Programming Microsoft Windows CE, Second Edition

"Programming Windows CE" guides Windows programmers through the unique problems and the new opportunities provided by Windows CE. The book covers all the new Win32 APIs supported by Windows CE as well as workarounds for Win32 APIs not supported. The book also covers programming techniques necessary when programming for memory-constrained environments. While MFC for Windows CE is discussed, the primary focus of the book is programming directly to the Windows CE API since that is what most programmers need to do to meet the size and speed requirements necessary for well-designed Windows CE programs. The Windows CE Software Development Kit and sample code are included on the CD.

With the growing popularity of the Windows CE platform, writing small, efficient applications is once again crucial. Doug Boling's Programming Microsoft Windows CE shows experienced Windows C programmers how to write lean-and-mean software for today's hand-held PCs.

After a quick introduction, this text moves to a basic Windows CE program written in C. Throughout the book, the author provides detailed technical knowledge of both the Window CE platform and C API. He covers basic graphics programming, including bitmaps, fonts, and basic Graphical Device Interface (GDI) functions, and then moves the tour of Windows CE to input, whether through a keyboard, stylus, or mouse. Sections on control and dialog-box programming show what's different about the more restricted Windows CE platform compared to ordinary Win32 programming.

The second half of the book presents some excellent information on issues specific to the Windows CE platform, including memory management, its new file system, and new database APIs. A thorough tour of Windows CE communications (whether over the Internet via sockets or infrared ports) will benefit every potential developer. So will the material on the Registry, installing Windows CE applications from desktops, and coordinating work between multiple threads and processes.

The book finishes with some strategies for cooperating with the Windows CE shell so that your programs are better integrated. --Richard Dragan