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My foray into mobile development, after a hiatus of several years, got off to a very slow start with the Symbol MC1000! The previous project had targeted a Telxon device which is now discontinued and if I recall correctly had a 1MHz(!) processor, just 1MB of non-volatile RAM for both code and data, ran a cut down version of DOS, had absolutely no integrated debugging experience and was entirely developed in C with only minimal library support. It was an enjoyable, if not protracted, challenge building a disconnected warehouse inventory application for that device, which required good performance and usability.

The Symbol MC1000 is a much more modern affair, with an Intel XScale 312 MHz processor, running Windows CE 4.2, 32MB of RAM and 32MB of flash ROM.

After a few Google searches I discovered that I would be able to target the Compact Framework 2.0 SP2 and use C# in Visual studio 2005 (SP1) to develop and debug the new application. Joy!

I’m almost embarrassed (*blush*) to admit that it took me a while to get the right version of the Compact Framework installed! I got it into my head that an “Intel XScale processor” meant I needed the x86 version of the Compact Framework. It doesn’t! It needs the ARM version. The Symbol web site could certainly benefit from better usability and content. Thank goodness for forums and the people who give up their time to answer questions on them. It seems everyone I have mentioned this to after the fact thought it was obvious, so it must be common knowledge in this sphere.

So what about the debugging experience? It is great! Just install Microsoft’s ActiveSync 4.5 and the other downloads listed below and you will be off to a flying start.

I’m currently running Compact Framework 2.0 SP2 in RAM: I haven’t quite figured out the Platform Builder route to installing it into ROM, and the Symbol site is pretty quiet on the whole matter. Small steps…

Helpful links:
Mark Prentice blog has this very useful post: Developing .NET Compact Framework applications for Windows CE 4.2 Devices

Downloads:
.NET Compact Framework 2.0 Service Pack 2 Redistributable
ActiveSync 4.5
Symbol Mobility Developer Kit v1.6 for .NET
Windows Mobile 5.0 SDK for Pocket PC

Join us at the Perth .NET Community of Practice, February 7th to hear Michael Minutillo present on Microsoft’s ASP.NET MVC framework. In this session, Michael will give an introduction to this new Microsoft technology. ASP.NET MVC is a presentation framework being developed by Microsoft to provide an alternative to Web Forms for web-application development. Leveraging the well-known Model View Controller design pattern it enables developers to create robust, maintainable web sites.

TOPIC: ASP.NET MVC with Michael Minutillo
DATE: 7th February, 5:30pm
VENUE: Excom, Level 2, 23 Barrack Street, Perth
COST: Free. All Welcome.

MVC is a framework methodology that separates an application’s implementation into three component roles: models, views, and controllers. One of the benefits of using a MVC methodology is that it helps enforce a clean separation of concerns between the models, views and controllers within an application. Maintaining a clean separation of concerns makes the testing of applications much easier, since the contract between different application components are more clearly defined and articulated.

I will be giving away a few goodies: a Resharper license, a copy of the book “The ASP.NET Anthology” and a few T-shirts. If you want a seat, try to arrive early!

Deepak Kapoor has posted a link to three free MS books on the Ausdotnet mailing list, which I’m forwarding: http://csna01.libredigital.com/?urvs5cn3s8

Next week is shaping up to be a good one, with 2 user group talks happening (see my previous post for details of Scott Hollier’s talk). Both events should not be missed!

Rob Farley (MVP) is in Perth and he has kindly agreed to give a presentation at the SQL Server User Group, Tuesday 4th Dec, 5:30pm.

TOPIC: New SQL Server 2008 features and TSQL language features
DATE: Tuesday Dec 4th, 5:30pm
VENUE: Excom, Level 2, 23 Barrack Street, Perth
COST: Free. All Welcome.

Rob Farley, a mentor/trainer with Solid Quality Learning Pty Ltd, has been consulting in IT since completing a Computer Science degree with first class honours in 1997. He currently lives in Adelaide, but has also worked in consultancies in Melbourne and London. He heads up the Adelaide SQL Server User Group, sits on the South Australian Branch Executive Committee of the Australian Computer Society and holds several Microsoft certifications including MCSD, MCDBA, MCTS, MCPD and MCITP. He is a Microsoft Certified Trainer and is a recipient of the Microsoft MVP Award for SQL Server

Join us at the Perth .NET Users Group, December 6th, to hear Dr Scott Hollier present on the Disability Divide. People with disabilities, and in particular people who are blind or vision impaired, are not embracing computing and Internet-related technologies at the same rate as the able-bodied population. This presentation will explain the reasons behind the disability divide and how software developers can significantly improve the independence of people with disabilities.

TOPIC: Accessibilty and the Disability Divide with Dr Scott Hollier
DATE: Dec 6th, 5:30pm
VENUE: Excom, Level 2, 23 Barrack Street, Perth
COST: Free. All Welcome.

Scott, a published author in the field, has recently completed a PhD titled ‘The Disability Divide: an examination into the needs of computing and Internet-related technologies by people who are blind or vision impaired’. He has an undergraduate Computer Science degree and six years experience in the Information Technology industry. Scott, who is legally blind, is a Researcher for Employment and Equity, at the Association for the Blind of WA.

