Guest weswes19 Posted January 22, 2003 Report Posted January 22, 2003 Hi Guys Im about to start programming to allow me to customise my SPV which language is the best to lear would XML be a good start?
Guest Monolithix [MVP] Posted January 22, 2003 Report Posted January 22, 2003 Home screens are written in xml, search the forums for plenty of deatils. Applications are written in C++ and compiled with the Microsoft eMbedded visual studio. Both can be downloaded for free from msdn.microsoft.com
Guest Bazz Posted January 22, 2003 Report Posted January 22, 2003 Slight clarification here. XML isn't a programming language. It's a way of formatting data. An XML file is just a plain text file written in a special format. It sounds mysterious, but actually isn't. Here's a quick 101 on XML A very simple example phone book XML file is given below: <?xml version="1.0"> Barry 555-123-456 Dave 555-123-457 As you can see it's fairly simple and you should be able to understand roughly what I mean by it. Data (e.g. Barry) is included within tags (e.g. name), which can be further grouped within other tags (e.g. entry). Other pieces of meta-data or attributes can be included as part of the tag (e.g. the id="1" - it isn't really data as such, but helps organise the file). The basic rules of any XML file are: * Must start with <?xml version="1.0"> (there currently is no other version). * Tags open with <> and close with > * Tags must not overlap - all children tags must be closed before the main tag closes. (e.g. is illegal as the tag1 closes before tag2) * Must close open all tags (Therefore the file must end with ) * Attributes are contained within quotes (e.g. ) * Tag names are in lowercase and what tag names are valid is totally up to the application using the xml file. XML files don't do anything. An application reads in the XML and works out what it means. I made the entry, name and tel tag names up but a phone book application might be able to understand this file if it was set up to use these tags. You have to use the tag names for whatever application you are writing the file for. Anyway what's this all got to do with the SPV I hear you cry? Well Smartphone Home screens are written using XML. The phone reads in whatever XML file you specify and draws the home screen based on that. You have to either use other people's home screens or learn XML to customise it yourself. The best way to learn it is to look at a home page xml file and compare it to the home page produced. At first it'll look like complete gobbeldy-gook but after a comparing it to the screen itself you'll see what matches up to what. Have a look in the Customisation forum for more info. Here's a couple of topics to get you started: http://www.modaco.com/viewtopic.php?t=1812 http://www.modaco.com/viewtopic.php?t=1279 Also the full spec of home screen xml is available at: http://www.modaco.com/viewtopic.php?t=1370 but be warned it's quite techy. Have a play about first before trying to read this. A Programming Language is much more complicated let's you write completely new applications (games, a better MMS client, a word reader... whatever), whereas XML is used to write data (whether that is actually data like an address book as above, or customisation data saying what you'd like on your home screen). Barry P.S. You may think XML looks familiar if you've ever made a website that's because web pages are written using HTML which looks a lot like XML. However HTML isn't quite the same as pure xml (e.g. you don't have to close tags), however the next version, xHTML, basically tidies up HTML's faults.
Guest WJC19 Posted January 22, 2003 Report Posted January 22, 2003 Sorry guys this sounds basic I know but I cant find either C++ or the embeeded visual studio think on the Microsoft website also what do you program in for C++ and XML is C++ a program and XML you do in Notepad?
Guest Bazz Posted January 22, 2003 Report Posted January 22, 2003 The c++ downloads are at the MS smartphone site: http://www.microsoft.com/mobile/developer/default.asp C++ is a complicated language. You are best buying a beginners guide to C++ and having a look through that. Once you are up to scratch with that then look into programming for the smartphone. XML however is VERY easy. Just edit the files using notepad (not wordpad or word) and put them on the phone. Follow the links in my previous post and you can have a customised home screen in a couple of mins! Barry
Guest WJC19 Posted January 23, 2003 Report Posted January 23, 2003 Barry is it the SDK Im after if so what do I class myself as a company other and then click Sole Trader or something?
Guest WJC19 Posted January 23, 2003 Report Posted January 23, 2003 eMbedded Visual Tools 3.0 is what Im downloading its 304MB big :shock: that sound about right
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