Ask Microsoft

10 Questions from developers for James Pratt, Product Manager
Windows Mobile developer platform

In this month's Ask Microsoft column we focus on developing applications for Windows Mobile. I've been the Product Manager for the Windows Mobile developer platform for the last two years. In that role, I get to work closely with developers internal and external to Microsoft, and use that experience to shape the future of mobile development.

Since Bill Gates launched Windows Mobile 5.0 in May, we've received a lot of questions on developing applications for the new OS. Here are some answers.

Windows Mobile 5.0 and Visual Studio 2005

1. What's new for developers in Windows Mobile 5.0?

You'll find detailed resources on the new features in Windows Mobile 5.0 on MSDN (http://msdn.microsoft.com/mobility/default.aspx?pull=/library/en-us/dnppcgen/html/whatsnew_wm5.asp). Windows Mobile 5.0 supports improved productivity through new managed code APIs that allow developers to access device-specific features like the built-in telephone, messaging, camera, contact and picture selection, and PIM data. It also provides new APIs for building gaming and multimedia applications including a programming interface for Windows Media player and new DirectX technologies (Direct3D, DirectDraw and DShow). Windows Mobile 5.0 enables developers to integrate with device-specific features in new ways through managed and native interfaces to the State and Notification Broker. Have you ever wondered how to do things like detect when a Windows Mobile Smartphone picks up a network connection? With the State and Notification Broker your application can receive alerts on that and 100 other states!

The new Contact Picker and Picture Picker dialogs are accessible to developers in Visual Studio 2005.

2. How do I build Windows Mobile 5.0 applications?

You'll need Visual Studio 2005 and the Windows Mobile 5.0 SDK. Visual Studio 2005 has lots of new features that enable developers to be more productive; for example, it has a user interface editor that can rotate your form at design time. You can get both Visual Studio 2005 and the Windows Mobile 5.0 SDK in the Developer Evaluation Kit (http://msdn.microsoft.com/mobility/windowsmobile/howto/resourcekit/default.aspx), which contains the Beta 2 version of Visual Studio 2005.

Visual Studio 2005 allows form rotation from portrait to landscape in the IDE.

3. Can I install Visual Studio 2005 together with eMbedded Visual C++ 3.0, 4.0 and Visual Studio .NET 2003?

Visual Studio 2005 will work side by side with eMbedded Visual C++ 4.0 and Visual Studio.NET 2003. Visual Studio 2005 will also happily co-exist with Platform Builder. Check the readme files that accompany Visual Studio 2005 for the latest information. On the mobile devices themselves, we also support side-by-side install of the .NET Compact Framework runtime (both 1.0 and 2.0) on Windows Mobile 5.0 devices. All Windows Mobile 5.0 devices come with .NET CF 1.0 SP3 in ROM, but a developer can choose to also deploy .NET CF 2.0 on the same device, and both runtimes will work side by side.

4. When do Visual Studio 2005 and Windows Mobile 5.0 release? How do I build and release my application for Windows Mobile 5.0 today?