Whoops! Almost forgot. On Tuesday, December 4th 5:30pm (same venue), Rob Farley will be talking about some of the new SQL Server 2008 features and a few of his favourite (and useful) TSQL language features.

You’ve probably already seen this by now – Microsoft have made the Visual Studio 2008 Training Kit available as a download (it was previously offered to ISVs only). It contains 20 hands-on labs, 28 presentations, and 20 scripted demos. The technologies covered in the kit include: LINQ, C# 3.0, VB 9, WCF, WF, WPF, Windows CardSpace, Silverlight, ASP.NET Ajax, .NET Compact Framework 3.5, VSTO 3.0, Visual Studio Team System, and Team Foundation Server.

Earlier in the year I joked with Cheryl Martinez, who coordinates Apress’s user group affilliation program, about the possibility of someone finding a decent electronic solution to hard copy books. Well, it seems Amazon may well have done just that with the release of the Kindle. According to the blurb, Kindle is a “portable reading device with the ability to wirelessly download books, blogs, magazines, and newspapers”. It’s not the first device to try and capture this huge market; Sony has had one out for some time which retails for around US400.
3) Network coverage (I suspect here in backwater Perth, this might be a big issue).
4) Black and White screen: seems a strange design choice.
5) Book availability: obviously this would hopefully grow quickly as the product matures?

The killer for me is the DRM issue. If I buy a paper book, I expect to be able to read it anytime between now and either it or me crumbles into dust!. I do not want to pay for something that will become unreadable at some point in time (although with technology books becoming out of date very quickly this is not an issue for what would be its main use for me).

Wonder if they have thought of including an automatic speech translator, turning print into audio books?

“The Journey of a thousand miles begins with one step” – Lao Tzu

Every so often, you come across a book that really stands out. I have recently been very fortunate to come across several such books, this being one of them. “Solving mathematical problems” was written by Terence Tao when he was a 15 year old student and has now been slightly revised in this second edition. Like another of the reviewers at Amazon, I also came across this book after reading an article about Terence Tao winning the Fields medal (a bit like the Nobel prize for mathematics).

Not only does it give a wonderful insight into the mind of a young Terence Tao, but also into the techniques used to elegantly solve some reasonably difficult problems, such as those posed as questions for the Maths Olympiad contests. [Terence competed in these challenges in his teens, winning bronze, silver and then gold.]

Mathematical researchers are not always great educators. Thankfully, Prof. Tao is.
Mainly assuming only basic high-school pure mathematics, worked solutions to the problems are clearly and expertly described. Not only does he solve the problems but he also examines the steps, false starts and other solution possibilities that are part of the general approach to problem solving.

I was only slightly disappointed that there were a handful of corrections in this second edition (available at Prof Tao’s blog here); one or two could perplex an unwary reader who might expect the work to be flawless.

If you have an interest in mathematics, either as a high school student or a hobbyist, I would highly recommended reading this book.

In the preface, Prof Tao remarks that if he wrote a book on the subject of competition problem-solving now, it would very different; now that is definitely a book I would like to read!

With the imminent release of Visual Studio 2008 RTM, the teams at Microsoft are busy creating support material. Paul Andrew has links to several resources over at his blog. The direct link to the .NET Framework 3.5 Namespaces Poster is here.

Greg Low has been involved with technical user communities for some time. He is well known in Australian developer circles (and further afield) and is a frequent speaker at conferences as well as a Microsoft regional director. I’m currently helping to run the Perth .NET user group, so I was glad to receive a review copy of this book from Greg, curious to see if there was something we could be doing, but currently were not.

The writing style is conversational, easy to read and interspersed with recounted stories. The book is divided into the following chapters:

1. People, Not Technology
2. Something for Everyone
3. Finding Speakers
4. Tried and True
5. Pizza Does Not Define a User Group
6. Don’t Reinvent the Wheel
7. Recruiting Members
8. Content and Handouts
9. Using Technology
10. Recruiting Volunteers
11. Conducting Meetings
12. Tips for Presenters
13. The Fine Print
14. Funding

The book makes it clear from Chapter 1 that “Communities, whether technical or not, are about people” and the reasons why people are motivated to get involved with a user group are examined.

In Chapter 2, “Something for Everyone”, Greg describes his strategies for making meetings have relevance to all attendees:

• Avoid Single Topic Meetings
• Avoid Increasing Depth
• Some Repetition is OK

This advice might seem to fly in the face of how many user groups are organised but his explanations make good sense. I think this chapter could be summed up by the following quotes, which in other settings might seem cliché or hackneyed: “Participation is very important” and “Everyone wants to feel valued”.

I think Greg did a good job of keeping the book short and easy going; I read it in 2 sessions over 3 nights. Not all of the advice will fit every user group, but I would be surprised if a single user group did not found something of interest that they can put to use. There are many valuable ideas that can be quickly put into practice. It was pleasing to find out that our group seems to be following much of the advice given in this book.

The only negative thing I found that was that there were a few short paragraphs that were repeated, but maybe that was just to drill in the message!

If you are thinking of starting a technical community or even already involved in one, this book is certainly worth reading.

[BTW Greg, the tale of the Avocado mouse pads made me smile!]