Writing Mobile Code Essential Software Engineering for Building Mobile Applications [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

Online Resources

The Web is a big place, and there are plenty of high-quality mobile development resources on it that are worth taking a look at. There is unfortunately also a lot of random information to sift through. I have listed a few good places to start below. Unfortunately, the Web being a dynamic place means that URLs tend to change over time. Whenever possible, I have listed the specific title and author of the articles; if the URLs do not work, you should still have enough information to find the relevant resource.

Code Sharing

[www.GotDotNet.com] is a community code-sharing site set up by Microsoft. It is a favorite code-sharing site of mine because it enables one to see what other people have been downloading most. In this way, it serves as a good way to rank the most popular and useful pieces of sample code. On GotDotNet, search in the "User Samples" section and search for samples listed under ".NET Compact Framework," and then click the Downloads header. A list of posted .NET Compact Framework samples sorted by popularity will display.

[www.OpenNETCF.org] is a code-sharing site set up by independent professionals and enthusiasts to share code, news, articles, and discussions about the .NET Compact Framework. It has a source-code license that is supportive of commercial use of code on the site and is well worth taking a good look at. [OpenNetCf.org] also has some fairly significant shared-source development projects going on.

Newsgroups

Quite a few active "question-and-answer" forums are available for .NET Compact Framework developers. These can be accessed using a newsgroup viewer or via the Web site [http://msdn.microsoft.com/newsgroups/].

A few of the more relevant newsgroups include the following:

microsoft.public.dotnet.framework.compactframework

microsoft.public.pocketpc.developer

microsoft.public.pocketpc.developer.networking

microsoft.public.smartphone.developer

As with any public newsgroup and discussion, there are good answers and bad answers. Newsgroups are a good place to look for hints and ideas about how to solve blocking problems, but the information is available on a "no refunds, no guarantees" basis.

General Mobility Development

For the latest and greatest news on the .NET Compact Framework and other Microsoft mobile development technologies, check out these Web sites:

[http://msdn.microsoft.com/mobility/]

[http://msdn.microsoft.com/mobility/prodtechinfo/devtools/netcf/faq/default.aspx]

To develop Microsoft Smartphone applications using Visual Studio .NET 2003, you will need to download and install the SDK for Windows Mobile 2003-based Smartphones from the following site:

[http://msdn.microsoft.com/mobility/windowsmobile/downloads/]

For a terrific frequently asked questions live Wiki document, access the following site:

[http://wiki.opennetcf.org/ow.asp?CompactFrameworkFAQ]

Specifics on Interacting with Native Code

Calling native code from VB.NET or C# is not particularly difficult, but you do need to be aware of some specific rules and facts. The best way to learn these is by example.

The basics of working with native code from the .NET Compact Framework

"An Introduction to P/Invoke and Marshaling on the Microsoft .NET Compact Framework"

by Jon Box, Dan Fox, Quilogy

[http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnnetcom150/netcfintrointerp.asp]

The ins and outs of calling native code from the .NET Compact Framework

"Advanced P/Invoke on the Microsoft .NET Compact Framework"

by Jon Box, Dan Fox, Quilogy

[http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnnetcom150/netcfadvinterop.asp]

Passing asynchronous messages from native code into managed code with the .NET Compact Framework

"Asynchronous Callbacks from Native Win32 Code"

by Maarten Struys, PTS Software

[http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnnetcom150/AsynchCallbacks.asp]

Working with Mobile Network Operators

Microsoft offers guidelines and a partner program for building, certifying, and deploying applications to phones issued by mobile network operators.

A short link that will redirect you to the more detailed content below Mobile2Market short URL

[http://www.mobile2market.com]

Mobile2Market certification and marketing program

[http://msdn.microsoft.com/mobility/windowsmobile/partners/mobile2market/default.aspx]

A list of mobile network operators, operator-specific guidelines, and contact points

[http://msdn.microsoft.com/mobility/windowsmobile/partners/mobile2market/smartphoneapps/default.aspx]

Deployment and Installation

Setup technologies are ever evolving and specific to the kind of application you are developing and the hardware you are targeting. As with native code interaction, examples are the best way to learn what you need to.

A good place to get deployment and installation instructions for .NET Compact Framework applications is in the MSDN product documentation that ships with Visual Studio .NET. You can find a useful device-deployment example by following the help path Visual Studio .NET > Developing with Visual Studio .NET > Designing Distributed Applications > Developing for Devices > Samples and Walkthroughs > Smart Device Walkthroughs > Generating Custom CAB Files for Device Projects .

A walkthrough of building a setup application for a Pocket PC

"Developing and Deploying Pocket PC Setup Applications"

By Ralph Arvesen, Vertigo Software, Inc.

[http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnnetcom150/netcfdeployment.asp]

Details on dynamically installing the .NET Compact Framework on devices in case you ever need to do this

"Creating an MSI Package That Detects and Updates the .NET Compact Framework"

by Stan Adermann, Microsoft Corporation

[http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnnetcom150/netcfdepl.asp]

Professional installation development tools. Today some makers of desktop and server installation tools have expanded their offerings to embrace mobile device development. InstallShield's offerings for mobile devices are certainly worth looking at.

[http://www.installshield.com]

Note:
I list InstallShield because it is a well-known and popular installation tool. If you are using other installation tools, it is certainly worth looking at their Web sites to see what mobile device support they offer.

Optimizing Performance

The following article has some excellent tips and best practices for tuning performance as well as details about how to get profiling information from the .NET Compact Framework that will enable you to analyze your algorithm's performance. It is great reading to keep you in the right "performance mindset" when building your mobile application.

"Developing Well-Performing .NET Compact Framework Applications"

by Dan Fox, Jon Box, Quilogy

[http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnnetcom150/netcfperf.asp]