• Comparison in choosing the good technology for developing in Windows Mobile
• How to start programming a Windows Mobile Application
• Win32 Tutorial
• Framework for .Net Mobile Development
• Testing tool – Application Verifier for Pocket PC
• Windows Mobile Programming Tips and Techniques

At the beginning my dilemma was if to use the .Net Compact framework or not for my application. It was quite difficult to integrate it with Open GL ES so I decided not to use it.

1. Click File ->Import Symbian Project.

2. In the dialog box that appears, as project file, specify the path to the bld.inf file of your project and select the project type from the drop down list below(in my case is Symbian 9) and click Next

3. In the Solution Settings dialog box select the SDK you want to use for your application(in my case S60 3.0 FP2). Here you can choose if you want your solution to be executed on the emulator(check the WINSCV checkbox) and on the phone(check the GCCE checkbox)

4. Click Finish.

Now you can see all your project files included in a Visual Studio solution. In order to launch the application on the emulator just choose WINSCV configuration, like in the image below and run your application.

One problem I encountered, I don’t know if is normal or not, is the fact that the application is installed when you run the project from Visual Studio. The emulator is launched, but for a few seconds a white screen is displayed and after the main starting screen shows up. In order to launch the program I opened the Menu folder -> Instalations and I launched my application from there.

For running it on the phone, the GCCE configuration must be chosen and the solution launched. In order to communicate by USB cable with the phone, you will need to download the PC Suite from Nokia.The application will be installed on the phone but you will have to go as well in the Installed folder to launch it.

So, some few more start-up hints:

1. Some general things about Symbian.

2. Some tools and SDKs for Symbian can be found on the Symbian Developer Network site. As far as I have seen the SDKs are free but you have to register in order to use them.
For my Nokia N95 application I downloaded the S60 3rd Edition SDK. As IDE you can choose between:
– Carbide C++ : based on the Eclipse platform. Comes in three “flavors”: Express, Developer and Proffesional. Only the Express version is free.
– Carbide VS, this is a plug-in for Visual Studio that allows you to develop C++ Symbian projects in Visual Studio 2005 and 2003. The plugin is free to download and use.
– CodeWarrior IDE that i think also needs a paied licence.
For Carbide and Carbide VS you have the emulator included.

3. Information about 3D applications in Symbian devices.

4. An implementation of OpenGL ES on Symbian for the desired platform. You can download it from here. And here you can see a list of questions that might help you a little more. After installing the SDK, you will notice it has included very good documentation, training courses and demos on how to start implementing OpenGL ES applications.

For the PDF version click here.
Soon I will add also the source code for the application I developed and give some hints about usefull tutorials!

* MessageBeep function is useful when you need to play a system alert.
MessageBeep(0xFFFFFFFF);

* PlaySound function should be used to play a .wav file from any source (file, resources and memory.

PlaySound(_T(”\\Windows\\empty.wav”), NULL, SND_ASYNC | SND_FILENAME);

* waveOut… functions are useful to play custom sound that is generated by your program. These functions are often used in games development.

The IDE used to develop it has been VSTO 2005 Proffesional Edition and we have also used the Windows Mobile 5.0 Pocket PC SDK. In order to see how to setup a project and create a “Hello World” application you can check Microsoft’s tutorial.

In order to be able to add a custom menu to the application, open the resource panel and from the Menu folder start customizing the .dlg file. In my application I added a File→Exit menu and an Options→Option1,Options→Option2 menus. They will be defined in the resourceppc.h header file.

#define ID_FILE_EXIT 32771
#define ID_OPTIONS_OPTION1 32772
#define ID_OPTIONS_OPTION2 32773


In the WndProc produre, we will handle the messages in the main window and for the WM_Create message we will build the menu bar.

case WM_CREATE:

break;

Each of the submenus will be handeled when the WM_COMMAND message is received:

case WM_COMMAND:

wmId = LOWORD(wParam);
wmEvent = HIWORD(wParam);
// Analyse les sélections de menu :
switch (wmId)
{
case IDM_HELP_ABOUT:
DialogBox(g_hInst, (LPCTSTR)IDD_ABOUTBOX, hWnd, About);
break;
case IDM_OK:
SendMessage (hWnd, WM_CLOSE, 0, 0);
break;
case ID_FILE_EXIT:
SendMessage (hWnd, WM_CLOSE, 0, 0);
break;
case ID_OPTIONS_OPTION1:
DialogBox (g_hInst, // Handle to the application instance.
(LPCTSTR)IDD_DIALOG1, // Identifies the dialog box template.
hWnd, // Handle to the owner window.
ReplaceDialogProc); // Pointer to the dialog box procedure.
break;
case ID_OPTIONS_OPTION2:
DialogBox (g_hInst, // Handle to the application instance.
(LPCTSTR)IDD_DIALOG2, // Identifies the dialog box template.
hWnd, // Handle to the owner window.
ReplaceDialogProc); // Pointer to the dialog box procedure.
break;
default:
return DefWindowProc(hWnd, message, wParam, lParam);
}
break;

For each of the options chosen a custom dialog box will be displayed:

DialogBox (g_hInst, // Handle to the application instance.
(LPCTSTR)IDD_DIALOG2, // Identifies the dialog box template.
hWnd, // Handle to the owner window.
ReplaceDialogProc); // Pointer to the dialog box procedure.

It is important to know that for desingning dialog boxes you have to make sure to design one for the wide screen and one for the tight screen and to make sure to choose the right one according to the screen resolution. The example below shows how to choose the right About dialog box according to the phone’s settings.

