Essential Windows(r) CE Application Programming - Softcover

Burdick, Robert

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0471327476 ISBN 13: 9780471327479

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Inc, 1999

Synopsis

The indispensable guide to writing clean CE applications, including real-world tips, techniques, and workarounds.

Microsoft's Windows CE operating system is quickly finding its way into a wide variety of information appliances like Handheld and Palm-size PCs, television set top boxes, smart telephones, and electronic books. Robert Burdick gives you a thorough tutorial for programming the essential features of Windows CE. Using a complete sample application, each chapter provides comprehensive coverage of the programming techniques required to take advantage of a specific Windows CE feature. As Windows CE continues to evolve into the industry standard for information appliances and mobile computing platforms, Essential Windows CE Application Programming will prove to be your most valuable programming resource. Inside you will find:
* A look behind the curtain at the architecture of the Windows CE operating system.
* Programming building blocks like Windows CE controls and dialog boxes.
* In-depth insight into the desktop connectivity features of Windows CE.
* Complete coverage of Windows CE persistent storage programming.
* Custom user-interface programming.
* Lessons for programming Windows CE at the API level.
* Extensive samples of Windows CE application code.

On the CD-ROM you'll find:
* Source code for all sample programs in the book.

About this title

Review

Essential Windows CE Application Programming stresses efficient programming in C rather than C++ and shows how to write software for today's Windows CE platform.

After a quick introduction to Windows CE and handheld devices, author Robert Burdick provides a working template for a basic application. He then explains dialog boxes, basic controls, and common controls, such as the calendar and date-time-picker controls. The menu system in Windows CE is quite specialized, and Burdick demonstrates how to use its command bars effectively, providing tool tips along the way.

Other sections cover storage in Windows CE, starting with its file system; the Windows CE database APIs, including an example that stores phone numbers; and the Win32 registry. The best material in this book, however, is the coverage of owner-draw and custom controls in Windows CE. (This expertise, once standard fare for most Windows developers, has been largely superseded by ActiveX controls.) The author shows how to customize buttons for an ATM kiosk application. He also covers the Windows CE Custom Draw Service and how to create standalone custom controls. Further sections look at using the built-in HTML viewer control, inputting text with the rich ink control, and even recording sound.

The last sections of the book turn to data synchronization APIs, used to send files between handheld devices and desktops, plus memory and power-management issues. --Richard Dragan

About the Author

ROBERT BURDICK has been working in the computer industry for ten years and has worked with Windows CE for the past two years. His experiences include codeveloping the user-interface components of the Windows CE operating system and writing software for Philips Mobile Computing Group and Vadem Corporation.

Edition details

• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Inc
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0471327476
• ISBN 13: 9780471327479
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 460