Smart Device Installations

InstallShield DevStudio

Overview

InstallShield DevStudio provides the functionality to develop installations for the latest Smart Devices inside of the Microsoft® Visual Studio .NET 2003 IDE and from within the InstallShield DevStudio IDE. InstallShield DevStudio Smart Device installations can be added to your Smart Device solution in Visual Studio .NET 2003, allowing your installation to be built automatically along with your Smart Device solution.

What is a Smart Device?

Smart Devices are the new breed of devices that are based on Windows CE technology. These devices include Pocket PCs, Hand-held PCs, Smart Phones, Pocket PC Phones, and Windows CE.NET devices. While all of these devices have Windows CE technology at their core, they all have different requirements for software development and installation.

What is the .NET Compact Framework?

The .NET Compact Framework is a scaled-down version of the .NET Framework designed to run on resource-constrained devices, such as the Smart Device examples listed above. The .NET Compact Framework is currently only available for Pocket PC and Windows CE.NET devices, with support for more devices forthcoming.

What Development Tools Do I Use to Create Software for Smart Devices?

If you are developing managed code for the .NET Compact Framework, use Visual Studio.NET 2003. If you are developing native code, use eMbedded Visual Tools 3.0. InstallShield DevStudio supports creating installations for managed code, native code, or a combination of the two.

How is software installed on Smart Devices?

Depending on the device, there are a number of ways to install software. For example, a Smart Phone might have software installed over a GPRS internet connection. Pocket PCs can have software installed by tethering the device to a desktop computer and synching. Other devices install software automatically when a storage card card is inserted. InstallShield DevStudio supports all of these scenarios.