a New Hampshire-based company focused on Microsoft mobility solutions, is pleased to announce the availability of Call To Contact Version 1.0 for Windows Mobile 5.0 Smartphone devices.

Call To Contact allows you to easily add new incoming phone numbers to existing phone contacts with just a few clicks. When an incoming phone call is received, Call To Contact checks to see if that number is already associated with one of your contacts. If not, Call To Contact will prompt you to add the number once the phone conversation finishes.

Call To Contact Smartphone Edition V1.0 is being made available free of charge as a “thank you” to the Windows Mobile community for their continued support and interest in Windows Mobile-based solutions. Product details, screen shots, system requirements and download instructions can be found at the Call To Contact Phone Smartphone product page."

Call To Contact V1.0 Phone Edition Released

Dons — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 23:30:00 GMT

It's been a busy Sunday for me. Let's see -

Got attacked (and stung) by yellow jackets this AM when I discovered that my gas grill had become the proud home of a new nest after our New England May floods;
Installed a large window A/C unit by myself, testing my tendon strength and knowledge of leverage;
Oh, yeah - I released my first "commercial" .NET Compact Framework application...

"The BHighlyMobile Group, L.L.C. , a New Hampshire-based company focused on Microsoft mobility solutions, is pleased to announce the availability of Call To Contact Version 1.0 for Windows Mobile 5.0 Pocket PC Phone Edition devices.

Call To Contact V1.0 is being made available free of charge as a “thank you” to the Windows Mobile community for their continued support and interest in Windows Mobile-based solutions. Product details, screen shots, system requirements and download instructions can be found at the Call To Contact Phone Edition product page."

All in all, a busy Sunday indeed... :-)

FYI - The Smartphone version of Call To Contact is right around the corner (literally)...

WMDVUG July 19th Meeting - Registration Now Open

Dons — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 20:34:00 GMT

The event registration URL for the July 19th meeting of the Windows Mobile Developer Virtual User Group is now open! You can register via this link at the Microsoft Events site. Please be sure to register right away! You can also get more information (and subscribe to news via RSS) at the WMDVUG web site.

See you online!

Introducing... The Windows Mobile Developer Virtual User Group!

Dons — Mon, 19 Jun 2006 13:37:00 GMT

As many people out there may already know, I have at various times tried to get a Windows Mobile Developer User Group going in the Boston area. The difficulties have usually been two-fold:

This is a very focused type of user group, so attendence for one geographic region tends to be small by nature;
Since most Windows Mobile developers also work with other technologies and user groups, a "competing for the user group dollar" tends to exist.

After conversations with a number of people, I have decided to try to overcome both issues with one felled swoop. So -

The Windows Mobile Developer Virtual User Group ("WMDVUG") is intended for individuals focusing on developing software for Windows Mobile devices. This includes connected applications using ASP.NET and rich client applications using the .NET Compact Framework and/or eMbedded Visual C++. Our meetings will be held live via Microsoft Live Meeting every other 3rd Wednesday of the month from 12 Noon - 2 PM EDT/EST.

Our first meeting will be held on Wednesday, July 19th from 12 - 2 PM EDT. Once information on registering for the meeting becomes available, I will pass it along. In addition, we are in the process of putting together the first agenda. Once again, I will pass along updates.

I am extremely excited about the potential for this medium to reach a large audience beyond the geographic confines of the Boston/New England region. I look forward to seeing you online soon!

Windows Mobile Presentations from Code Camp V Now Available

Dons — Sun, 07 May 2006 20:27:00 GMT

Thanks to everyone who attended my two Windows Mobile-focused presentations at Code Camp V yesterday (May 6) in Waltham, MA. As promised, the PowerPoint presentations from both sessions are now available for download from our Downloads Section.

