TipsTricks and Other Useful Tools

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(No Transcript)
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Tips/Tricks and Other Useful Tools
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• Dennis Corpman
• Senior Software Engineer
• Systems Solutions Software
• Intermec Technologies Corporation

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Agenda

• Kiosk Mode/Lockdown Application Development
• Creating Custom Soft Input Panels (SIPs)
• Code Reuse Tips and Tricks

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Agenda

• Kiosk Mode/Lockdown Application Development
• Creating Custom Soft Input Panels (SIPs)
• Code Reuse Tips and Tricks

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What is Kiosk Mode?

• Its a state where the users interaction, with
  the computer, is restricted in some manner.

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Why Implement Kiosk Mode?

• Security To protect the computers settings
  and/or data.
• Productivity Access granted for intended use
  only.

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How do you implement Kiosk Mode?

• Build a Kiosk Mode WinCE Operating System (OS)
  image.
• Build a Kiosk Mode Application, aka Lockdown
  Application.

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What is a Kiosk Mode WinCE OS?

• No Games.
• No Office Applications.
• Your application running from the shell.

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Why not use a Kiosk Mode WinCE OS Image?

• You have two options to obtain that image
• Have someone build it for your, like the Original
  Equipment Manufacturer (OEM).
• Build it yourself!

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Why not a use a Kiosk Mode Wince OS Image? (cont.)

• If you build it yourself, beware of the
  following
• Youll need special software (Platform Builder)
  and knowledge on how to use it.
• Youll need support from the hardware
  manufacturer.
• Its complex. (See http//msdn.com/mikehall/archiv
  e/2005/08.aspx for Mike Halls attempt to build a
  kiosk mode OS with Wince 5.0)

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How about a Kiosk Mode Application instead?

• An application is said to run in Kiosk Mode if it
  performs the following
• Runs in full screen mode to prevent switching to
  other applications.
• The hardware keys are disabled to prevent
  switching to other applications.
• The application is automatically restarted after
  a soft-reset.

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Example 1 Attempt at creating a full screen
application

• SDFS1 Uses MFC and SHFullScreen on a Windows
  Mobile 2003 device.
• Example created using information published by
  Microsoft, How to Create Full-Screen
  Applications for the Pocket PC, at
  http//support.microsoft.com/default.aspx
  ?scidkb5Bln5D266244.

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Example 2 Attempt at creating a full screen
application

• SDFS2 Full screen application using C .NET and
  SHFullScreen on a Windows Mobile 2003 device.

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Kiosk Mode Applications (cont.)

• SDFS1 SDFS2 made use of SHFullScreen.
• The code for each Form or Dialog had to be
  modified.
• Theyre not compete as they still have issues
  switching between Forms and Dialogs.
• SHFullScreen is only available for Windows Mobile
  Pocket PC builds. Youll need another solution if
  your application targets some other device.
• Every application you build will have the
  overhead of making it full screen.
• We still havent handled the hardware keys or
  restarting the application on a soft-reset.

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Tip Try Kiosk Mode Third Party Solutions

• Spb Kiosk Explorer A Pocket Internet Explorer
  running in Kiosk Mode.
• Intermecs iBrowse Internet Explorer-compatible
  web browser that doesnt allow the user to exit
  the browser or access a non-work related website.
• Intermecs iLaunch Configurable locked-down
  menu program that prevents end-users from
  accessing the start menu and other non-authorized
  applications.
• Etc. (google the web)

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iLaunch Demo

• Controlled through an Ini file.
• Installed with a cab file.
• Example Ini
• Caption
• Button1Notes
• Button2Calculator
• Button3Internet Explorer
• exe
• Button1\windows\notes.exe
• Button2\windows\calc.exe
• Button3\windows\iexplorer.exe
• PassWord
• pwd
• Bitmaps
• TopLogo\windows\launcher\intermecblue.bmp

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Agenda

• Kiosk Mode/Lockdown Application Development
• Creating Custom Soft Input Panels (SIPs)
• Code Reuse Tips and Tricks

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Soft Input Panel (SIP) Basics

• The Wince OS implements an Input Panel that gets
  its input through various Input Methods.
• The Input Panel and Input Methods are COM,
  Component Object Model, objects they implement
  the IIMCallBack and IInputMethod interfaces.
• Wince provides a default Input Panel and default
  Input Methods.
• The Input Methods receive the user input and
  passes the information to the Input Panel, which
  in turn passes it to GWES and then the
  application.

