.NET Compact Framework [Bargain Price] [Paperback]

Peter Stanski (Author), Craig Morris (Author), Srinivasa Sivakumar (Author), Andrew Polshaw (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 31, 2002

The .NET Framework is a vision of code being run on any device, anywhere. The .NET Compact Framework fits neatly into this vision. As a stripped down version of the .NET Framework designed for embedded devices, the same code used for .NET applications on a PC, can be recompiled for any mobile device with Visual Studio .NET (and the Smart Device Extensions), often with no changes. The .NET CF is currently supported on Pocket PC devices, all the device needs is ActiveSync to enable the relevant .NET CF assemblies to be installed.

The latest technology preview was released on January 17, and it plugs into the new final release of Visual Studio .NET and this allows you to compile your existing applications successfully for the mobile platform, while just altering your user interface for the smaller screen. This book explains everything you need to know for converting your existing applications to the .NET Compact Framework, and although the code in book is almost exclusively C#, it will teach C# and VB.NET developers to create new applications.

What does this book cover?

* The features, libraries, tools, and add-ins for use with the .NET Compact Framework
* How to create a mobile application that communicates with XML Web Services
* How to use data from an external data source, or from SQL Server CE
* How to port existing .NET code over to the Compact Framework
* How to best deploy your code to a mobile device

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

This book is for .NET programmers who wish to understand what they need to know to apply their knowledge to developing for mobile/embedded platforms with the Smart Device Extensions. Win CE developers with some experience of C# would also gain a lot from this book. The code has been tested against the January RTM version of Visual Studio .NET with the January 17 technology preview of the Smart Device Extensions, so this book is recommended for early adopters, or for .NET developers who need mobile solutions to their problems. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: GO SOLUTIONS SA DE CV; 1st edition (January 31, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 8173664692
• ISBN-13: 978-8173664694
• ASIN: B0000B0SXK
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 7.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,269,001 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not a lot to offer and already out-of-date, July 7, 2002

By 

Daniel Moth (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: .NET Compact Framework (Paperback)

The .NET Compact Framework Beta 1 was released in April 2002 and this book was published in February 2002 based on a 'technology preview' release. The only reason I read this is because - understandably - there is no other book out there covering the .NETcf

It's a small book of 167 A5 pages written by 4 people. There are 6 chapters starting with an introductory overview of the .NETcf and ending with advice on porting code from existing CE code or the desktop. The second chapter is about the SDE and VS.NET. This leaves chapters 3-5 which go through building a 3-tier application (GUI - middle tier - data tier).

Unfortunately, I found it to be full of syntax/grammar errors and the overall style indicates a piece of work that has gone through little review prior to going public. Irrelevant info is included (how to build Window & Web Service projects on the desktop and MMIT) and some of the relevant info is just wrong (features in Beta 1 added/dropped since PDC release). It will become even more outdated with the next release of the .NETcf in August (the final expected in November).

IMHO, there is much more info and benefit to be gained by visiting the relevant pages of gotdotnet.com and the compactframework newsgroup.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not even half-baked, March 21, 2002

By 

"jkmorrison20022" (Palo Alto, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: .NET Compact Framework (Paperback)

I don't know what the purpose is of rushing this book to the market. Wrox should be ashamed of itself.
The .NET Compact technology preview version it is built on is pretty bad and this book is worse. It isn't realistic to write a book about an alpha product. To fill the pages, they discuss other issues not related to .NET CF and regurgitate the existing Microsoft documentation. The inane little projects featured in the book will not work - you can't even enter data!
I'm hoping the bookstore will take this turkey back. This book is not even half-baked. Wait for a book based on the released product.

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars too soon, February 27, 2002

By 

"kozsu" (Ziverbey, Istanbul Turkey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: .NET Compact Framework (Paperback)

If you really need usefull info about developing applications for the .Net Compact Framework then you better wait.. Most of the content of that book is off-topic. For example there is less than one page about SQL Server CE Edition but a lot more on SQL Server 2000, actually more wouldn't help either because there isn't any provider for CE. Maybe we should wait to develop on CF, and Wrox should wait until there is something to write about..