Developing for Multiple Windows Mobile Platforms
Windows Mobile Deployment Essentials

"Programming Outlook Mobile" Presentation and Sample Code Now Available

Dons — Thu, 20 Apr 2006 12:48:00 GMT

Thanks to all who attended last night's (Wednesday, April 19th) meeting of Club Pocket PC - Boston. The PowerPoint slides for my presentation, entitled "Programming Outlook Mobile with the .NET Compact Framework and Windows Mobile 5.0" , are now available for download from the BostonPocketPC.com web site.

For this presentation, I used the same sample application I used for the previous week's Boston .NET User Group presentation (which includes Outlook Mobile sample code and a whole lot more). That Visual Studio 2005 C# project can also be found at the BostonPocketPC.com web site.

The Mobile Devcasters Show - Episode 5 Now Available

Dons — Mon, 17 Apr 2006 14:00:00 GMT

After a far-too-long hiatus, Thom Robbins and I have finally gotten back on track with the Mobile Devcasters Show. Episode 5 is now available for download at the Mobile Devcasters web site -

"In this episode, Thom and Don play a little "catch-up", discussing upcoming major Windows Mobile developer events and some changes to the Mobile Devcasters Show. The main topic of the episode is Mobile Connected Application development, with Thom and Don talking ASP.NET 2.0, mobile web considerations, best practices and tips."

The "changes" we discuss are something that should have you subscribing to our RSS feed (if you have not already done so). Be sure to check it out!

Boston .NET User Group Presentation and Sample Application Now Available

Dons — Thu, 13 Apr 2006 03:34:00 GMT

Thanks to everyone that attended my presentation (Leveraging the New Windows Mobile APIs) to the Boston .NET User Group earlier this evening. As promised, the PowerPoint slides and C# sample application demonstrating the new Windows Mobile 5.0-specific managed APIs are both available at the BostonPocketPC.com web site.

Enjoy!

The Lowdown on SQL Server Everywhere Edition

Dons — Mon, 10 Apr 2006 19:48:00 GMT

On April 6th, 2006, Microsoft (via a SQL Server 2005 Update from Paul Flesner) announced a "new" product in the Microsoft SQL Server family - SQL Server Everywhere Edition (or "SQL Everywhere" for short, or "SQL/e" for shorter). At the time, I chose not to post about it until more official word came out. I did this for two reasons -

My unofficial word would be just that - unofficial. Better to hear more information direct from the source;
I would have to type a lot less if I simply pointed people in the right direction ;-)

Microsoft's own Steve Lasker has put together a good FAQ regarding SQL/e on his MSDN blog. In short, SQL/e is essentially SQL Mobile without the desktop limitations. As you may or may not be aware, SQL Mobile was authorized for use in developing Tablet PC applications as well as Windows Mobile applications. That was the extent of "desktop" deployment, however. This new structure allows for SQL Mobil... er, SQL/e to be used as an embedded database in any Microsoft OS environment.

Personally, I applaud this decision. I know that when the decision to allow Tablet PC deployments but not others first came out, a lot of folks in the .NET CF and Embedded MVP communities thought an broader expansion would be a good thing. Obviously, Microsoft listened (to MVPs and others) and responded. This change opens a number of possibilities for occasionally-connected application developers.

BTW - Steve Lasker has also posted about leveraging SQL/e in Visual Studio 2005 development. Really great article with useful information.

New Emulator Image for 320x240 Smartphone (with Landscape)

Dons — Wed, 05 Apr 2006 02:03:00 GMT

Some of you may or may not already know that the upcoming Motorola Q and Samsung i320 Windows Mobile 5.0 Smartphones have a couple of unique properties. First, they provide 320x240 screens. Second, they can function in landscape mode. Both of these capabilities pose new challenges to .NET Compact Framework developers.

Microsoft is now providing a new emulator image for developers. This new download adds a Smartphone emulator with both 320x240 dimensions and landscape support. In order to use this image, you must have Visual Studio 2005 and the Windows Mobile 5.0 SDK for Smartphone already installed. It is recommended that all Smartphone application developers download and install this image in order to test your existing applications.

