Developer.com content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.
Fancy upping your contract rate? Not enough cash in that bank account? Maybe its time you took a geek peek at what Microsoft claim to be the next big thing in software development portable programming.
Im talking about creating applications for small portable devices, specifically those hosting the Windows CE operating system. And the latest Wrox press publication Visual Basic Windows CE Programming promises to help you reach that goal.
Starting with maximum hand holding, the #45.99 tutorial opens with a general CE introduction and details on installing the Windows CE Software Development Kit, which plugs directly into Visual Basic.
Author Larry Roof soon progresses onto fully-working CE applications, utilising file manipulation commands, ADO data access, the common toolbox controls and synchronisation. Heck, the book even covers CE barcode scanning devices and how they can be easily integrated with your application. And I mean easily.
Well formatted and supplemented with a healthy collection of screenshots, this tutorial is certainly leading the field. Still, that aint awfully difficult there arent any other books currently devoted to VB-CE development.
Nevertheless, as youd expect from its hefty price tag, this book contains more information than you can wave a rather large stick at.
And dont worry about the learning curve language syntax for such CE programming is identical to regular VB coding, bar a few certain commands. Oh, and to avoid encountering such pitfalls Larry highlights potential problem areas. How kind!
Conclusion
If youre familiar with the Visual Basic language and want to start programming for portable devices from modern day palmtops to futuristic microwaves Id definitely recommend this Wrox publication. Brilliantly written and surprisingly informative. Check it out!
Review by Karl Moore
