Robert Levy
10-31-2003, 06:56 AM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0321197887/robertlevynet-20' target='_blank'>http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0321197887/robertlevynet-20</a><br /><br /></div>One of the most common question I heard asked at the PDC was where developers could find a set of patterns and best practices to follow when starting to work with the Windows Mobile platform. The answer is that Microsoft has not published anything like this yet. We have a UI guidelines document, but that does not help developers with the core architectural issues.<br /><br />Microsoft has been putting a monumental amount of effort into publishing "<a href="http://www.microsoft.com/resources/practices/">Patterns & Practices</a>" documents for developers that target desktop and web platforms. Each document goes into excruciating detail on a specific issue that developers frequently have to tackle, various ways of addressing them, and how to decide which approach to take. For example, the 22 chapter "<a href="http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnnetsec/html/ThreatCounter.asp">Improving Web Application Security: Threats and Countermeasures</a>" is a popular one right now. Best of all, these books are 100% free to download in PDF format (you can optionally pay to get a printed copy).<br /><br />Getting back to Windows Mobile, I bumped into <a href="http://radio.weblogs.com/0126569/">Jon Box</a> at the end of the PDC today. Not only is he a big fan of Smartphone Thoughts, but he also just had a new book published: "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0321197887/robertlevynet-20">Building Solutions with the Microsoft .NET Compact Framework: Architecture and Best Practices for Mobile Development</a>" [Affiliate]:<br /><br />"Whether you are an architect, developer, or manager, Building Solutions with the Microsoft .NET Compact Framework is your guide to creating effective solutions for mobile devices with .NET. Authors Dan Fox and Jon Box walk you through four essential architectural concepts and programming techniques, using extensive examples and code listings to show you how to develop more robust mobile development projects. <br /><br />The book briefly describes the context, architecture, and features of both the Framework and Smart Device Programmability (SDP). The heart of the book is its in-depth coverage of key architectural concepts, including local data handling, remote data access (RDA) architectures, robust data caching with SQL Server 2000 Windows CE Edition 2.0 (SQL CE 2.0), and synchronization options. The focus then shifts to localization, security, and deployment, and the final chapter steers you away from potential pitfalls. You will find helpful pointers to further resources throughout, and a companion Web site includes the source code and links to more information. "<br /><br />This sounds like just the thing that we are missing in helping desktop developers take full advantage of the Windows Mobile platform and I sure hope that .NET developers check this out and think about how they can leverage mobile devices. Order today for $34.99!