MessageInterception API Sample

Dons — Tue, 04 Apr 2006 18:34:00 GMT

What better way to follow up to my post on the Compact Framework / Windows Mobile 5.0 MessageInterception API than with a simple working sample? You can download this zip file from BostonPocketPC.com that contains a working Visual Studio 2005 project. The sample is targeted at a Windows Mobile 5.0 Smartphone, so you will also want to have the Windows Mobile 5.0 Smartphone SDK installed.

Simply compile the code and run! The application uses the right softkey to send an SMS to the "magic phone number" (+14250010001). Once sent, if the SMS is not modified (you have a chance to edit it before sending), the SMS will "boomerang back" to the emulator and (because it meets MessageCondition criteria) display an alert. The source code is also heavily commented for your reading pleasure ;-)

Using the SMS MessageInterception Managed Classes

Dons — Mon, 03 Apr 2006 19:05:00 GMT

Following up on my "why" post to using the new managed SMS Interception namespace with Windows Mobile 5.0 devices, I thought it might be a good idea to demonstrate the ease of implementing this type of functionality. In other words, show "how" in addition to "why" ;-)

To use the SMS message interception, perform the following steps -

In your Smart Device project, add references to to Microsoft.WindowsMobile, Microsoft.WindowsMobile.PocketOutlook and Microsoft.WindowsMobile.PocketOutlook.MessageInterception. It would also be a good idea to add these to your code with using statements.

using Microsoft.WindowsMobile;
using Microsoft.WindowsMobile.PocketOutlook;
using Microsoft.WindowsMobile.PocketOutlook.MessageInterception;
There are two major objects you will be working with here. The MessageInterceptor (responsible for actual interception) and the MessageCondition (and object that sets up the criteria for messages to intercept). You will need to create instances of these two objects in the containing class.

// For SMS Message Interception...
private MessageInterceptor _SMSCatcher = new MessageInterceptor(InterceptionAction.NotifyAndDelete, true);
// For setting up the message filter...
private MessageCondition _SMSFilter = new MessageCondition();

The constructor for MessageInterceptor has two significant arguments. The first allows you to define an interception action (what to do when a message is intercepted). Typically, these messages do not need to been directly seen or stored, so the NotifiyAndDelete enumeration of the InterceptionAction enumerator works well. The second argument sets whether or not to use the current form's thread. Usually, this is set to true, but if your application does not have a form, it would be set to false.
You will want to set up an event handler and event method for taking action when the event occurs. To do this, you will set up an event handler for the MessageReceived event of the MessageInterceptor. The standard Visual Studio functionality (using TABs to create the event handler and associated method) work here.

//SMS Message Interception event handler...
_SMSCatcher.MessageReceived += new MessageInterceptorEventHandler(_SMSCatcher_MessageReceived);
You will need to set up the MessageCondition object with the necessary filters/criteria and assign it to the MessageInterceptor.

//SMS Message Filter setup...
_SMSFilter.Property = MessageProperty.Body;
_SMSFilter.ComparisonType = MessagePropertyComparisonType.StartsWith;
_SMSFilter.CaseSensitive = true;
_SMSFilter.ComparisonValue = "OutlookMobileDemo";

//Assign the filter to the Interceptor...
_SMSCatcher.MessageCondition = _SMSFilter;

The Property property (redudant redundacy intended) is set to one of several values that represent what part of the message will be queried for the filter; the body of the message, the message class (technically, you can use transports other than SMS), the sender or the subject. For SMS, the Body or Sender enumerations are most commonly used. The ComparisonType property is used to describe what kind of comparison should be made (StartsWith, EndsWidth, Contains, Equal or NotEqual) to the Property selected. This is really up to you and your application needs. The CaseSensitive property can be used to further refine the selection criteria, and the ComparisonValue property is the actual text to use for comparison.

