New to .Net

[Paul Ilacqua]

I have an Dell Axim with Windows Mobile 2003. I also have VB net and am
experienced at VB 6 & SQL Server. How can I write a quick program to get to
my SQL Server and then I can expand on the concept. Documentation is very
little in writing a quickie and getting it onto the hand held. Please help
if you can.
Thank you
Paul

 

[William Ryan eMVP]

Paul:

You can reference full SQL Server from your device pretty much the same as
you would from the desktop. Make sure you have a reference the the
SQLClient library.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/sqlce/htm/_lce_sqlclient_705.asp
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/sqlce/htm/_lce_sqlclient_705.asp
Using SQL Server CE is another pretty cool way to do things, but I don't
get the feeling that's what you are asking about. I'm not sure how much you
are asking about, but basically you'll create a new project, choose Smart
Device Appliction , the Smart Device Application wizard will ask you to
target the platform (Pocket PC) and type Windows Application (unless you
want to create another type). You can then add your refernces, build your
ui and do things pretty much like a full framework app. You have two
deployment options, the device or the emulator. If you have your device
cradled it will load the framework if it's not there (this is when you
build), and load your app. Debugging is somewhat limited, I'll warn you of
that now but you can still set breakpoints and most of the major things.
Inherently there's not Debug.WriteLine or Console.WriteLine but you can use
your own preference to notify yourself of what's going on.

Anyway, the first place to start if you want to get into CF development is
www.opennetcf.org .They have many samples and to be honest, I'd download
their SDF before I did much more if I had any plans on doing any serious CF
development. You don't technically need it just to hit a SQL Server and pull
over data, but it fills in the gaps on the CF and if your app is anythign
more than a recreatinoal thing you're doing to play around, the OpennetCF
library will help you out tremendously.

The quickstart tutorials will also be helpful
http://samples.gotdotnet.com/quickstart/compactframework/doc/default.aspx
This should get you on your way.

HTH,

Bill

--
W.G. Ryan MVP Windows - Embedded

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[Jon Skeet [C# MVP]]

I have an Dell Axim with Windows Mobile 2003. I also have VB net and am
experienced at VB 6 & SQL Server. How can I write a quick program to get to
my SQL Server and then I can expand on the concept. Documentation is very
little in writing a quickie and getting it onto the hand held. Please help
if you can.

I would seriously suggest writing a desktop app to start with, to get
up to speed with .NET. Even your desktop app shouldn't start off going
to the database:

1) Write some simple console applications which just do looping,
printing out numbers etc, to get used to any VB.NET syntax and concept
changes.

2) Write some simple console apps which get data from a database using
ADO.NET.

3) Write some simple GUI apps which don't involve databases.

4) Write a more complicated GUI app which *does* involve databases.

5) Write a simple GUI app on the compact framework which is basically
just "hello world"

6) Build that up so that it fetches some data from a database in a
*very* simple way (no GUI interaction beyond "press a button to do a
query")

7) Include user interaction (data binding etc)

In my experience you'll get a lot less frustrated by breaking it up
like this than trying to go straight for what may *seem* to be a
relatively simple app but which actually has a whole bunch of new
concepts in.

 

[Paul Ilacqua]

Bill,
Thanks for the quick reply, my VB .Net does not have the choice for Smart
Device application. I only have the standard edition maybe that's it. Per
another reply I already have extensive experience with VB4,5 & 6 and SQL
Server and have written some simple connection stuff from VB .NET to SQL
Server 2000. I just need to get the syntax to build a VB.NET - SQL Server
connection for the AXIM ("smart Device") I will check out some of the links.
Again thanks for the speedy reply.
Paul

 

[Earl]

To expand on what Jon says, ADO.Net is a huge amount of material to learn
all by itself. Unlike VBCE, I don't think it is feasible to expect to be
able to just jump right in and write a quick and dirty PPc database app with
CF. The only common theme between VBCE and CF is that they both were
released with a watered down set of controls.

 

[Paul Ilacqua]

I guess what I'm looking for is like the old simple "Welcome to Pubs" or
"Hello World" message boxes VB projects that will run on the mobile devices
(Axim). Once I can simply connect to my SQL Server through my Axim I'm off
and running.
Thanks
Paul

To expand on what Jon says, ADO.Net is a huge amount of material to learn
all by itself. Unlike VBCE, I don't think it is feasible to expect to be
able to just jump right in and write a quick and dirty PPc database app with
CF. The only common theme between VBCE and CF is that they both were
released with a watered down set of controls.

get

 

[Jon Skeet [C# MVP]]

I guess what I'm looking for is like the old simple "Welcome to Pubs" or
"Hello World" message boxes VB projects that will run on the mobile devices
(Axim). Once I can simply connect to my SQL Server through my Axim I'm off
and running.

But even that kind of "hello world" program is introducing various
concepts:

o The .NET framework
o The Compact Framework - a subset of the desktop framework (which is
what most of the docs you'll be reading are talking about) plus some
CF-specific things
o VB.NET syntax
o The process of developing/running apps on mobile devices

All of these things can (to a large extent) and should (as far as
possible, to start with) be separated, IMO.

If you start off with even the simplest "GUI + SQL access from mobile
device" project, there's too much to take in to start with, and you're
bound to make some assumptions which are invalid. By the time you've
worked out what those invalid assumptions are, you may have relied on
them for code throughout your project. Doing code right to start with
is a lot easier than fixing it up afterwards - and learning in "baby
steps" is the best way (IMO) to write decent code from the start.