#ifdef _DEVICE_RESOLUTION_AWARE

#endif

In order to handle the mouse events and the key events, the application must handle the mouse button and the key pressed messages:

case WM_LBUTTONDOWN:

//if the space key was pressed
if (wParam == VK_SPACE)
{
MessageBox(hWnd,L"You pressed Space.", L"Space key", MB_OK | MB_ICONINFORMATION);
}
else
{
MessageBox(hWnd,L"You have not pressed Space key.", L"Space key", MB_OK | MB_ICONINFORMATION);
}
}
break;

In our sample application when the left mouse button is clicked, a message will be displayed on the screen. If the Space key is pressed, a message box will appear confirming the user that he has pressed the Space key, or if not, other key.

The mobile phone or cell phone is a long-range, portable electronic device used for mobile communication. In addition to the standard voice function of a telephone, current mobile phones can support many additional services such as SMS for text messaging, email, packet switching for access to the Internet, and MMS for sending and receiving photos and video.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_phone

Smartphone

A smartphone is a mobile phone offering advanced capabilities beyond a typical mobile phone, often with personal computer like functionality. There is no industry standard definition of a smartphone.

For some, a smartphone is a phone which runs complete operating system software providing a standardized interface and platform for application developers. For others, a smartphone is simply a phone with advanced features.

The most common operating systems (OS) used in smartphones are:

• Symbian OS from Symbian Ltd. (72.4% Market Share)
• Linux operating system (13.3% Market Share)
• Windows Mobile from Microsoft (6.1% Market Share)
• RIM BlackBerry operating system (5.3% Market Share)
• Palm OS developed by PalmSource (now a subsidiary of ACCESS). (1.6% Market Share)
• OS X from Apple Inc. (1.3% Market Share)

Market Share data from Canalys report “Worldwide smart mobile device market, Canalys Q2 2007″
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smartphone

PDA

Personal digital assistants (PDAs) are handheld computers, but have become much more versatile over the years. PDAs are also known as pocket computers or palmtop computers.

PDAs have many uses: calculation, use as a clock and calendar, accessing the Internet, sending and receiving e-mails, video recording, typewriting and word processing, use as an address book, making and writing on spreadsheets, scanning bar codes, use as a radio or stereo, playing computer games, recording survey responses, and Global Positioning System (GPS).

Newer PDAs also have both color screens and audio capabilities, enabling them to be used as mobile phones (smartphones), web browsers, or portable media players. Many PDAs can access the Internet, intranets or extranets via Wi-Fi, or Wireless Wide-Area Networks (WWANs). Many PDA’s employ touch screen technology.

Typical features:

Currently, a typical PDA has a touch screen for entering data, a memory card slot for data storage and at least one of the following for connectivity: IrDA, Bluetooth and/or WiFi.

However, many PDAs (typically those used primarily as telephones) may not have a touch screen, using softkeys, a directional pad and either the numeric keypad or a thumb keyboard for input.

Software typically required to be a PDA includes:
an appointment calendar, a to-do list, an address book for contacts
some sort of note program. Connected PDAs also typically include e-mail and Web support.

The most common operating systems (OS) used in PDAs are Palm OS – owned by PalmSource, Windows Mobile Professional and Classic for use on Pocket PCs, (based on the Windows CE kernel) – owned by Microsoft, BlackBerry OS – owned by Research In Motion.

Many operating systems based on the Linux kernel – free (not owned by any company) These include:

• Familiar (comes in three flavours: GPE, Opie and barebone),
• OpenZaurus (for Zaurus PDAs),
• Intimate (for PDAs with an exceedingly large amount of memory),
• Symbian OS (formerly EPOC) owned by Motorola, Panasonic, Nokia, Samsung, Siemens and Sony Ericsson

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_digital_assistant<

Pocket PC

A Pocket PC, abbreviated P/PC or PPC, is a hardware specification for a handheld-sized computer (Personal digital assistant) that runs the Windows Mobile operating system. It may have the capability to run an alternative operating system like NetBSD or Linux. It has many of the capabilities of modern desktop Pcs.

Currently there are thousands of applications for handhelds adhering to the Microsoft Pocket PC specification, many of which are freeware. Some of these devices also include mobile phone features. Microsoft compliant Pocket PCs can also be used with many other add-ons like GPS receivers, barcode readers, RFID readers, and cameras.

According to Microsoft, the Pocket PC is “a handheld device that enables users to store and retrieve e-mail, contacts, appointments, tasks, play multimedia files, games, exchange text messages with Windows Live Messenger (Formally known as MSN Messenger), browse the Web, and more.

For instance, any device which is to be classified as a Pocket PC must:

• Run Microsoft’s Windows Mobile, PocketPC edition
• Come bundled with a specific suite of applications in ROM. Note : the name Windows Mobile includes both the Windows CE operating system and a suite of basic applications along with a specified user interface.
• Include a touchscreen
• Include a directional pad or touchpad
• Include a set of hardware application buttons
• Be based on an ARM version 4 compatible CPU, Intel XScale CPU, MIPS CPU or SH3 CPU. (As of the Pocket PC 2002 specification, ARM-based CPUs are required.)

Operating System Versions:

Microsoft’s current release is Windows Mobile 6, internally code-named “Crossbow’”. It was officially released by Microsoft on February 12, 2007 and Microsoft has promised that it will work seamlessly with Windows Vista.

Windows Mobile 5.0 marked the convergence of the Phone Edition and Professional Edition operating systems into one system that contains both phone and PDA capabilities.

A ‘Phone’ application was included in the OS, and all PIM applications were updated to interface with it. Windows Mobile 5.0 was compatible with Microsoft’s Smartphone operating system and was capable of running Smartphone applications.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_phone