Now, all you have left to do is to write your event code! I think it's important to note that the MessageInterceptorEventArgs object passed to the event handler contains the entire SMS message in it's Message property. By casting this property to an SmsMessage object, you can query all of the SMS message's information. As an example, I commonly demo the process in action by displaying a notification message (using the Notification control) to the user -

void _SMSCatcher_MessageReceived(object sender, MessageInterceptorEventArgs e)
{
    //Event args pass the SMS message...
    SmsMessage mySMS = (SmsMessage)e.Message;
    //Show a notification popup...
    this.notifyCustomIncoming.Caption = "New SMS";
    this.notifyCustomIncoming.InitialDuration = 60;
    this.notifyCustomIncoming.Text = "Got the special SMS! - " + mySMS.Body.ToString();
    this.notifyCustomIncoming.Visible = true;
}

Why Use Message Interception?

Dons — Mon, 03 Apr 2006 18:38:00 GMT

I was recently e-mailed by someone who was investigating some of the new managed APIs for Windows Mobile 5.0. While there were some technical questions, one of the "non-technical" questions immediately caught my attention -

"I noticed that it is possible to intercept SMS messages now. Why would anyone writing a business application want to do this?"

These are some of my favorite questions. For all of the "hows" that are out there, we sometimes forget about the "whys" - Why would this be useful, why would we consider implmenting this, etc. As developers, sometimes we can't see the proverbial forest through the trees. A seasoned developer should always ask the "whys" first; if there is no applicability to there task at hand, maybe they should save the "how" until it is really needed (focusing more on what they need to know versus what they'd like to know). As someone who has made a career of having to keep up with multiple platforms, technologies and languages over the years, this simple rule has managed to keep me sane (and get at least a couple of hours of sleep per night). But let's get back to the question at hand - why even use SMS interception?

There are any of a number of possible uses for SMS interception. Perhaps the Number One possibility I pass along to line of business application developers in Windows Mobile scenarios is adding push functionality. Because of the very nature of Windows Mobile devices and applications as "occasionally-connected", a common developer task is to synchronize data between the device/application and a remote data source. The mechanisms for this (merge replication, synchronization, Web Services, etc) are irrelevant to this discussion, because the greater question to be asked is not how should data be synchronized, but when. As a developer, you have two distinct choices -

Polling. Your application can poll for changes on the server, initiating a synchronization when a change is determined. Depending on the infrstructure of the server, this can be either easy or difficult and potentially costly in terms of resources.
Push notification. If the trigger mechanism for synchronization is a change on the server and the server knows that a change has occurred, wouldn't it be more effective for the server to simply let affected clients know of the change?

In many cases, push notification would be a desired alternative. Until recently, however, push notification was not easy to perform with Windows Mobile devices. Remember, these are not persistently-connected clients. The new managed MessageInterception namespace and objects provide an easy and effective way for an application to listen for "that special SMS message" that says "now would be a good time to connect".

As always, there are the considerations you should take into account with using SMS messaging as a push notification method -

You would need an SMS gateway server-side to enable the sending of the notifications. The good news here is that there are any number of free or low-cost SMS gateway solutions that are also easily programmable;
Potential cost of SMS messages. Many cellular plans (especially in North America) do not include SMS messaging, thus resulting in an addition per-message cost per user.

Upcomg Speaking Engagements

Dons — Mon, 03 Apr 2006 14:03:00 GMT

April looks to be a busy month for me as far as presentations are concerned. The list so far -

APRIL 6TH: .NET SPEECH SERVER DAY

Using the power of .NET, Microsoft Speech Server and Visual Studio 2003 can give your application its voice. Used in conjunction with the Microsoft Speech Application Software Development Kit (SASDK), this platform enables developers to write and deploy web-enabled speech applications to new and existing .NET applications.

Join Microsoft and Brooktrout for a one day special developer session designed to teach you how to architect, develop and implement speech enabled applications using Visual Studio 2003 and the Speech Server platform. We will show how this combination provides all the components necessary for building and deploying telephony (voice-only) and multimodal (voice/visual) applications. Additionally, we will show how the Speech Server platform builds upon the work of the open industry standard Speech Application Language Tags (SALT) specification to extend existing Web markup languages by adding speech recognition and prompt functionality to your Web applications. Using a practical code oriented approach we will cover how to architect, build and deploy applications that performs speech recognition and speech synthesis that can be accessed by telephone, cell phone, Pocket PC, Tablet PC and other devices.

