Working with the Pocket PC 2002 Emulator

2.2.2 Working with the Pocket PC 2002 Emulator
The Microsoft® Windows® Powered Pocket PC 2002 SDK includes a new emulation environment. This environment provides a virtual computer running Pocket PC 2002 software compiled for the Intel x86 processor. The virtual computer duplicates hardware that runs Microsoft Windows CE on an x86-based PC.
Previous Windows CE emulators relied on special emulator compilers that passed instructions to the underlying Microsoft Windows NT® operating system. This led to occasional dramatic differences in appearance and function between the emulator and a Pocket PC device. Because the new emulator is powered by the Windows CE operating system and by Pocket PC components, a much higher level of fidelity exists between an actual Pocket PC device and the device emulation environment.
New APIs: The Pocket PC 2002 platform supports the following newly exposed APIs.
This API provides ActiveSync 3.5 functionality for the Pocket PC 2002.
This API provides a set of interfaces to facilitate the development of messaging applications for the Pocket PC 2002.
This API provides the functionality necessary to centralize and automate the establishment and management of the network connections on a Pocket PC 2002 device.
This API provides the functionality to customize the HTML viewer control; this API also includes an XML parser.
This API provides the capability to play MIDI files on a Pocket PC 2002 device. This API also provides the functionality to create custom sounds such as a DTMF tone or a busy signal.
This API provides one method for transmitting information between two Pocket PC 2002 devices. The OBEX protocol requires fewer resources than an HTTP server and transfers information by using the infrared port on the Pocket PC 2002 device.
This API is a superset that includes the following sections:
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Assisted TAPI. Allows applications to make telephone calls without requiring the details of the services of the full Telephony API.
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Extended TAPI. Extends wireless functionality to include such things as asking for signal strength, choosing the cellular network, and more.
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Phone API. Provides the functionality to access a call log and creates a custom report from the information in that log.
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Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) Manager. Allows access to information stored on the SIM card.
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Short Message Service (SMS). Enables wireless devices to send and receive short messages through an SMS Center.
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Telephony Service Provider. Supports communications device control through a set of exported service functions.
Emulator: The Pocket PC 2002 SDK includes a new emulation environment. This environment provides a virtual machine running Pocket PC 2002 software compiled for the x86 processor. The virtual machine duplicates hardware known as a CEPC, which is a hardware configuration that runs Windows CE on an Intel x86-based PC.
2.2.3 Programming Pocket PC 2002
Microsoft® Windows® CE operating system version 3.0 for Windows Powered Pocket PC 2002 provides a powerful and easily portable platform for mobile professional users. It combines the power of a personal information manager (PIM), a compact
Software package fully compatible with Windows-based desktop computers, and a Windows development environment. Pocket PC 2002 allows users to keep their personal and business information up to date and close at hand by using a sophisticated hardware design to fill the need for a more portable and less expensive device than traditional laptop or palmtop computers.
Pocket PC 2002 is designed to quickly access, record, and transmit information at any time. The software bundled with Pocket PC 2002 manages contacts, appointments, and other personal and business information. By using the Voice Recorder application, users can capture ideas and thoughts as they occur. Pocket PC 2002 software can also store telephone numbers and short messages, and it can send and receive e-mail messages by using Internet technologies. All these features are fully compatible with the user's Windows-based desktop applications.
Pocket PC 2002 gives the developer access to a rich development environment. The Windows CE operating system is based on the Microsoft Win32® application programming interface. The applications can be created by using Microsoft eMbedded Visual Tools (eVT) 3.0, which are special versions of the familiar Microsoft Visual Studio® tools that the developers may have used to write applications for desktop Windows. The developer can choose to develop applications by using Microsoft eMbedded Visual C++® or Microsoft eMbedded Visual Basic®. Embedded Shurti is developed using Microsoft eMbedded Visual C++®.
Pocket PC 2002 supports a variety of input technologies, including freestyle drawing, handwriting character recognition, or a graphical representation of a keyboard for use on a touch screen.
2.2.4 Pocket PC 2002 Hardware
Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) have a variety of hardware options when building Pocket PC 2002 devices. The following illustration shows the different hardware components available for a typical Pocket PC 2002.
The touch screen is an LCD covered by a resistive touch panel. The LCD has a portrait orientation with a 240 x 320 pixel resolution, which allows users to see interface elements clearly. The dot pitch for Pocket PC 2002 is.22 to .24, depending on the OEM. Tapping the touch screen with a stylus or finger sends the same kind of messages that clicking with the left mouse button does on a desktop computer, although cursor support is limited to a spinning hourglass for wait signals. The user can also select and drag items. In order to sense quick changes in user input, the touch screen has a refresh rate of at least 100 samples per second. Pocket PC 2002 also supports up to a 16 bit per pixel color depth.
Pocket PC 2002 does not have a standard, physical keyboard. Text input is accomplished by using the input panel and the stylus. Generally, the input panel is a standard window on the touch screen that displays an input method, allowing users to enter data in a variety of ways. Pocket PC 2002 software includes a simplified QWERTY keyboard input method and a handwriting recognition input method.
The stylus is a pointer for accessing a touch screen and input methods. The stylus has a smaller point than a user's finger, yet will not scratch the touch screen.
The OEM or a user can add additional input methods. For example, an independent software vendor (ISV) could create an input method for tapping in Morse code. The user could purchase the Morse code input method and install it at home.
Pocket PC 2002 comes with several navigation controls, which can be pressed, held down, double-clicked, or pressed in combination with other controls. The following table shows the default Pocket PC 2002 navigation controls.
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