Windows Mobile Developer Network

VistaDB has just released VistaDB 3.0, a fully managed and typesafe SQL database engine designed for Microsoft .NET Framework, Compact Framework, Windows Vista and Mono. VistaDB enables .NET developers to build small yet robust WinForms and ASP.NET database applications that run on desktops, mobile devices and web servers.

Vista Software’s recently released VistaDB 3.0 ushers in the next generation of mobile development by enabling .NET developers to build fully managed and embedded SQL database applications for Windows Mobile 5.0 and Microsoft Compact Framework. The recent success of the Motorola Q Smartphone and the Palm Treo 700w Pocket PC have triggered demand for components and tools, such as VistaDB 3.0, that enable .NET developers to build mobile applications for these devices.

While developers have always been able to build mobile applications that connect to remote database servers, VistaDB 3.0 enables developers to build a new generation of embedded database applications that manage data locally on the mobile device without having to connect to a database server. Key features that the company hopes will help developers adopt VistaDB 3.0 include support for building WinForms and ASP.NET applications that run on desktops, mobile devices and web servers, SQL Server Transact-SQL syntax compatibility, small 600KB embedded footprint, full Unicode support, and royalty-free distribution.

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There is a new episode on MSDNTV by Microsoft Embedded MVP Maarten Struys about accessing PIM data from managed code.

Using the Windows Mobile 5.0 Managed APIs in combination with the .NET Compact Framework 2.0 it’s very easy to access Pocket Outlook information on your Pocket PC or Smartphone device. Microsoft Embedded MVP Maarten Struys shows how to do this using Visual Studio 2005.

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Microsoft has made available Windows CE Device Emulator source.

It is the source code to the V1 DeviceEmulator.exe. You can compile the emulator yourself, using Visual Studio 2005, and either run it as a standalone Windows application, or use its COM self-registration code to make it the default DeviceEmulator on your PC (meaning launch it and use it from Visual Studio 2005 and the Device Emulator Manager).

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Microsoft ActiveSync 4.2 is the latest sync software release for Windows Mobile-based devices. ActiveSync provides a great synchronization experience with Windows®-based PCs and Microsoft Outlook right out of the box. ActiveSync acts as the gateway between your Windows-based PC and Windows Mobile-based device, enabling the transfer of Outlook information, Office documents, pictures, music, videos and applications to and from your device. In addition to synchronizing with a desktop PC, ActiveSync can synchronize directly with Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 so that you can keep your e-mail, calendar data, tasks and contact information updated wirelessly when you’re away from your PC.

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With the growing popularity of square screen devices and the emergence of landscape screen Smartphones, Microsoft has come to the help of device developers by publishing the new Adapt Your App site. Here developers will find all the tools and information required to adapt their existing applications to the new and exotic screen resolutions. Cool!

Windows Mobile supports an increasing variety of screen resolutions and orientations. Here you’ll find the latest news, guidance, and tools to make it easier to Adapt Your App and keep your applications running on the latest device displays.

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Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Everywhere Edition (SQL Server Everywhere) is designed for developers who need light weight, in process relational database solution for their applications that can be developed and deployed on desktop as well as on mobile devices. The SQL Server Everywhere CTP contains the runtime bits that can be used to develop and deploy applications on desktop only. The RTW of SQL Server Everywhere will contain the device support for developing and deploying applications on mobile devices.

SQL Server Everywhere CTP is a powerful tool that makes it easy to develop desktop applications by supporting familiar Structured Query Language (SQL) syntax and providing a development model and API consistent with SQL Server. The SQL Server Everywhere CTP includes new features like |DataDirectory| support, ClickOnce support for ease of deployment.

For more information please see the Books Online.

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Resco has just released the Resco SmartGrid .NET v5.1, a powerful Grid control optimized for Microsoft Visual Studio .NET and the .NET Compact Framework.

This new version of one of the most popular Resco Developer controls has been significantly improved and now it supports such features as:
- Auto edit – built-in cell editing through TextBox, CheckBox, or a custom control
- Pixel by pixel horizontal scrolling
- Vertical scrolling optimization
- New properties and events added
- Improved performance

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Microsoft has just released the standalone version of the Windows Mobile 5 device emulator. This is great news because it includes the latest images and is a real ARM emulator, so you can actually use it in a standalone scenario (no Visual Studio attached) to demo your applications.

This release comes along with the OS Image for Windows Mobile 5.0 w/ Messaging and Security Feature Pack (MSFP). Using this OS image with the emulator will allow you to demonstrate and play with technologies like Direct Push. Better still, you can now include the emulator and OS images in your online training materials.

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Spb Software House and Pocket PC Developer Network sent five representatives to MEDC (Microsoft Mobile & Embedded DevCon). Read our impression about the conference and the list of our favorite sessions, check out some pictures and video clips.

In our opinion MEDC (Microsoft Mobile & Embedded DevCon) is by far the best conference for mobile and embedded developers. MEDC 2006 was not an exception from this rule. It was an extremely useful and well organized event. MEDC 2006 rocks!

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A new article at Pocket PC Developer Network by Joao Paulo Figueira that explains how to workaround an issue in ICommandWithParameters::GetParameterInfo.

The version of SQL Mobile that ships with Visual Studio 2005 incorrectly reports DateTime parameter’s size through the GetParameterInfo function of the ICommandWithParameters OLE DB interface.

The DBTYPE_DBTIMESTAMP type maps to a DBTIMESTAMP structure and, as you can clearly see, its size is 16.

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