Planning for the .NET Compact Framework

If you are developing applications for .NET and believe you may want to go to mobile devices in the future, then it is worth considering a few issues as you create full-fledged applications today. These considerations may make porting your .NET applications to the .NET Compact Framework much easier.

Many of the common base classes in the .NET Framework are used in the .NET Compact Framework; however, not all of them are. Functionality is supported for IO, collections, reflection, math, drawing, XML (XmlDocument, XmlReader, and XmlWriter), some Windows forms, some connectivity, and some data access.

The key area where most people will run into issues is in converting Windows Forms to forms that can be supported on the smaller devices. The .NET Compact Framework should support the following controls:

• Button
• CheckBox
• ComboBox
• ContextMenu
• DataGrid
• DomainUpDown
• FileOpenDialog
• FileSaveDialog
• HScrollBar
• ImageList
• (Pocket PC) InputPanel
• Label
• ListBox
• ListView
• MainMenu
• NumericUpDown
• Panel
• PictureBox
• ProgressBar
• RadioButton
• StatusBar
• TabControl
• TextBox
• Timer
• ToolBar
• TreeView
• VScrollBar

If you use these controls in your Windows Form application, you shouldn't have to worry about them porting to the .NET Compact Framework. The following controls, however, should be avoided. They will most likely be unsupported:

• CheckedListBox
• ColorDialog
• ErorProvider
• FontDialog
• GroupBox
• HelpProvider
• LinkLabel
• NotifyIcon
• RichTextBox
• Splitter
• ToolTip

Additionally, the print controls should be avoided.

Most applications use a database. The .NET Compact Framework has some support for ADO.NET. This includes the ability to access SQL Server via the System.Data.SqlClient and to access SQL Server CE via System.Data.SqlServerCe. XML data access (including XML Web Services support) can be done.

These are just a couple of things to consider when building .NET applications that may eventually be ported to mobile devices and the .NET Compact Framework.

From the 12/10/2002 CodeGuru Update eNewsletter editorial

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