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Soft Input Panel (SIP) Basics Cont.
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Custom Soft Input Panels (SIPs)

• Input Methods are COM objects. You can create
  your own and install them on a WinCE device.
• Microsoft provides a sample custom SIP project,
  with Embedded Visual C 4.0, called DvorakSip.

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Custom Soft Input Panels (SIPs)

• Intermec is launching a new product to make
  customization easier. Its called SIP Designer.
• SIP Designer creates custom Kbd files that are
  used by a companion Input Method on the device.
• Initially being released with next release of
  TE2000.

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SIP Designer Demo
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Agenda

• Kiosk Mode/Lockdown Application Development
• Creating Custom Soft Input Panels (SIPs)
• Code Reuse Tips and Tricks

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Code Reuse Tips and Tricks

• Tip Separate your User Interface code from your
  Business Process code.
• Tip Separate your User Interface Layout code for
  each screen orientation type (i.e., square vs.
  portrait screen layouts).

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Code Reuse Tips and Tricks (cont.)

• Tip Move your Business Process into dynamic-link
  libraries (DLLs) if you can.
• Managed DLLs can be referenced from any .NET
  language like C and VB .NET.
• Native DLLs can be referenced from any .NET
  language using the Platform Invoke mechanism.

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Code Reuse Tips and Tricks (cont.).

• Tip If your Business Process already exists in
  C/C code, dont rewrite it in managed code like
  C or VB .NET. Wrap it in a native DLL.
• Code is already tested.
• Code is secure from prying eyes, no need to
  obfuscate it.
• C/C code is faster than managed code.

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Code Reuse Tips and Tricks (cont.)

• Tip Expose your native code interfaces without
  name mangling (C-style).
• Much easier to call FUNCONE vs. ?UNCONE_at__at_3HA.
• Tip Limit the number of p/invoke calls you make
  from your managed code.
• At just-in-time (JIT) compile time, the common
  language runtime extracts the module name, entry
  point name, and calling convention from the
  metadata. It then loads the DLL into memory and
  retrieves the address of the function.
• At run time, the common language runtime marshals
  the parameters from managed format to unmanaged
  format.

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Code Reuse Tips and Tricks (cont.)

• Tip P/Invoking native DLLs doesnt circumvent
  the virtual memory problem inherent with WinCE.

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Windows CE Memory Architecture Overview

• When WinCE starts, it creates a single 4-gigabyte
  virtual address space with 33 process slots.
• When a process initializes, the OS maps the
  following
• Some execute-in-place (XIP) DLLs
• Some read/write sections of other XIP DLLs
• All the non-XIP DLLs
• The stack
• The heap
• The data section for each process in the slot
  assigned to the process
• DLLs and ROM DLL read/write sections are loaded
  at the top of the slot. DLLs are controlled by
  the loader, which loads all the DLLs at the same
  address for each process.

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Code Reuse Tips and Tricks (cont.)

• Tip Just like native code, you can manage the
  native DLLs that are active in a managed
  application.
• You can test to see if a native DLL is loaded.
• You can preload all your native DLLs before
  theyre used to test how your application
  behaves.
• You can unload a native DLL when youre finished
  with it.

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Example Virtual Memory Management

• CDLL Native, C, DLL with two methods
  exported.
• fn42Cdll exported function that returns value
  42.
• fn99Cdll exported function that returns value
  99.
• DynamicLibraryTest Managed Compact Framework C
  application that utilizes the two CDLL functions.
• AnotherDllTest Managed Compact Framework C
  applications that utilizes the same two CDLL
  functions.
• Windows CE Remote Process Viewer

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Tips/Tricks and Other Useful Tools

• Questions?

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Tips/Tricks and Other Useful Tools

• Thanks for coming!