How can I check the device platform before deployment in the .NET Compact Framework? - deployment

I've developed an application for Windows Mobile using Windows Mobile 6 Pro with CF 3.5 and I have some deployment questions.
I'm targeting only Pocket PC and I don't want to let users install it on their smartphone (because it simply won't work).
How can I check for the platform on which the user is installing the application and show him some error message?
Just to let you know, I have an .msi in order to install the app into the device from the desktop (setup project with cab inside), and it's fine.
I just need this extra verification.

See this link on how you can detect the platform. Cab files support an optional setup.dll, which can be used for registering custom actions in Install init, Install exit, Uninstall init and Unistall exit. You could use the install init entry point and stop the installation or show a dialog if the platform doesn't match. This of course has to be native development.

Related

Installing a Windows Mobile application on a Windows CE device

A client has asked us to "revive" an old Windows Mobile application that is used by their receiving department.
At some point they wrote a custom Windows Mobile 6 app for Windows CE devices (a Motorola MC55A to be specific).
They have a project in place to replace this app - but it won't happen for a bit and they want to install the custom app on some newly refurbished devices they found as an interim solution.
I found the source code for the application. It even contains an installer project that generates the CAB files.
What I do not know how to do is get the compiled app and installer onto the device.
I am using one of their legacy computers to build the app and connect to the device. The computer has Windows Mobile Center installed and when I see the device connected - I the ability to add / remove programs on the device.
Not sure if this is the route I should be going. Ideally I want to put the installer behind a web page and just have each device download the installer to install the app.
This stuff is pretty dated - I am having a hard time on the specifics of deployment.
You can put the CAB file on the device and launch it manually using the file explorer on the device to install the files.
Some industrial devices like Honeywell, Intermec, Motorola, Symbol, Zebra and others support the auto install of cab files, if the files are put in a special folder on the device. For former Intermec Honeywell devices, this folder is called \Flash File Store\CabFiles. If a cab file is placed in this folder, it will be installed on the next reboot.
You may also put a link to the CAB file on a web site and open that web site within the Internet Explorer on the device. The device will ask for the installation, when the file link is tapped. Please note that some web server like IIS by default block CAB files from being loaded! If so, you need to configure the web server to allow cab file downloading.
Many months later, but I wanted to answer this for future reference, when you DEPLOY Solution, Visual Studio (2008 was the last one supporting windows mobile apps) will ask you for a target device or emulator, here you can select the device and it will be installed, there will be no entry in add/remove programs on the device unless you install it via an installation CAB. You must create an "Smart Device Cab Project" and configure it for your solution.

Telerik Nativescript for Blackberry

We know that Blackberry 10 can run Android app. Does somebody tried Telerik Nativescript for Android and make it run for Blackberry 10?
If so, is it possible to explain the steps to be able to do it? Does Webworks gives any help?
Telerik NativeScript for Android does indeed work on BlackBerry OS 10 I've tried on (10.3.2.2474). I'll list some tips to get you started, but please keep in mind that NativeScript doesn't officially support BlackBerry OS.
Deployment with the {N} CLI tool (tns) might be problematic - it produces an apk for the app, but it can't deploy it on the device itself, so you need to transfer it somehow and install it on the device.
Alternatively you can use Telerik AppBuilder to build the app (either version will work - VS plugin, CLI tool, Windows or Web clients) and deploy it on the device via QR code scan and install. However, apk installation is a bit slow process on a BB10, so you may choose to use the NativeScript companion app for development. Deployment to the companion app is done via QR codes - it has an integrated QR code reader - and since no installation is necessary, development cycle is faster. There is a small issue with the app - it may seem to crash on the first run, but you can still find the Sync and Scan buttons in the BlackBerry Hub, which you can use to scan the code and start your app.
Releasing the app in the BlackBerry store is out of my scope, but you can check these documents:
https://developer.blackberry.com/android/documentation/rpkg_with_bb_plugin_for_android_stdio.html
https://developer.blackberry.com/android/documentation/publsh_your_app_to_appworld.html
Make sure you've built the app for release as mentioned.
Let me know if this helps.

Deploy windows 8.1 store apps

I have to continu the work of an intern, working on windows 8.1 store application.
For the context, I am a very beginner with windows 8.1 OS, and also with windows 8.1 app dev... So at the moment, I don't know, what informations you will need to help me, and that's annoying, so please tell me if I miss anything.
So, I tried first, to install what he does.
In the debug folder, I found some app.exe, so I tried them and got the message "the app must be in a app container" (in french, I can only translate in english, I don't know if it's the same in the english Windows...).
So, I tried something else, deploy the application with Visual studio, but I don't find any results in the project folder...
It is an app that is meant for an enterprise, so there is no need to deploy it in the windows store.
How can I deploy it, so I can install the application myself, on all the desks easily?
I found this, but cannot find any .appx file .
These 2 blogs were written for Windows 8. I have done before but not sure if still correct for 8.1;
Steps for deploying on a device (with screenshots)
How Do I Deploy a Windows 8 App to Another Device for Testing?
Distribute apps to business customers
Deploying Metro style apps to businesses

How to install a .bar file hosted in a remote server to a BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha device

I have port an Android application to BlackBerry using Android Runtime. I can install that application successfully using Eclipse. Now I want to put those deploy files (MyApp.bar) in to a remote server and download the .bar file using a browser and install it to another BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha device. I was able to download but unable to install the .bar file. What should I do?
I believe that you are looking for an app or tool that you can run from a BB10 device itself to install the .bar file, after you've already downloaded it. There used to be a tool like this for the Playbook, but it seems to be no longer maintained and Blackberry (RIM) have blocked the method this app used to perform the install in newer version of the Playbook OS (and presumably BB10 as well).
A solution which has been reported to work by some in the Blackberry Developer forums is the Playbook App Manager as a Firefox or Chrome plugin. You can use this plugin from the browser on your PC to push the .bar to your other Blackberry 10 Dev Alpha device over the network.
If that doesn't work, that leaves you only with external tools that you already know work like the Eclipse plugin, and you could also use the command line tools like blackberry-deploy or batchbar-deploy installed with the SDK.
Finally, crackberry.com has a tutorial on sideloading Android apps using the DDPB third party app, which requires Java and .Net (so the browser plugin tool is really preferred).

CAB installation failing on new Windows Mobile 6.5 devices

We use a CAB file through a webpage to deploy our mobile application to our customers. Now with the new Windows Mobile 6.5 devices, the cab file is downloaded as a .tsk file (when using the new Internet Explorer). Naturally the installation fails to install the application as a theme.
If the file is downloaded in Opera, or you change the file extension back to cab. The installation process completes. But the application can launch due to Missing Method Exceptions.
Has anyone experienced this? Does anyone know if there is a workaround for it?
We are currently builing the CAB using a vdproj in visual studio and signing it using CabWiz. Were using the Windows Mobile 5.0 SDK.
This is an issue with a specific version of the HTC Touch 2 ROM.
Apparentlly this is fixed with an upgrade of the mobile.
see reference:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=574121