Smartphone: Class Library Comparison Tool

[David Baldauff]

All,

Looking at the Class Library Comparison Tool it appears that it is
only accurate for the Pocket PC. Is the Compact Framework team also
going to release information on the subset of .NET that constitutes
the Smartphone subset as well? As an example of one difference: the
SQLServerCE namespace does not exist for the Smartphone. I know there
are also differences on what controls are supported.

The problem I have is I am trying to create a reusable library that
targets the desktop, Pocket PC and Smartphone all at once. Currently
it is difficult to tell developers how to do this. The Class Library
Comparison Tool is the closest thing I have found, however, it also
seems to be limited to being accurate for the Pocket PC.

Any thoughts on how I can determine what the common subset is for all
platforms?

 

[Joe Bork [MSFT]]

Hello David,

In general, the functionality provided by the Compact Framework on the
Pocket PC platform is the same as on the Smartphone 2003 platform. There
are some significant differences in support for Windows Forms controls,
however. For example, the Smartphone does not support many of the controls
available on the Pocket PC (Button, ListView, InputPanel, etc.). The
Smartphone also lacks support for SQL CE 2.0 (as well as the DataGrid
control).

Are there specific areas of functionality that you're concerned about?
Probably the easiest way to develop type libraries for multiple platforms
is to do your development on the most restrictive platform you want to
support (like the Smartphone). If you don't use any platform-specific
features, then the binary your produce should work on both Smartphone an
Pocket PC devices.

--Joe

--
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

--------------------
| From: (e-mail address removed) (David Baldauff)
| Subject: Smartphone: Class Library Comparison Tool
| Date: 15 Dec 2003 15:34:03 -0800
|
| All,
|
| Looking at the Class Library Comparison Tool it appears that it is
| only accurate for the Pocket PC. Is the Compact Framework team also
| going to release information on the subset of .NET that constitutes
| the Smartphone subset as well? As an example of one difference: the
| SQLServerCE namespace does not exist for the Smartphone. I know there
| are also differences on what controls are supported.
|
| The problem I have is I am trying to create a reusable library that
| targets the desktop, Pocket PC and Smartphone all at once. Currently
| it is difficult to tell developers how to do this. The Class Library
| Comparison Tool is the closest thing I have found, however, it also
| seems to be limited to being accurate for the Pocket PC.
|
| Any thoughts on how I can determine what the common subset is for all
| platforms?
|

 

[David Baldauff]

Joe,

I am concerned generally that if I am coding for the Pocket PC I need
my assemblies to be compatible across platforms (to the Smartphone as
well.)

I am also concerned about creating a solution based upon SQL Server CE
2.0. I need my solution to eventually work for both platforms. I
have heard about the upcoming eDB and am hoping that is the answer,
but haven't heard anything about the managed side of eDB. I assume
that there will be managed access to eDB and that it will be
equivalent on both platforms (Pocket PC and Smartphone.)

Finally the most important thing I could take away from this is how
portable will the SQLServerCE namespace be to eDB?

Thanks in advance,

Dave Baldauff

 

[Ginny Caughey [MVP]]

Dave,

Until .NetCFv2 is in beta, I don't think any of us knows yet. At PDC I saw
some very interesting new classes designed for working with SqlCE3 that will
be more performant than using DataSets because they eliminate redundant
buffering, but I don't know yet if SqlCe3 will be available for Smartphone.
I also don't know yet what the managed classes for working with the native
database will look like. Since your goal is to write code that is as
portable as possible between PocketPC and Smartphone, I'd suggest
considering using business classes that abstract away the part where you
have to read and write to a data store. That way you could use one subclass
for PocketPC and a different one for Smartphone if necessary.
--
Ginny Caughey
..Net Compact Framework MVP

Joe,

I am concerned generally that if I am coding for the Pocket PC I need
my assemblies to be compatible across platforms (to the Smartphone as
well.)

I am also concerned about creating a solution based upon SQL Server CE
2.0. I need my solution to eventually work for both platforms. I
have heard about the upcoming eDB and am hoping that is the answer,
but haven't heard anything about the managed side of eDB. I assume
that there will be managed access to eDB and that it will be
equivalent on both platforms (Pocket PC and Smartphone.)

Finally the most important thing I could take away from this is how
portable will the SQLServerCE namespace be to eDB?

Thanks in advance,

Dave Baldauff

(e-mail address removed) (Joe Bork [MSFT]) wrote in message

Hello David,

In general, the functionality provided by the Compact Framework on the
Pocket PC platform is the same as on the Smartphone 2003 platform. There
are some significant differences in support for Windows Forms controls,
however. For example, the Smartphone does not support many of the controls
available on the Pocket PC (Button, ListView, InputPanel, etc.). The
Smartphone also lacks support for SQL CE 2.0 (as well as the DataGrid
control).

Are there specific areas of functionality that you're concerned about?
Probably the easiest way to develop type libraries for multiple platforms
is to do your development on the most restrictive platform you want to
support (like the Smartphone). If you don't use any platform-specific
features, then the binary your produce should work on both Smartphone an
Pocket PC devices.

--Joe

--
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

--------------------
| From: (e-mail address removed) (David Baldauff)
| Subject: Smartphone: Class Library Comparison Tool
| Date: 15 Dec 2003 15:34:03 -0800
|
| All,
|
| Looking at the Class Library Comparison Tool it appears that it is
| only accurate for the Pocket PC. Is the Compact Framework team also
| going to release information on the subset of .NET that constitutes
| the Smartphone subset as well? As an example of one difference: the
| SQLServerCE namespace does not exist for the Smartphone. I know there
| are also differences on what controls are supported.
|
| The problem I have is I am trying to create a reusable library that
| targets the desktop, Pocket PC and Smartphone all at once. Currently
| it is difficult to tell developers how to do this. The Class Library
| Comparison Tool is the closest thing I have found, however, it also
| seems to be limited to being accurate for the Pocket PC.
|
| Any thoughts on how I can determine what the common subset is for all
| platforms?
|