Click here to register

APRIL 12TH: BOSTON .NET USER GROUP - "LEVERAGING THE NEW WINDOWS MOBILE APIS"
The .NET Compact Framework 2.0 provides a wealth of new APIs for Windows Mobile 5.0 devices. With managed access to Outlook Mobile, device and application state, phone, GPS and camera, there is something for almost all Windows Mobile Pocket PC and Smartphone developers to leverage in order to enhance their application.

Join us for this discussion and demonstration of how you can enhance your Windows Mobile 5.0 applications with a minimum amount of coding, using Visual Studio 2005 and the .NET Compact Framework 2.0.

Click here for more information

APRIL 19TH: CLUB POCKET PC - BOSTON - "INTEGRATING WINDOWS MOBILE APPLICATIONS WITH OUTLOOK MOBILE"
The .NET Compact Framework 2.0 now provides managed access to Outlook Mobile contacts, tasks, and appointments for Windows Mobile 5.0 devices. In this presentation, you will learn the "hows" for extending with and integrating with this commonly used set of functionality.

Click here for more information

Coming This May - Code Camp 5 - Code Frenzy!

Dons — Wed, 08 Mar 2006 20:16:00 GMT

Ah, yes - I can hear the music from "Jaws" playing already.

"Da-DUM... Da-DUM... Da-DUM-Da-Da-DADADUMMMMM..." ;-)

From Thom Robbins web site -

Announcing Code Camp 5: Code Frenzy!

Register

Saturday, May 6,7 2006

May 6 – 8:30 AM – 9PM

May 7 – 8:30 AM – 4PM

Microsoft Waltham Office

201 Jones Road, 6th Floor
Waltham, Massachusetts 02451
United States

Call for Speakers

Are you a developer interested in improving your .NET skills? Then this is the event to attend. Code Camp 5: Code Frenzy! promises to be both bigger and better than anything we have done before. This free two day seminar is designed as a series of intensive code related demos and technical sessions to guide the developer to the next skill level. The continuing goal of the Code Camps is to provide an intensive developer to developer learning experience that is fun and technically stimulating. The focus is on delivering programming information and sample code that can be used immediately. All training, slides, manuals and demo code is provided free!

This two day camp is hosted in our Waltham facility. The leading technical camp counselors from both Microsoft and the New England Developer Community will share their technical expertise and experiences. Each track starts with a “get the code” basics before advancing to more advanced topics.

Register early as it will fill quickly!

FYI - I plan on being there, .NET Compact Framework code in hand... :-)

Speaking Of Windows Mobile Presentation Downloads...

Dons — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 05:15:00 GMT

I just realized that now would be as good a time as any to point people to the archive of Windows Mobile developer presentations that has built up over on BostonPocketPC.com. In our Downloads Section, there are a number of the presentations I have given over the last couple of years, including lots of sample code. I hate to see good content go to waste, you know... ;-)

My Presentations From Enterprise Mobility Mini Code Camp Now Available

Dons — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 00:54:00 GMT

First off - thanks to everyone who attended this past Saturday's Enterprise Mobility Mini Code Camp in Waltham, MA. It was great to have such a strong turnout and a great interactive crowd. I loved the questions both during and after the event; it really makes me believe in the genuine interest the community continues to generate in Windows Mobile / .NET Compact Framework solutions. I would be terribly remiss if an additional HUGE THANKS did not go out to Thom Robbins, who continues to lead the way in making these community events a reality, and the New England .NET Developer Community as strong as any other out there.

My PowerPoint slides from my 3 presentations for the day are now available for download from the BostonPocketPC.com web site -

Windows Mobile User Interface Design

Windows Mobile Data Access and Movement

Developing Mobile Web Applications