Better multiple forms or.....?

[carnivore]

Hello

I have to write an application to MC1000 terminal

http://www.symbol.com/mc1000
Microsoft Windows CE 4.2 Core
32MB RAM/32MB ROM

and I think that small memory size could become a problem.

Should I use multiple forms (5-6) or one form with multiple panels?

What is a general rule?

Application
5-6 user screens with textbox, buttons, on one forms one DataGrid
SqlCe database (size 5MB)

Does anyone write application to this terminal? Any suggestion?

thanks

 

[Guest]

Keep in mind that default behavior is for a form to load all controls on it
when it loads, so having each panel and its child controls load when the form
loads could take a bit of memory (and time).

One solution that may work for you is to create custom composite controls -
these are controls that contain other controls (e.g. textbox, button, etc) -
and dynamically load these onto your form instead of using panels. It would
also be possible to use this approach with panels or a tab control.
Regardless, the point is, in a single-form approach, to dynamically load your
controls versus stacking them on tabs or panels and taking the hit when the
form loads (note that this can also make for a challenging design-time
experience as well).

You may need to run through several options to see what generates best
performance for your application on your device.

Also, be aware of what else is running on the device while your application
is running that could consume significant memory.