Application targeting many devices and therefore screen sizes

[Lonifasiko]

I've already read many different articles about your application being
screen-orientation arare and dpi aware.

You know all devices have got different screen sizes. My application
should target as much devices as it could, and the application should
be shown in maximized mode all the time, without letting the user do
anything appart from interacting with the application. They cannot
click on "Start".......you know, I'm targeting elderly people.

How to control the issue of adapting the different forms and controls
inside them, to these different screen sizes? Should I define the
minimun screen size among all devices and adapt my application to this
device. I think it's not the idea because devices with higher screen
sizes would display large blank spaces on screen :-(

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks very much in advance.

 

[Peter Foot [MVP]]

With .NETCF v1.0 you have to do a lot of work manually to layout your forms
for screen size/shape changes, see this article for details:-
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/e...ing_orientation_and_resolution_aware_apps.asp

With .NETCF v2.0 there is support for docking and anchoring which makes this
somewhat easier.

Peter

 

[Lonifasiko]

Peter, I've already read many "orientation and dpi aware" kind
articles.I know in CF 1.0 the suggestion is create separate layout code
for each orientation.

My problem is not being orientation aware, it's related to screen size.
I consider this two topics as different issues. Am I correct or is is
basically the same problem?

Now, when building my forms in maximized mode, the size of the forms is
240x320. My iPAQ displays the forms correctly. What about another
device that could have maybe (240x280)? Controls in the botton of the
form wouldn't be displayed I understand.

Is there any solution to avoid this wihout having to create separate
layouts for each different device/different screen size?

Regards.

 

[Peter Foot [MVP]]

It's basically the same problem. If you want to create a single form which
adapts to multiple screen sizes you can use the same techniques, lay out
your designer for one particular layout, then handle the Resize event of the
form and change your layout based on the forms size at runtime.

Peter

 

[Daniel Moth]

....also a fallback would be to show scrollbars so all content can be
viewed... ugly but functional.

Cheers
Daniel

 

[Guest]

A third approach is to generate Forms for each target resolution (there
aren't an infinite set yet) and decide at run time which to use.

-Chris

 

[Robert Levy [MS]]

Be careful when using that approach on device's that support rotation...
it's easy to forget to transfer some important state information from one
form to another when you swap them during rotation.
--

-Robert Levy
Program Manager, Windows Mobile Developer Experience
http://blogs.msdn.com/windowsmobile

 

[Robert Levy [MS]]

In CFv1, this happens automatically for you. In CFv2, it also happens
automatically but you can turn it off with the AutoScroll property or make
it less ugly with the AutoScrollMargin property.