03-21-2003, 10:45 AM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,177
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Use Any COM or ActiveX Control from .NET Compact Framework
http://www.odysseysoftware.com/cfcom_main.html
In Bill Gates keynote at the Mobility Developer Conference he mentioned a really cool product from Odyssey Software called CF COM:
"The success we've had depends on partners building tools. So just like we've always done with Visual Basic and Visual Studio, we've encouraged people to build components that help developers. A good example of this is Odyssey builds what they call CF COM that lets you build new managed applications, but you can incorporate in any COM work that you've done. So it's complete interoperability there, and they did a very good job making that small and very effective. A lot of the other tools there, are all documented up on the Visual Studio web site, and many things there are worth looking at to see if they can help you build your applications."
CF COM fills a gap in the .NET Compact Framework. The gap has meant that it's been very painful to use COM components and ActiveX controls from managed .NET Compact Framework code. With CF COM, a transparant, light-weight and robust wrapper, the gap is addressed. I and Chris Forsberg have done some testing during the development of CF COM and we are very impressed. Using just a few lines of code you can continue to use existing components and get going quickly. The RAM footprint of this beast is staggering: just 37K in total!
Odyssey Software has a special launch offering: "All orders placed on or before March 31, 2003 will receive a 20% discount. To receive this discount enter the promotion code 6DX39F when placing your order."
Here are some product highlights:
� Use ActiveX controls in .NET CF applications
� Use COM components in .NET CF applications
� Create managed controls/components from ActiveX controls & COM components
� Includes managed wrappers for ADOCE, Pocket Outlook, and MediaPlayer (with source)
� Supports COM & ActiveX events
� Generates native .NET exceptions
� Marshals .NET types to Variants (vise versa)
� Supports all automation-compatible types
� Supports unlimited multi-dimensional arrays
� Supports In/Out parameters
� Supports IEnumVariant & Enum marshaling
� FAST & efficient advanced marshaling, 400 roundtrip operations per second
� Generic native and managed DLL, (no custom native code needed)
� Full designer support in VS.NET 2003
� Total footprint 37K, (Managed 21K, Native 16K)
� Immediate availability � shipping now!
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03-21-2003, 02:31 PM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 94
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This looks like a very cool product, but the rather byzantine licensing terms really bother me. A tool like this has real value, but I hate runtime license fees for developer products. I think Odyssey will hinder the success of their product with these terms.
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03-21-2003, 02:46 PM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 93
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That licensing scheme just turned me off. They will not get my money. I do not like runtime license either and this one is really bad.
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03-21-2003, 03:34 PM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,177
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I think that Odyssey provides a good licensing schema. It is very difficult to set a fair "one price fits all". For a big corporation, the value of this product can be thousands of dollars and the cost, if it is in valid proportion to the value, might not be a big issue. For a smaller player, thousands of dollars is a BIG deal. In my opinion, price per number of devices is a valid strategy that addresses at least portions of the dilemma.
Also, if you are interested in unlimited distribution license options you can always contact Odyssey. Pretty simple: "Commercial, Enterprise, and OEM unlimited distribution license options are also available. For more information, please call Odyssey Software at 585-214-2409 x104 or email [email protected]."
All this said: if Odyssey should set a "one price fits all" -- what do you think it should be given that it will be used in very large as well as small deployments?
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03-21-2003, 04:02 PM
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Thinker
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 354
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There are alternatives, I've built wrappers around both POOM and ADOCE, licensing is totally transparent, a one off fee for a developer license and as many deployments as you like. The controls have been available for a couple of months now. As well as simply wrapping the basic COM controls I've built in a lot of added functionality to make programming with the controls easier from your dot net controls. Integration with .NET data binding etc. Each is highly optimised to its specific purpose.
Odyssey is able to command high prices because it targets larger organisations, my wrappers were designed to be affordable for the small developers, a group that need all the support they can get with the core .NET CF programming tools being a significant investment for any small developer.
Peter
www.inthehand.com
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03-21-2003, 04:14 PM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,177
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Peter Foot
There are alternatives, I've built wrappers around both POOM and ADOCE, licensing is totally transparent, a one off fee for a developer license and as many deployments as you like. The controls have been available for a couple of months now. As well as simply wrapping the basic COM controls I've built in a lot of added functionality to make programming with the controls easier from your dot net controls. Integration with .NET data binding etc. Each is highly optimised to its specific purpose.
Odyssey is able to command high prices because it targets larger organisations, my wrappers were designed to be affordable for the small developers, a group that need all the support they can get with the core .NET CF programming tools being a significant investment for any small developer.
Peter
www.inthehand.com |
Actually, Odyssey provides options in the same direction too. They have built, using CF COM, specific wrappers for ADOCE and POOM for unlimited distribution. The pricing seems to be much the same in comparison with yours, Peter! 8)
"CFCOM - ADOCE Component License (unlimited distribution)"
"CFCOM - Pocket Outlook Component License (unlimited distribution)"
I will make sure to test them all out!
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03-21-2003, 04:48 PM
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Thinker
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 360
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At one point in time I had learned how to program. I was decent but I never used my skills. Since then I have forgotten what I have learned but I am considering trying to relearn VB and also C++ and Java. Then I hear you guys with all your talk of these compilers that cost thousands of dollars and bla bla.
And heck I do not even know what the heck COM is.
It is all a little daunting and maybe I should just not bother.
Also Andy you talk a lot of all you do and your experience and you have tested this and that, but if my life depended on it I would not know one single app you have had a hand in.
can you help?
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03-21-2003, 05:00 PM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,177
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by JMountford
Also Andy you talk a lot of all you do and your experience and you have tested this and that, but if my life depended on it I would not know one single app you have had a hand in.
can you help?
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I am not sure I understand your question. Would you want me to list applications that I have been involved in developing, or to explain what COM and CFCOM is all about? :?:
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03-21-2003, 06:41 PM
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Thinker
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 360
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Andy
I am not sure I understand your question. Would you want me to list applications that I have been involved in developing, or to explain what COM and CFCOM is all about?
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BOth actually if you do not mind.
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03-21-2003, 09:34 PM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 54
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Want Compact Framework? - Just Add $1000
Isn't anybody angry that Microsoft promised a CF framework over a year ago? Weren't we supposed to be able to use Visual Studio .NET for Pocket PC development. In fact that was supposed to be one of the selling points of the first edition of .NET. The CF and SDE. Now we have to buy Visual Studio .NET 2003 if we want to use the Compact Framework. I don't know about you guys but I just can't throw that type of cash away. After we (and I emphasize WE..meanig developers and end users) find all the huge bugs in the new 2003 release perhaps Microsoft will just say that everything will be fixed in the 2005 release of Visual Studio .NET. Oh and by the way another $1000.
I am a bit disappointed that PPC Thoughts doesn't cover other development solutions such as Personal Java, App Forge, or even the Python ports for the Pocket PC with the zeal that they cover Microsoft dev tools. Most of us are not MVPs with Microsoft.
- Derek
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