Developing Software for the Pocket PC

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Developing Softwarefor thePocket PC

• Stefan Negritoiu, Duke MUG
• stefan.negritoiu_at_duke.edu
• February 6, 2001

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Outline

• Administrative details
• Pocket PC
• Device features and options
• Windows CE
• Kernel, data storage, communications
• Graphics, user interfaces
• Development Tools
• Comparison, Conclusion and QA

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Administrative

• Websites
• www.StudentDev.org
• www.cs.duke.edu/stefann/MUG
• Joining and software distribution
• Pocket PC competition
• Rules
• Submitting

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Pocket PC - features

• Calendar, contacts
• Word, Excel, IE, email
• Money, Streets, Reader
• Color, games, multimedia
• Handwriting recognition and voice recorder
• Compaq, HP, Casio

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Pocket PC - expandability

• PCMCIA
• Wireless 802.11, Ethernet
• Modem, hard drive, etc
• Secondary battery
• Compact Flash
• Memory cards
• Ethernet, no 802.11 yet

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Windows CE - intro

• new, portable, real-time, modular 32-bit OS
  featuring popular Windows programming interfaces
  supported by tools that enable rapid development
  of embedded and dedicated systems - Inside MS
  Windows CE
• Current version - 3.0

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Windows CE architecture
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Windows CE - Kernel

• Multi-threaded
• Up to 32 processes, unlimited threads, 256
  priority levels
• Synchronization primitives, structured exception
  handling
• Kernel security
• Support for real-time
• Controllable thread quantum's

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Windows CE Data storage

• The Object Store
• Up to 256 MB addressable RAM, up to 32 MB per
  object, 4 mil objects
• Files
• Databases (structured storage)
• Registry (per-user and per-app settings)

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Windows CE Data storage

• Relational databases
• MS SQL Server 2000 for Win CE
• Req 1-3 MB of storage space
• ADO for Win CE
• Remote access to external database servers

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Windows CE IPC

• Support for COM and DCOM
• equivalent to Windows NT SP 5.
• Reuse existing components
• Support for message queuing
• Compatible with MSMQ for Win 98, NTand 2000
• Useful considering intermittent network
  connectivity

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Windows CEGraphics,Sound

• From no display to 32-bit SVGA
• Developers use GDI
• Raster and True Type fonts
• Pens, brushes, cursors, shape drawing
• Printing
• Support for DirectX 6.1, Media Player 6.4

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Windows CE Communications
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Windows CE Communications

• Most use Winsock
• Dont care whether transport is infra-red, or any
  other medium
• Windows networking
• Can map shares, can print to network printers
• Support for SNMP

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Windows CE Internet services

• Internet Connection Sharing
• DHCP, DNS, NAT
• Demand-dial packet routing
• Web, telnet servers, Crypto API

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Development Tools

• eMbedded Visual Tools 3
• Supercedes Win CE Visual Toolkit
• Visual C
• Visual Basic
• Complete with IDE, debugger and emulator
• Great samples in the SDK
• Documentation MSDN

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App Design Guidelines

• WinCE API is a subset of Win32 API
• WinCE uses Unicode only
• Power consumption check
• UI considerations
• Might not have display or keyboard
• Give the user control
• enable interactive discovery
• be consistent, provide feedback, simplicity
• support multiple input methods

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Comparison

• PalmPilot and derivatives dont have
• full text recognition
• Industry-standard PC card slot
• Makes them cheaper, but need proprietary hardware
  and code is not so portable
• Pocket PCs
• Familiar API, full-fledged OS, graphics and
  networking subsystems
• better chance for code reuse
• More expensive, at least for now

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A scenario (MyDuke.com)
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QA and URLs

• www.pocketpc.com
• www.microsoft.com/windows/embedded/ce/
• msdn.microsoft.com
• mailtostefan.negritoiu_at_duke.edu
• Inside Windows CE and Programming Windows CE
  from MS Press (available in mini-library)