Database Users

Question for developers

I want to learn how to develop small apps for the pocket pc platform.
What language should I learn. What software do u use?
Visual Basic? c++ ? I am kinda stuck.
Can someone point me in the right direction... also where can I find good documentation on developing for this platform?
Thanks

visual studio .net 2003 let you make applications for the xda in c++, c# and basic
embedded visual studio let you make applications for the xda in c++ using mfc and win32
you can also use powerbuilder i think it's called
and gc as in the gnu compiler
which language you want to use is up to you really

Hi,
i just decompressed a .cab file found in my MDA compact extended rom:
Default_PhonePad_ITA_RC10.CAB
i found a lot of files....
0CeSetup.001
0CeSetup.999
IN05D9~1.020
IN71C6~1.016
etc..
etc...
the question is easy...
how can i open these files? What kind of language are those files programmed with?
thanks in advance

how can i open these files? What kind of language are those files programmed with?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
they would be Binary files as in already compiled files you it matter not which language they are written in as when they are compiled they are nothing but 0's and 1's
how you open them really depend on what you mean by opening them
if you mean that you want to run the application then you should not extract the files just doubleclick on the cab file and it autoinstall
if you mean how you edit cab files then there are many cab file editors
try doing a search in the forum or on google
if you mean that you want to decompile them back to code then i'm sure there are tools for that too but code which have already been compiled and then taken back to code looks very very bad
and you need to really understand win32 sdk to understand much of whats going on
decompilers should be able to decompile to what ever langauge they support no matter which language the program originaly was written in

Additional Programs
For Cabs: use the WinCE CAB Manager, download here: sorry forgot the link, just search here.
For ms_.nbf: use the windows mobile 2003 ROM Editor, download here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/download.php?id=3208

Rudegar said:
visual studio .net 2003 let you make applications for the xda in c++, c# and basic
embedded visual studio let you make applications for the xda in c++ using mfc and win32
you can also use powerbuilder i think it's called
and gc as in the gnu compiler
which language you want to use is up to you really
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Incorrect. Visual Studio.net 2003 lets you make c# questions for PocketPC, but nothing else. For C++ you needed embeddded visual studio.
Visual Studio.Net 2005 does add everything, but thats in beta.
btf

they would be Binary files as in already compiled files you it matter not which language they are written in as when they are compiled they are nothing but 0's and 1's
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ok, got it
if you mean that you want to decompile them back to code then i'm sure there are tools for that too but code which have already been compiled and then taken back to code looks very very bad
and you need to really understand win32 sdk to understand much of whats going on
decompilers should be able to decompile to what ever langauge they support no matter which language the program originaly was written in
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes, i meant this. Decompiling the cab file to read the code.
I thought there was a compiler for each language, that's why i was asking.
If somebody could suggest a free good decompiler....

well a cab file is not a program is more like a zip file
use the cab thingy mentioned and get the dll and exe files out of the cab file
here is what you would look for if the programs like most games is in pure ARM code
http://www.google.dk/search?q=arm+decompiler&btnG=Søg&hl=da
maybe this would help if you are trying to access .net
http://www.programmersheaven.com/search/download.asp?FileID=38892
how you go about it when you know something about the arm asm and maybe want to write your own decompiler
http://list.cs.brown.edu/pipermail/plt-scheme/2004-August/006284.html
maybe this
http://compilers.iecc.com/comparch/article/01-09-046
or if you feel luckey
http://www.google.dk/search?hl=da&q=pocketpc+decompiler&btnG=Søg&meta=

cab
my apology...cab is not a program...

REQUEST : getting started with wm5 development

can anyone point me in the direction of some help or a guide to getting started with wm5 dev ?
just looking for a "hello world" level walk through at the moment.
thanks in advance.

WM5 Dev
Get hold of Visual Studio .NET 2005 and examine the example programs Goodluck!

do i need to install the dotnet framework on wm5 or is it built-in ?
cheers

You need Active Sync 4 during development. You may wish to run the sample program in your WM5 device OR using a WM5 emulator. If you chose to run it on your device, cradle your device and VS.NET 2005 will install .NET compact framework on your device before it attempts to run your sample program using your device

thanks for taking the time to answer. i would have thought that the dotnet framework would have been built-in with wm5.
no-one likes to have to install extra programs to get an app to work.

I am not sure with the "newer" WM5 devices out there. I have an XDA II with the first leaked WM5 ROM and it does not have the latest .NET CF...
If you have a WM5 device, verify the .NET CF version you have by running: \Windows\cgautil.exe

i have 1.0.4292.00 installed on my wizard.
how does this compare to dotnet v1.1 or v2 ?
cheers.

I guess it is not the latest version. VS.NET 2005 needs CF v2 in order for programs to run properly.

