- Introduction
- Windows CE: More Than iPAQ!
- Microsoft eMbedded Visual Tools
- .NET Development
- Conclusion
.NET Development
As you might have expected, Microsoft's .NET application framework juggernaut has also set its sites on the Windows CE platform. Microsoft has announced plans to provide the .NET "Compact Framework" for resource-constrained devices so that they can take advantage of .NET's Common Language Runtime (CLR) and XML Web Services (using SOAP). In addition to code reuse and language neutrality (VB code will be able to call C# code, for example, thanks to the .NET CLR), the .NET Compact Framework will ensure that all code is running within a managed environment, allowing the operating system to enforce security restrictions and prevent a single application from bringing down the whole device. With the .NET Compact Framework, applications are also insulated from the underlying device architecture; all bytecode is interpreted within the .NET framework, eliminating the need to compile your app for a specific chipset. To begin developing .NET applications for WinCE devices today, you can use Microsoft Visual Studio .NET in combination with the Smart Device Extensions. Pocket PC 2002 devices will initially be supported by the .NET Compact Framework, to be followed by other WinCE platforms shortly thereafter.