autostarting application?

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.dotnet.framework.compactframework,microsoft.public.pocketpc,microsoft.public.pocketpc.developer (More info?)

Hi,

I've developed a PocketPC app using the compact framework and would like to
make it as easy as possible for users to start it (it is the only
application that my users will run). Right now i only know how to put it in
the start menu or have a hardware button start the app.

Is there a way to make the application run automatically whenever the
pocketpc is turned on?
Can you add a shortcut to my app on the today screen (the main screen you
see when you start your pocketpc) ?

THanks
Darren

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.dotnet.framework.compactframework,microsoft.public.pocketpc,microsoft.public.pocketpc.developer (More info?)

You can put the shortcut under Startup menu, just like in desktop Windows.

--
Ravi Ambros Wallau
r w a l l a u @ s p r i n g w i r e l e s s . n e t

"D Yee" <nospam@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:%23H8prK4uEHA.3504@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
> Hi,
>
> I've developed a PocketPC app using the compact framework and would like
> to make it as easy as possible for users to start it (it is the only
> application that my users will run). Right now i only know how to put it
> in the start menu or have a hardware button start the app.
>
> Is there a way to make the application run automatically whenever the
> pocketpc is turned on?
> Can you add a shortcut to my app on the today screen (the main screen you
> see when you start your pocketpc) ?
>
> THanks
> Darren
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.dotnet.framework.compactframework,microsoft.public.pocketpc,microsoft.public.pocketpc.developer (More info?)

>> put it in the startup folder <<

Note, however, that doing so launches the app only when a soft reset is
executed... if your users close the app and press the "power" button,
the app will not restart when the power button is pressed again.

Beverly Howard [MS MVP-Mobile Devices]

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.dotnet.framework.compactframework,microsoft.public.pocketpc,microsoft.public.pocketpc.developer (More info?)

Of course, if it's the only application that users are supposed to see, you
probably wouldn't provide a means of exiting...

Paul T.

"Beverly Howard [Ms-MVP/MobileDev]" <BevNoSpamBevHoward.com> wrote in
message news:uIPNTv4uEHA.1420@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> >> put it in the startup folder <<
>
> Note, however, that doing so launches the app only when a soft reset is
> executed... if your users close the app and press the "power" button, the
> app will not restart when the power button is pressed again.
>
> Beverly Howard [MS MVP-Mobile Devices]

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.dotnet.framework.compactframework,microsoft.public.pocketpc,microsoft.public.pocketpc.developer (More info?)

>> you probably wouldn't provide a means of exiting... <<

We assume that, but users can be very good at getting around
programmer's intentions such as the start menu
start/settings/system/memory/running/stop... ;-)

Beverly Howard [MS MVP-Mobile Devices]

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.dotnet.framework.compactframework,microsoft.public.pocketpc,microsoft.public.pocketpc.developer (More info?)

"D Yee" <nospam@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:%23H8prK4uEHA.3504@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
> Hi,
>
> I've developed a PocketPC app using the compact framework and would like
to
> make it as easy as possible for users to start it (it is the only
> application that my users will run). Right now i only know how to put it
in
> the start menu or have a hardware button start the app.
>
> Is there a way to make the application run automatically whenever the
> pocketpc is turned on?
> Can you add a shortcut to my app on the today screen (the main screen you
> see when you start your pocketpc) ?
>
> THanks
> Darren
>
>

put a shortcut to the program in a folder called startup in the windows
folder, it will auto run after a reset. There's nothing to stop users
killing the program form the running program list though ......

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.dotnet.framework.compactframework,microsoft.public.pocketpc,microsoft.public.pocketpc.developer (More info?)

I got this code originally from the group which disables the taskbar.
Put the shortcut of your app. into the Start folder and disable the
exit button of the app. Effectively, the user is locked in.

For a "super user", enable the taskbar from some key sequence. This
brings up a form which asks the user for a password. If the password
is OK, re-enable the taskbar.

private void hideTaskBar ()
{
int h = FindWindow ("HHTaskBar", "");
ShowWindow (h, SW_HIDE);
}

static public void showTaskBar ()
{
int h = FindWindow ("HHTaskBar", "");
ShowWindow (h, SW_SHOW);
}

[DllImport("coredll.dll")]
public static extern int FindWindow (string lpClassName, string
lpWindowName);
private const int SW_HIDE = 0x0000;
private const int SW_SHOW = 0x0001;

[DllImport("coredll.dll")]
public static extern int ShowWindow (int hwnd, int nTaskShow);

[DllImport("coredll.dll")]
public static extern int MoveWindow (IntPtr hwnd, int X, int Y, int
nWidth, int nHeight, bool bRepaint);
}

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.dotnet.framework.compactframework,microsoft.public.pocketpc,microsoft.public.pocketpc.developer (More info?)

On Tue, 26 Oct 2004 10:38:59 -0700, "D Yee" <nospam@nospam.com> wrote:

>Hi,
>
>I've developed a PocketPC app using the compact framework and would like to
>make it as easy as possible for users to start it (it is the only
>application that my users will run). Right now i only know how to put it in
>the start menu or have a hardware button start the app.
>
>Is there a way to make the application run automatically whenever the
>pocketpc is turned on?
>Can you add a shortcut to my app on the today screen (the main screen you
>see when you start your pocketpc) ?

As you said in an earlier post, you've found a reference to a kiosk
too. If you use google to look up kiosk in the same newsgroups you've
posted to, you will find several discussions, and might get more
hints.

I believe Pocket PCs are very hard to lock down. The Task Bar and/or
its pieces are way too prone to pop up. I even spent some time finding
the PegHelp window so I could call SHInitDialog and SHFullScreen to
hide the Task bar while Help was running.

Applications built for Palm-size PC (Pocket PC predecessor) will run
in "emulation" mode on Pocket PCs. That means the Task bar will be at
the bottom. It also seems to mean that when an app uses ShowWindow to
hide the Task bar it _stays_ hidden until something explicitly uses
ShowWindow to show it.

I've been programming for Windows CE since before Pocket PC. And I'm
inclined to produce as few executables as possible. Thus, I've
continued to build for HPC Pros, even though my apps often run on
Pocket PCs and other platforms. We target industrial users, so lock
down is often a customer requirement. I've decided we're better off
with HPC Pro apps running in emulation mode. The fact that the Task
bar is not in the same place as standard Pocket PC apps shouldn't
bother users when lockdown is a requirement because they aren't
supposed to see any such apps.

>
>THanks
>Darren
>

-----------------------------------------
To reply to me, remove the underscores (_) from my email address (and please indicate which newsgroup and message).

Robert E. Zaret, eMVP
PenFact, Inc.
500 Harrison Ave., Suite 3R
Boston, MA 02118
www.penfact.com

 

[jake]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.pocketpc,microsoft.public.pocketpc.developer,microsoft.public.dotnet.framework.compactframework (More info?)

ok, silly question most likely, but say for instance that the only app i care
about is a background console app. those don't appear in
start/settings/system/memory/running... (to my chagrin a couple times in the
beginning)

does that mean that i can concern myself solely with starting the app on
soft reset, and drop a shortcut in as suggested? forgive my newbness, but
will my app stop what it's doing when put into sleep, and resume on wake? or
does that need to be handled in a particular way?

thanks!
Jake

"Beverly Howard [Ms-MVP/MobileDev]" wrote:

> >> you probably wouldn't provide a means of exiting... <<
>
> We assume that, but users can be very good at getting around
> programmer's intentions such as the start menu
> start/settings/system/memory/running/stop... ;-)
>
> Beverly Howard [MS MVP-Mobile Devices]
>