quickstart tips for smartphone development

Hi,

We'd like to create an app for a mobile phone using the .NET CF. Can
you please post a few quick tips or links on the following issues:

- How do you typically access (if at all) phone functionality such as
vibration-alarm or other phone-specific functionality? Do you need
DLLs from the phone-manufacturer, and do they typically provide them
freely?

- We have experience with C# and Visual Studio, are there good
starting points that point out typical traps?

If I need to provide more/other/specific info please let me know.

Thanks.

-Jeroen

Christian
Tue Nov 20 00:43:52 PST 2007

> - How do you typically access (if at all) phone functionality such as
> vibration-alarm or other phone-specific functionality? Do you need
> DLLs from the phone-manufacturer, and do they typically provide them
> freely?

Yes these device specific features are exposed in API's. Windows Mobile 5.0
and 6.0 provides a managed wrappers for a lot cool device specific features.
(Pocket Outlook, Telephone, etc etc)

> - We have experience with C# and Visual Studio, are there good
> starting points that point out typical traps?

Downloading and Installing the SDK's would be the first thing I would do. I
would suggest downloading the Mobile 5.0 and 6.0 SDK's. The Pocket PC 2003
SDK is included with Visual Studio 2005.


--
Regards,
Christian Resma Helle
http://christian-helle.blogspot.com


"Jeroen" <mercuros@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:60655238-5ae5-4e8a-990c-8ac858463664@b32g2000hsa.googlegroups.com...
> Hi,
>
> We'd like to create an app for a mobile phone using the .NET CF. Can
> you please post a few quick tips or links on the following issues:
>
> - How do you typically access (if at all) phone functionality such as
> vibration-alarm or other phone-specific functionality? Do you need
> DLLs from the phone-manufacturer, and do they typically provide them
> freely?
>
> - We have experience with C# and Visual Studio, are there good
> starting points that point out typical traps?
>
> If I need to provide more/other/specific info please let me know.
>
> Thanks.
>
> -Jeroen

Jeroen
Tue Nov 20 01:15:51 PST 2007

Thanks a bunch for the response, that makes things clearer already!
One short follow-up question:


> > - We have experience with C# and Visual Studio, are there good
> > starting points that point out typical traps?
>
> Downloading and Installing the SDK's would be the first thing I would do. I
> would suggest downloading the Mobile 5.0 and 6.0 SDK's. The Pocket PC 2003
> SDK is included with Visual Studio 2005.

It's a hobby project, and the start coincides with getting new phones.
Assuming they have the newest Windows Mobile (6.0, right?) can't we
ignore 5.0 altogether? That would make things easier, it seems.

Also: what's the relation between Mobile-6.0 and Pocket-PC-2003-SDK?

-Jeroen

Christian
Tue Nov 20 02:25:20 PST 2007

Windows Mobile 5.0 and 6.0 is quite similar. But Pocket PC 2003 has a
different look and feel and does not provide managed wrappers for the cool
device specific features. Although there are 3rd party vendors that provide
managed wrappers for the native API's (InTheHand Mobile and OpenNETCF SDF)

I would suggest using the SDK for Windows Mobile 5.0 since this is fully
compatible with Windows Mobile 6.0. But if you're getting a device, i would
suggest getting a device running Windows Mobile 6.0. Mobile 6.0 has the
.NETCF and SQL Server CE installed on ROM (which means its a lot faster)

--
Regards,
Christian Resma Helle
http://christian-helle.blogspot.com


"Jeroen" <mercuros@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:85ff8834-3c69-4fae-b64e-a26372496b30@p69g2000hsa.googlegroups.com...
> Thanks a bunch for the response, that makes things clearer already!
> One short follow-up question:
>
>
>> > - We have experience with C# and Visual Studio, are there good
>> > starting points that point out typical traps?
>>
>> Downloading and Installing the SDK's would be the first thing I would do.
>> I
>> would suggest downloading the Mobile 5.0 and 6.0 SDK's. The Pocket PC
>> 2003
>> SDK is included with Visual Studio 2005.
>
> It's a hobby project, and the start coincides with getting new phones.
> Assuming they have the newest Windows Mobile (6.0, right?) can't we
> ignore 5.0 altogether? That would make things easier, it seems.
>
> Also: what's the relation between Mobile-6.0 and Pocket-PC-2003-SDK?
>
> -Jeroen

Jeroen
Tue Nov 20 02:26:32 PST 2007

Thanks Christian, this completely answers my question! Good to know
where to start.

-Jeroen