 

[Paul Ilacqua]

Jon,
Thanks for the insight..... I'm an old dog @ 50, and I'm looking at
another steep learning curve with .NET and not sure if I have it in me.
Thanks again.
Paul

 

[William Ryan eMVP]

Ok, I didn't realize you only had standard. You'll probably want to pick up
a copy of Pro although technically you can build apps without it. there's a
piece on www.msmobiles.com about it, but not having the ide and emulator is
a lot more costly than VS Pro. Here's a link to getting the development
tools.
http://forums.devbuzz.com/Development_Tools_-_What_and_Where_to_get_them/m_23928/tm.htm
HTH,

Bill

--
W.G. Ryan MVP Windows - Embedded

http://forums.devbuzz.com
http://www.knowdotnet.com/dataaccess.html
http://www.msmvps.com/williamryan/

 

[Jon Skeet [C# MVP]]

Thanks for the insight..... I'm an old dog @ 50, and I'm looking at
another steep learning curve with .NET and not sure if I have it in me.

I'm sure you have. There's a lot of .NET to learn, but fortunately you
don't need to learn *all* of it at once. I've never really touched
serialization or remoting, for instance

It's well worth the effort - for the most part, it's a lovely
environment (although the compact framework *will* have you tearing
your hair out at times - there are some nasty bugs and missing
features). There are loads of people ready to help, too!

 

[Paul Ilacqua]

Can I get VB.Net Pro ? I can't seem to find it anywhere. I'll spend another
100.00 but not 500 for VS pro.
Thanks again.

Paul

 

[Paul Ilacqua]

Jon ,
The reason I get frustrated is .. all I want to do is develop apps for
the portables and I have had the software (VB. NET standard) for over a
month and I still cannot write a single line of code for my AXIM. I must
have the wrong version of VB to do it correctly and after downloading all of
the SDK's and emulators it still doesn't work. I'm not asking for an answer
but just venting my frustration. My VB 6 spoiled me, to be able to write a
functional App in an hour, to spending weeks using newsgroups (thank god for
them) to begin to write code.
Thanks for your help.
Paul

 

[Earl]

Several issues Paul:

Can you create a Smart Device Application when selecting New Project from
the menu?

If so, select PocketPC and WindowsApplication. Place a label on Form1 and
change the text properties to "Hello World". Select Debug -> Start. The
necessary files should load up into the emulator, before it runs your new
app, but most importantly, does the emulator appear?

If the emulator is working correctly, you can at least start designing the
UI. But to do more than that, I think you'll need at least 2 books. One on
ADO.Net and one on the Compact Framework. Answers here are not enough!!

Jon ,
The reason I get frustrated is .. all I want to do is develop apps for
the portables and I have had the software (VB. NET standard) for over a
month and I still cannot write a single line of code for my AXIM. I must
have the wrong version of VB to do it correctly and after downloading all of
the SDK's and emulators it still doesn't work. I'm not asking for an answer
but just venting my frustration. My VB 6 spoiled me, to be able to write a
functional App in an hour, to spending weeks using newsgroups (thank god for
them) to begin to write code.
Thanks for your help.
Paul

 

[Chris Tacke, eMVP]

Sorry to say that you have the wrong tool. It *must* be Studio, the
single-language editions don't have Smart Device Programmability.

-Chris

Jon ,
The reason I get frustrated is .. all I want to do is develop apps for
the portables and I have had the software (VB. NET standard) for over a
month and I still cannot write a single line of code for my AXIM. I must
have the wrong version of VB to do it correctly and after downloading all of
the SDK's and emulators it still doesn't work. I'm not asking for an answer
but just venting my frustration. My VB 6 spoiled me, to be able to write a
functional App in an hour, to spending weeks using newsgroups (thank god for
them) to begin to write code.
Thanks for your help.
Paul

 

[Paul G. Tobey [eMVP]]

As you may have heard, you need Visual Studio.NET, not just VB.NET, to do
Smart Device applications. VS.NET 2003 or later, specifically.

Paul T.

 

[Paul Ilacqua]

I have VB.NET but when it installs it tells me it's Visual Studio.NET
2003 with language VB.Net installed. When I start the program it tells me
it's Visual Studio.NET 2003 Standard. Are you saying I need something more ?
Thanks for the reply
Paul

 

[Paul G. Tobey [eMVP]]

Yes, you really need the VS.NET 2003 Pro. No, you can't get VB.NET Pro
only; you need the Studio product. If you are a professional developer, you
might consider MSDN, which has a lot of things in it besides VS.NET,
allowing you to keep up with all the latest capabilities of the various OSs.

Paul T.

I have VB.NET but when it installs it tells me it's Visual Studio.NET
2003 with language VB.Net installed. When I start the program it tells me
it's Visual Studio.NET 2003 Standard. Are you saying I need something more ?
Thanks for the reply
Paul

As you may have heard, you need Visual Studio.NET, not just VB.NET, to do
Smart Device applications. VS.NET 2003 or later, specifically.

Paul T.

http://forums.devbuzz.com/Development_Tools_-_What_and_Where_to_get_them/m_23928/tm.htm

and
SQL to
SQL

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/d...ibrary/en-us/sqlce/htm/_lce_sqlclient_705.asp but

I have
two when
you
http://samples.gotdotnet.com/quickstart/compactframework/doc/default.aspx net
and program Documentation