Hi there.
I'm planning on embarking on PPC development journey as well.
Yet to get hold of VS.NET.
I was just wondering, if anyone would know how the app in the link works:
http://www.pocketpcfreewares.com/en/index.php?soft=338
Does it link to the registry, etc?
It obviously does not work on WM5, and I would appreciate if anyone could gimme a headstart on working one for WM5.
Thanks!

steelorange said:
I guess it is not the latest version. VS.NET 2005 needs CF v2 in order for programs to run properly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can develop .net CF 1.0 applications in VS.NET 2005. Then you don't need to install the .net CF 2.0 on the device. There are some handy things that's missing in 1.0, but almost everything can be done... just not as easy as in 2.0
Øystein

WM5 Developer advice ?

Hi,
I have Microsoft Visual basic NET ( just learning it ), I am upgrading from Visual Basic 6.0 .
I wish to develope a little application for my Jas Jar.
So please advise me as a complete newbie.
1) Is there a good book or other any documentation on step by step 'How to build' WM5 applications ?
2) I assume i can use MS Vb Net on Wm5 operating system ?
3) Using MS Vb Net, how do I build Wm5 applications ?
thx

This is something I wrote a while back when asked a similar question:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/viewtopic.php?t=37884&highlight=xbox
V

Getting started

Hi all,
I just bought an O2 XDA(ii). Regarding software development, what compiler is needed? I have Visual Studio 2003 and 2005, but isn't some sort of cross compiler needed for Windows Mobile?
Also, can the the .NET compact framework be installed on Windows Mobile? If so, will a Windows .NET app run on it?
Sorry for the basic questions, but one has to start somewhere!!
Thanks

Daeljan said:
Hi all,
I just bought an O2 XDA(ii). Regarding software development, what compiler is needed? I have Visual Studio 2003 and 2005, but isn't some sort of cross compiler needed for Windows Mobile?
Also, can the the .NET compact framework be installed on Windows Mobile? If so, will a Windows .NET app run on it?
Sorry for the basic questions, but one has to start somewhere!!
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In order to develop applications for pocket pcs, you need to download the sdks from Microsoft.
With VS2005 you can create .Net applications for pocket pcs and test them on an emulator or on the device directly.
There is a .Net framework installed on WM2005 pocket pcs.
Cheers,
.Fred

Excellent - thanks!

Which languages for WM devices?

I come from years of Symbian PDA owning/development, and I had several languages available, besides C++: OPL (Basic-like), PersonalJava, J2ME, MidletPascal, Python, Jython, m-Shell... all of them for FREE!
What are the alternatives on a WM machine? Can I only develop in C++, or have I some FREE alternatives?

do you mean languages or programming envioments ?
embedded visual studio is free if you mean envioments

Rudegar said:
do you mean languages or programming envioments ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
both.
I just found info about the embedded visual studio you talk about. I see c++ allows API access,but VB cannot. Any workaround?
I also found WABA and EWE: for the first, site states "you can write native code by modifing WABA sources"; I guess it means writing additional C++ code?
for the second, it says it allows accessing native functions: does it mean you can use EWE to start/receive calls, send/receive SMS, access COM port,...?

The following languages/interpreters are used nicely on HTC Typhoon:
1. Jython 2.2 for Java 1.1.8 SE (along with Personal Java CE 1.1 and the JDK runtime/library);
2. Perl CE 5.8.0 from the Rainer-Keuchel portings;
3. nScriptm HPCARM 0.104 by Nakka/ S/K;
4. Rebol CE 1.5.5 by Carl Sassenrath.
An advanced application manager such as SPHelper is needed to solve the pointing device stuff ...
There is a Smartphone patch for Python CE from one of the developers at SF.net released in March I did not try yet, (perhaps someone interested will) ...

anfd said:
The following languages/interpreters are used nicely on HTC Typhoon:
1. Jython 2.2 for Java 1.1.8 SE (along with Personal Java CE 1.1 and the JDK runtime/library);
2. Perl CE 5.8.0 from the Rainer-Keuchel portings;
3. nScriptm HPCARM 0.104 by Nakka/ S/K;
4. Rebol CE 1.5.5 by Carl Sassenrath.
An advanced application manager such as SPHelper is needed to solve the pointing device stuff ...
There is a Smartphone patch for Python CE from one of the developers at SF.net released in March I did not try yet, (perhaps someone interested will) ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks, that's very interesting, especially Jython: Is Java 1.1.8 supported by all HTC devices?

Yupp, it sure is ... but Sun Microsystems stopped releasing it alltogether to the end user, R.I.P Personal Java (this was the actual compatibility with CE) ...
The link is:
isiam.blogspot.com (I`ve made it as described) ...

anfd said:
Yupp, it sure is ... but Sun Microsystems stopped releasing it alltogether to the end user, R.I.P Personal Java (this was the actual compatibility with CE) ...
The link is:
isiam.blogspot.com (I`ve made it as described) ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that blog is just the reason for which I asked about PersonalJava compatibility
I use PJ compatible PDAs since several years (SonyEricsson p800, Motorola a1000...), and I'd like to continue being able to use PJ applications even when I'll pass to Windows PDA!

I guess you can add Python CE v2.5 to that list as well now ...
It`ll be working fine on every single WM version existing, although I did not test`em all:
http://downloads.sourceforge.net/pythonce/PythonCE.WM.CAB?modtime=1191509518&big_mirror=0