Developing applications for Windows Embedded Compact 2013 - visual-studio-2012

Today I stumbled over the Application Builder for CE 2013 in Microsoft's download center. As of the description, with this pack I should be able to develop apps that target Windows Embedded Compact 2013 with Visual Studio 2012.
After downloading and installing the Application Builder I found the new framework assemblies in C:\Program Files (x86)\Reference Assemblies\Microsoft\Framework\WindowsEmbeddedCompact\v3.9, but there are no project templates targeting Embedded Compact 2013 in Visual Studio 2012.
I tried to create a blank WinForms or WPF project and to retarget it to 3.9, but that doesn't seem to be possible as well. There are no online templates that could be installed.
How do I create a CF 3.9 application using Visual Studio 2012?

All I can do here is sigh. Here's the state of things as of this writing (Mid May, 2013) and it could change in the coming weeks and/or months.
The Application Builder does not ship with device templates. Templates, instead, are shipped with the device SDK. Yes, this is different than in the past. It means that to do any device development, you'll need an SDK.
Windows Embedded Compact 2013 is currently not publicly available, so no one can currently ship an SDK. The net effect of this is that, for now, for the general public, the Application Builder install is completely useless.
Once WEC 2013 is public, I don't believe Microsoft will be shipping any "generic" SDKs. I very likely will. Once we have SDKs in the wild, you'll have templates and be able to build projects.

I also downloaded the Application Builder, and found it quite useless, hey where are the compact project templates! (thanks for the confirmation ctacke) after reading this today and discovering the .net assembly folder posted by Gene, I figured I at least try to use the object browser - and found you can browse the objects by using the Windows Embedded Compact 3.9 filter - figure others might want to at least look at what's new like I am attempting to do..

It is possible to create new SDKs from OS Design projects.
Create one from CEPC.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj584864(v=winembedded.70).aspx

Related

Is SSDT integrated in VS 2013 Express better than the standalone version with VS 2012 shell?

I am using the standalone version of SSDT with VS 2012 shell and I was wondering if there is any point for me to upgrade to VS 2013 Express.
Are they practically the same thing and updated through different channels or the one integrated in VS 2013 has better capabilities?
They are exactly the same thing, updated through different channels. There's more information on supported versions in this blog post by Jill McClenahan, but right now SSDT has identical functionality in both. The benefit of upgrading is that the Express version has nicer integration with other tools and services such as cloud services, other programming languages etc. If you just care about database development that might not make much difference.

Setting up a Smart Device Project in VS 2012 with CF3.9

I currently need to work on a Compact Framework Project again. I used to do this some time ago with VS 2008, however I don't have a license for this anymore. I do have licenses for 2012, and it really seemed like good timing for me given the recent announcements (Get started developing for Windows Embedded Compact in Visual Studio (Compact 2013)).
I downloaded and installed Application Builder for Windows Embedded Compact 2013
And install the Embedded Compact 2013 Update 5 (full setup).
Unfortunately after these steps the Project Templates still won't show up.
My current understanding is that the template will only be visible when I also install the SDK.
The SDK provided for the Windows Embedded Compact 2013 product that you are targeting. Typically, this SDK is provided by an OEM.
However, I don't have a device for development, I used to use the emulator for this and they used to be available in Visual Studio without big fuzz.
I tried to find an emulator using my preferred web search, but without any success.
Using Windows Embedded Compact 2013 (WEC2013) it's impossible to develop a Net CF 3.9 application without an SDK.
There isn't a default SDK. In general, when you have an embedded system, it isn't general purpose but it has specific features that the OEM exposes with a custom SDK. In this way, avoiding standard SDK, who develop application can't use feature that there won't be on the target hardware.
The only way you have to start develop is to install Platform Builder and using built in CEPC BSP to create a CEPC image for a virtual machine and an SDK for it.
After installing this SDK you can use your virtual machine with CEPC image to run your application. In this way you can create an "emulator" for a x86 system with WEC2013 on it.
Paolo.

install and execute cocos2dx project on windows 8

I am making a small basic game for multiple mobile platforms using cocos 2dx, I have done all the coding in c++ on xcode and the project is running fine for iOS and android.
But when porting to windows phone I am facing a lot of hurdles. I am using cocos2dx 2.1.3 on visual studio 2012 express on 64 bit windows 8 with windows 8 phone SDK.
Firstly i don't get templates for cocos2dx, then there is no option to run the project in simulator or device. I have been digging the internet alot for this and have found some tutorials but all of them have one or the other limitations.
can somebody guide me with this windows part or a totally new way round to implement cocos2dx on multiple platforms ?
Option 1
Your going to have to open a new Direct3D project and follow the directions from here
Option 2
There are a couple build scripts available to generate project types for all platforms in python, as seen here.
(this works with 2.1.2 or later)
Option 3
Newer versions of cocos2d-x have build scripts for all platforms that come with the latest git repos. Not sure if there are a lot of breaking changes but the newer versions also have build projects.(build-win32.bat)
About the project template.
The templates for windows 8, at least in the last stable release I looked at a month ago, still had some issues with the html in the c++ project wizard but, the current development branch should have that fixed for the windows 8 visual studio browser. If they haven't then there are a couple of html meta-data tags that will need to be removed as they are depreciated in order for the project wizard to be usable.

Where is WCF Data Services in Visual Studio Express 2012 for Web

I watched EF4.1 and n-tier application video for Julie Lerman,
she added a new ASP.NET Empty Web Application project in the solution (VS 2010). After that she added a new item, WCF Data Service.
I can not find this item in Visual Studio Express 2012 for Web. Could you please help me? Is this a limitation in the express 2012 version?
Here is an image of what I can see in the Add New Item form
I can't post answer my question, so:
I should intall "WCF Data Services 5.2 RTM Tools Installer"
More details on WCF Data services blog.
Thank you.
Yes, you need to install "WCF Data Services 5.2 RTM tools installer". For the VS pro and ultimate versions, we chain in the installer for "WCF data Services - 5.0". For the express editions, customers need to install the version they need.
One thing to note - even in Pro/Ultimate editions, the version that gets installed is 5.0. For newer features (like the new JSON format), customers will require to install the latest bits so that they can get all the new code generation features.
Thanks
Pratik

Visual Studio 11 Setup Projects

According to Microsoft Visual Studio will no longer support setup projects, requiring instead that developers download and register for a light version of InstallShield.
Does anyone know if there are alternatives out there - WiX comes to mind but in a way this is like going assembly...
Wix. it is not like assembly, it wrocks - especially compared to installshield.
Otherwise no - before Wix came around installers where a bad area to be in anyway. Only buggy products, choose your pain between Installshield and Wise installer (now Symantec Altiris).
I prefer Wix any day over the other stuff.

Resources