Limitations of Windows Mobile 2003 Se and .NET Compact Framework

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Guest

I am currently exploring .NET and Windows mobile devices. I've downloaded all
the necessary SDK and I can easily build and deploy .NET applications to my
T-Mobile SDA.

When I read the help files, I get brief tutorials on how to make a simple
WinForms application. But I'd like to access the functions of the phone (SMS,
bluethooth, make phone calls).

When I read further I get a lot of infomation about P/Invoke. But I don't
want to use P/Invoke, I want to stick purely to .NET.

My question is: How limited is the library? What classes are implemented and
what not? Can I find a web page or help file that gives me detailed
information of which classes are implemented and how to use them?

Thank you.
 
I'd highly encourage you to review the Smart Device Framework
at www.opennetcf.org. The SDF contains extentions to the .NET
Compact Framework that address many of the shortcomings of
CF1.0 and has much of the P/Invoke code you would have to write
yourself already packaged and tested.
--
Darren Shaffer
..NET Compact Framework MVP
Principal Architect
Connected Innovation
www.connectedinnovation.com
 
So what's your reasoning behind not wanting to P/Invoke? Do you realize
that even the CF libraries P/Invoke, since that's the only way to call the
OS APIs. Sticking to purely .NET with CF 1.0 will yield to one of 2 things:
a severly crippled and featureless application that any competitor can
quickly beat or the realization that a managed CE application cannot provide
much meaningful use without calling APIs currently not wrapped by the
Compact Framework.

P/Invocation should not be feared. It's not some arcane, magical or
mystical craft reserved for those with pointy hats and wands. Understanding
P/Invoke simply requires understanding how the managed an unmanaged worlds
of code communicate with one another. Learning that facet will actually
make you a better developer and help you in your debugging skills.

-Chris
 
Heheh I'm not afraid of the unmanaged world. I'm looking for consistency in
developing code. I'd rather stick to higher level functions which can easily
be called to do everything I want to.

The problem with the unmanaged world is that yes, you make more powerful and
more stable apps. I totally agree with what you said. But I'm looking for
speed and ease of devlopement, not for performance.

Time is money.
 
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