Microsoft eMbedded Visual C++

Microsoft® eMbedded Visual C++ is a member of the Microsoft eMbedded Visual Tools 3.0 family of products which also has eMbedded Visual Basic. These products provide complete integrated development environments for creating applications to run on the Windows CE operating system.

2.3.1 Introduction

Microsoft® eMbedded Visual C++ enables programmers to develop Windows CE-based applications using an integrated development environment (IDE) similar to that used in developing desktop Visual C++ applications. This IDE, however, contains Windows CE-specific versions of many of the standard development tools that are used to create, test, and refine applications. It also includes a variety of tools that can be used to develop new software uniquely appropriate for Windows CE platforms and devices.

Custom-built for developing Windows CE applications, the eMbedded Visual C++ IDE is easy to learn and will be familiar to programmers who have experience with other members of the Visual C++ family. Applications can be created with eMbedded Visual C++ to run on the Handheld PC Pro (H/PC Pro), Palm-size PC 1.2, and Pocket PC platforms. The developers can also use eMbedded Visual C++ to create applications that run on custom Windows CE-based platforms, or within a desktop emulator that simulates a Windows-CE based platform. Embedded Shruti is coded using eMbedded Visual C++ for Pocket PC platform and tested on the Pocket PC emulator.

2.3.2 Managing Projects and Workspaces

In eMbedded Visual C++, applications are developed in a Workspace. Applications by assembled by either creating a project and a workspace simultaneously or by creating a workspace and then adding projects to it. After a workspace is created, the developer can add new projects, new configurations to an existing project, and subprojects. Microsoft eMbedded C++ development is characterized hierarchically by the workspace, projects, and subprojects.

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  A workspace is a container for the development projects. When a new platform is created, a workspace is also created. Use Project view to look at and gain access to the various elements of projects. A workspace can contain multiple projects, including subprojects, but only one platform.
  
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  A project is a configuration and a group of files that produce an application or final binary file(s).
  
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  A subproject is a project that is dependent on another project. This dependency may consist of shared files, which need to be built in the subproject first, or it may include shared resources that need updating in the subproject first.
  

After initially creating a project, developer can create the user interface. This involves first designing and creating dialog boxes, menus, toolbars, accelerators, and other visual and interactive elements, and then hooking them up to code. The user interface elements have to be tailored to the design requirements of the target device. For example, the Pocket PC is long and narrow (about 240x320 pixels), while the Handheld PC is larger (about 640x320 pixels). If the application is designed for the Pocket PC, dialogs will likely be too small for the Handheld PC. If the dialogs are designed for the Handheld PC, they will likely be cramped or not fit at all on the Pocket PC.

2.3.4 Building an Application

Microsoft eMbedded Visual C++ provides two ways of building an application. The easiest and most common way is to build within the eMbedded Visual C++ development environment. The other way is to build from the MS-DOS prompt using command-line tools. Building an application involves the preprocessor, the compiler, and the linker.

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  The preprocessor prepares source files for the compiler by translating macros, operators, and directives.
  
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  The compiler creates an object file containing machine code, linker directives, sections, external references, and function/data names.
  
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  The linker combines code from the object files created by the compiler and from statically-linked libraries, resolves the name references, and creates an executable file.
  

The following diagram shows the components of the build process in eMbedded Visual C++ starting with the editor which can be used to write source code.

2.3.6 Testing and debugging an application

Microsoft eMbedded Visual C++ provides tools to help test and debug applications. In the eMbedded Visual C++ options, the developer can choose to automatically or manually download the programs after building them to a connected device. When the developer has completed building a project configuration, the program can be run in eMbedded Visual C++ with or without debugging capabilities provided by the IDE. Running programs without using the debugging capabilities is faster because eMbedded Visual C++ does not have to load the debugger first. With the debugger however, breakpoints can be used and step through execution, inspect memory and registry values, check variables, observe message traffic and generally examine closely how the code works.