software to develop pocket pc software

[jason78944545]

hi,
i have tested the visual studio 2005 for pocket pc and the result was not the best many functions simple dont work in this compact framework and i looking for a alternative can any one help me and tell me a good alternative?
thanks a lot for your help

[szlamany]

We developed a robust network-SQL-to-mobile-SQLCE app with VS 2005.

Granted the COMPACT FRAMEWORK is missing many features - but most of these can be worked around.

What were the most important features missing from the CF that makes you want to go elsewhere??

[jason78944545]

hi,
first at all i new in mobile programming so i looking for the best app to develop all projects that i need.
i have tryed the 2005 and i have facing some problems that never see before 1-first at all the winsock and others controls simple dont exist so if i need send/receive data i must use socks that simple dont work in cf as work in regular vb.net
them i have spend more time study this socks that so far is not 100% and the help and resource that i have found is praticly null
2-the time that i spend to develop a simple code...i cant' debug a project and the time that i spend waiting for the app run in device or on the emulator is simple amazing when i creat some app for the pda i need start doing others things at some time or take a cafe until the program starts
3-other great problem that i facing is the little information that i have found for creat what i need to, all resource works nice in framework but in compactframework is a diferent story i have tested some time ago the sql-server and ok you are right i dont have any problems but they work after some hours working on the code... and this never append before.

Just for creat a simple app i spend many time because all functions that i use in framework 1,2 simple dont work

and like you say these can be worked around but and the time that we spend to do this? there is no better solution? using less time and less work?
so i looking for a alternative that can debug in runtime as normal and more fast in testing the app in a mobile device if possible of course
you know a way to work around this in 2005?
thanks for your attention

[szlamany]

The expert in all things mobile around here is PeteVick - I'm sure he'll come around and give that post of yours some attention. You gave specific items that are hard to work with - let's see what his opinion is.

[jason78944545]

ok thanks i will wait,
until them i will try test the evb that i found

[Shaggy Hiker]

Don't even TEST eVB, it is a miserable piece of dung. It uses VBScript, which is a mutant perversion of VB. I heard that it wouldn't run on newer system, either.

You don't need to use sockets on the CF, you need to use TCPClient. I have a thread in this forum that has a class that might be used for some of that, though it was written in 2003, and 2005 may well have more features. Sockets would be an underlying object, and not nearly as nice to use. You shouldn't have much difficulty with the features in the CF for network communication.

Deployment time is a bit slower on the CF than it is for desktop apps, but you make it sound like you find it to be MUCH slower. The difference should only be a few seconds. If you are seeing a difference of a minute or so, then something else is going wrong.

I'd say that documentation for programming the CF is significantly worse than documentation for programming desktop apps, but I guess that's understandable. There are a few good books out there on the subject, but only a few, where hundreds exist for desktop apps.

The biggest omissions I see in the CF are in the controls that are supported. You really do have to be more clever with CF apps than you do with desktop apps. To get some of the controls, you have to layer controls on controls, which can take a bit of thought. Each control offers some functionality, such as the panel, which allows clicking events. By putting a label on a panel, it can act like a button, or can be used to make various kinds of listboxes. It's more tricky, but it's all possible.

[petevick]

Hi,
as usual, I agree with Shaggy

Avoid eVB - a massive step backwards.

1) Look at the system.net namespace, and TCPClient -far superior and more flexible than Winsock.

2) Try starting up the emulator, and then 'connect' and see if that makes a difference. Also, if you reset the emulator, everything gets deployed again. When you run your project, take a look at the 'output' window - that will tell you what is being copied. Generally, testing on a device/emulator is little slower than testing a windows forms app.

3) CF is a cut-down version, but, with a little thought and research, you can get around most things. Sites like this generally contain great info and helpful people.

HTH

Pete

[jason78944545]

hi,
have you any example that can send/receive using socks or TCPClient?
so far i don´t see nothing that works for me
i can connect to server and send message ok, but when i try to receive and i put in listen mode the app simple block and wait for the packet but the app can receive the info but simple block and only return to normal if a send a command the them to shutdown even with a timer is blocked
thanks for your help

[sapator]

I'm no expert in sockets but can't u use an asynchronous operation to listen to?
Or use threading so you will not block the application?

[Shaggy Hiker]

My information is dated in this case, because I only worked on that for .NET 2003. I suppose it may have changed, but back then the pocket pc couldn't listen for connections, it HAD to be the client, and the desktop HAD to be the server.