Introducing MoDaCo DoNew for Windows Mobile 6 Standard (updated 07/12/08)

[Guest Paul (MVP)]

You know how the things that you think are going to be the easiest are actually the hardest, and how sometimes once you've started something you really wish you hadn't? Well, i've had a day like that today ;)

I've been fortunate enough to have been using a Windows Mobile 6 Standard Landscape Smartphone for a little while now, and I really like it. A couple of things bug me though, and the key one is the fact that Microsoft, in their infinite wisdom, removed the 'New' functionality from Word Mobile and Excel Mobile. No matter I thought to myself, rather than messing around doing this 'Save As' thing all the time, i'll just rustle myself up a little application to make it easier... should only take half hour.

And it did, kinda.

I was using my Windows Mobile 6 Pocket PC as my dev device (big mistake), and I had it finished in next to no time at all. Brilliant! Success! So I then tried running it on my Smartphone. It b0rked :D On further investigation, I discovered that the 'Save As' dialogue in the Compact Framework is not implemented in Smartphone. DOH! The solution? Writing my own 'Save As' dialogue... rather a lot more work.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, i'd like to introduce you to 'MoDaCo DoNew'. This first version of DoNew is for Landscape WM6 Standard devices ONLY, and restores the 'New Document' functionality i've been missing so much, and you will all be missing when you start getting your hands on devices!

I've included some screenshots and the install CAB below, and i'm open to feedback and tweaks on what is a very quickly knocked-up application.

Enjoy, feedback welcomed! If you use the CAB, please consider donating £1 to my 'quidapps' effort to develop cheap, useful applications and tweaks - click here to donate. Donations will be used specifically to buy development tools to enable slicker and more advanced tweaks and applications in the future while retaining a £1 price point!

P

donew.cab

[Edit: WM6 Professional (Pocket PC) version also available here]

[Edit 2: Now compatible with portrait devices!]

[Edit 3: Now with DOCX / XLSX support!]

[Guest Paul (MVP)]

BTW, I have noticed that the standard provided icons in the menu are a bit grainy, i'll nab the Office 2007 ones in the next build and use them ;)

P

[Guest Monolithix (MVP)]

So how many Windows Mobile 6 Standard landscape handsets are there out there at the moment? ;)

[Guest Paul (MVP)]

That's not the point ;)

P

[Guest The Doctor]

That's not the point ;)

P

Bah I suspect you've signed an NDA and either been sent some test device OR sent yours away to be flashed? :D And hence telling us WHICH devices you have running WM6 is out of the question? :) So far I've seen pics of a Tornado, Hermes, Wizard, Universal all running WM6. No landscape smartphones tho :) Excalibur maybe? :(

TBH i haven't used Office mobile much, i can see however why it would be valuable to business customers with Smartphones with LS screens + keyboards tho

Phil

Edited March 14, 2007 by The Doctor

[Guest Paul (MVP)]

Excalibur... ;)

P

[Guest Monolithix (MVP)]

I need to not buy an i600 (stoopid money!) Wasn't it rumoured to come out on Voda?

[Guest Paul (MVP)]

Eh?

Off topic innit Mono? That's not WM6 ;)

P

[Guest Monolithix (MVP)]

Heh that is true. Just voicing my own internal turmoil over which device to buy next! Guess i'll wait for a half decent WM6 one ;)

[Guest Paul (MVP)]

I've attached MoDaCo DoNew for Windows Mobile 6 Professional (Pocket PC) devices in both landscape and portrait.

This was much easier to write (as I originally intended) as it uses the standard common dialogue.

Although you can 'New' on Pocket PC, I find the dedicated shortcut helpful.

P

MoDaCo_DoNew_PPC.cab

[Guest chucky.egg]

Over at SmartphoneToughts they had a simpler, perhaps less elegant, solution of creating a blank Word template (.DOT), write-protect it, and transfer to the device. You then add a shortcut to the template and click that when you want a new file.

[Guest Paul (MVP)]

Yeah, then you have to do a 'Save As'. I like my version better ;)

P

[Guest Mike Temporale]

Over at SmartphoneToughts they had a simpler, perhaps less elegant, solution of creating a blank Word template (.DOT), write-protect it, and transfer to the device. You then add a shortcut to the template and click that when you want a new file.

Just to clarify, you don't want to use a DOT (Template), because when you do Save As it doesn't drop it out to a DOC. Crazy, I know. So just create a blank .DOC and mark it read only. Then when you close it you will be asked to save it as a new document.

Nice solution there Paul. I still can't understand why Microsoft would leave out such a major feature. Especially when it's not a lot of code to make it right.

[Guest jimmie geddes]

Thanks for creating this awesome application. It works great on my T-Mobile Dash. I posted a link on my site for this app. Great job!!!!

http://gadgetsonthego.net/2007/03/free-win...6-standard.html

[Guest indiekiduk]

I discovered that the 'Save As' dialogue in the Compact Framework is not implemented in Smartphone. DOH! The solution? Writing my own 'Save As' dialogue... rather a lot more work.

I use these ones:

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa446567.aspx

but yours look fine.

[Guest vagelis]

Super thank you very much :rolleyes:

[Guest xghostx]

some of us with moto q's are having issues with this. We are able to install the Microsoft Office from WM6 (for WM5) and the cab from this thread but it is not functional. just wondering if this is a universal problem or just a wm5 issue?

[Guest wrong address]

Thanks

[Guest Mixx]

some of us with moto q's are having issues with this. We are able to install the Microsoft Office from WM6 (for WM5) and the cab from this thread but it is not functional. just wondering if this is a universal problem or just a wm5 issue?

I have the same problem on HTC Excalibur (WM5). Installs, but has no (visible) effect. Is there any hope, that this can be fixed?

Thanxx, Mixx

[Guest Dragon1276]

some of us with moto q's are having issues with this. We are able to install the Microsoft Office from WM6 (for WM5) and the cab from this thread but it is not functional. just wondering if this is a universal problem or just a wm5 issue?

I have Moto Q and although the app does not complete its intended functionality (create a new doc then open it) it DOES create the new document wherever you specify it. Once I had empty docs I just made them read only and open those.

[Guest Paul (MVP)]

It's definitely working on the Excalibur, not sure what's happening on the Q.

I have a Q, so i'll have a root around to see if I can work out what's happening.

P

[Guest kmdragon]

HI Paul, I'm new to this all but have been searching for this feature your created to use for my dash. I downloaded it but when I unzip the file I don't see how to install it to my synch/add programs folder. Any help is very much appreciated.

kathy

[Guest girltechies]

I have Moto Q and although the app does not complete its intended functionality (create a new doc then open it) it DOES create the new document wherever you specify it. Once I had empty docs I just made them read only and open those.

I have a Moto Q as well. When I click on "new word document", it takes me to naming the document. After I name it and click save, it takes me to an alert screen stating that it is unable to create new Word document. Are you having the same problem. If so, have you found a way to open a new document?

[Guest Paul (MVP)]

At a guess, i'd say the 'hacked installer' doesn't install the apps to \Windows\, which is obviously where DoNew expects to find them.

P

[Guest barfoo]

At a guess, i'd say the 'hacked installer' doesn't install the apps to \Windows\, which is obviously where DoNew expects to find them.

P

Hi Paul,

Thanks for a great tip. I'd like to test this theory. What is the correct path for the Office executables (where DoNew expects to find them)? Are all the files for Office Mobile in the \Windows\ directory, or are they in \Windows\Office6\ , or....?

Thanks!