Embedded Visual Basic Windows Ce And Pocket Pc Mobile Applications [Electronic resources]

Installing POOM

POOM is already installed on most Pocket PCs and Handheld PC 2000s. But, to enable IntelliSense in eVB, you need to install POOM to your development machine. To install POOM, you must obtain it from the Microsoft Web site (www.microsoft.com/MOBILE/downloads/developer/poomsdk.asp). If the SDK is no longer available at this address, search msdn.microsoft.com or microsoft.com for POOM.

Note

The POOM SDK page mentions that POOM isn't compatible with the emulator. Although this is true for other platforms, the Pocket PC emulator allows for POOM development.

After downloading POOM, you need to run the setup program, PIMSTORE.EXE. This guides you through an installation that is essentially just an archive expansion or unzipping. The package installs five files:

• eula.txt, the End User License Agreement.

• pimstore.h, a header file for eMbedded Visual C++.

• Pocket Outlook Object Model.doc, POOM's documentation. Mostly C++ centered, but yet very useful.

• Readme.txt, instructions for installation.

• Pimstore_******.dll, a collection of pimstore (POOM) DLL files. One for each processor type (for example, pimstore_sa1100.dll for the Intel StrongArm processor).

Installation onto Your Device

Most Pocket PC devices ship with the pimstore.dll on them, some don't, and some have outdated versions. After testing POOM on your device, if you find that POOM doesn't work correctly or doesn't work at all, you will need to place the proper pimstore.dll onto the device.

Note

A device with POOM installed will have a DLL named pimstore.dll in the \windows directory. If this file isn't present or you have problems using POOM, you will need to install POOM. Before installing it, be sure that this is the problem, as installing POOM from the SDK may break functionality.

First, you need to determine which processor type your device has. Refer to your user manual or the manufacturer's Web site for this information. After you determine the processor type, the DLLs that correlate are as follows:

If you find that you need to place or replace the pimstore.dll on the device, you need to choose the correct file (as described in preceding the list). Then rename the file to pimstore.dll. By Using ActiveSync, copy the renamed file to the device's \Windows directory. After copying, you need to register the DLL by using REGSVRCE.EXE. REGSVRCE.EXE is the Windows CE version of RegSrv32.exe and can be used to register any ActiveX CE DLL server.

You can find REGSVRCE.EXE in a processor-specific subfolder in the \target folder of your development machine's Windows CE Tools directory. In the default installation, the StrongArm version of REGSVRCE.EXE is found at C:\Windows CE Tools\wce300\MS Pocket PC\target\arm\REGSVRCE.EXE. Copy the appropriate REGSVRCE.EXE to your device.

When REGSVRCE.EXE is present on your device, start it up by tapping it in the File Explorer. Enter the path, as shown in Figure 6.1, to the pimstore.dll you copied over and tap OK. The result displays in a message box. Unfortunately, the message box will "fall behind" the File Explorer, so you need to use the Start menu's Today command to find the message box.

Installation on a Development Computer

POOM doesn't really install onto the desktop computer, but places its DLL files onto your development machine. When you create a project that uses the POOM DLL (pimstore_*****.dll), you need to use the Browse button of the Project References dialog to find the DLL and select it. You can select any of the POOM DLLs as they are only used for a reference to the type library contained within. This will enable eVB to display IntelliSense functionality for POOM.

Note

eVB might tell you that the DLL isn't marked as useable in your current platform and ask if you want to use it anyway. Answer Yes.