FBA The Creator

Hello,

I'm new here so please put down the guns .

I want to create a simple application that reads data from the internet. Since I don't have the money for Visual Studio and Express editions don't support mobile development, I stumbled across this great IDE. I've previously tried SharpDevelop but the resulting C# code is slow (esp for animations like list scrolling similar to the iphone). It looks to me like this application is geared mainly towards game development, but I would like to try to create an application with it. After spending a couple of days looking through the examples and compiling some code, I ran into a possible showstopper. I tried the HTTP example and downloaded it to my phone. Since I have a perm data connection for push email, it worked flawlessly. However, when I turned the data connection off, then re-ran the program it said that I needed to be connected to the internet first. Most applications that I've come across usually initiate the data connection automatically. Is there a way to do this either through the scripting language or using some external API call? I would really like to continue development using this IDE because I'm beginning to like it and the simplicity of the scripting language.

Thanks.

Mmh..no, there isn't a way to start automatically the connection through Lua socket's facilities (FBA uses luasocket library).
Actually this could be accomplished through external dll's (there's a tutorial about FBA DLLs, you could use that as starting point).

yes, I looked at the example of using the external DLL's. However, I was unable to create the ARM dll because I don't have EVC++... only VS2008 express.

Is EVC++ free because I couldn't really find it on the MS site? If not, then if I write the code, can you compile and create a DLL for me?

Thanks.

Yes, it should be free, but I don't know if MS still supports it (I think they could be have integrated it in recent VStudio releases; ARM dll could be compilable from there, but I never tried).
Try to fetch from here (random google result, I didn't test it ):
http://downloads.zdnet.com/abstract.aspx?kw=embedded+visual+c%2B%2B&docid=676297

Apparently, according to some posts on the Internet, MS pulled it from their site just last month (January 09)... that's why I couldn't find it on their site.

I will try your link to download it and I'll let you know how it goes... or how bad my C++ skills are.. ha ha.

Anyway, I may not continue down this path. I've found some other issues that I need to overcome.

1. Can't minimize app. Need to investigate how to minimize through the external DLL.
2. Task manager says my app is called "FBA <some numbers>". I read a post on this forum about the same thing. Need to investigate.
3. App doesn't run in the background. I don't know if this will be a big deal.... depends on how far this app is developed.
4. When I install my test application to my device, each time I run it, there is a box that fades in/out on the bottom right that says "Powered by FBA" or something like that. I posted this on another thread asking whether it was the "banner" that gets removed when one donates.

Tried to install EVC 4 and it installed fine but there was a driver issue in Windows Vista for the emulator. Hence, it didn't let me setup a new configuration (crashes the application when I try).

After a lot of begging, I got a friend to give me his old Vs2005 Pro disk (since he is using VS2008 - provided by his company argh!). I installed it then downloaded all the mobile SDKs. I then converted the EVC project into VS2005 and it worked. I recompiled everything and created a setup cab for my pocket pc and successfully ran it on there.

Now to write some C++ and see how things go.

Can you provide some information on the banner that appears everytime I run the application? Like how much I need to donate? PM me if you want.

Thanks.

Well, donate is just a simbolic way to support FBA future development;
we won't become rich with that!
the amount is up to you

Hi ckl_88,

If you get the chance, I really need to use Bluetooth with FBA. I have no time to learn C/C++ so if you find any way to make a FBA program talk to another FBA program via Bluetooth, please let us know how. I might even be able to lend you the kit

Robin

Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner. I'm steadily working on my app at the moment. It's really looking nice GUI-wise but I haven't started looking into the DLL portion of it yet (except for compiling the demo and adding a display to make sure it works). When I get to that part though, I'll have a look at the bluetooth connectivity as well. I've found some examples on the microsoft msdn site so that will be my starting point.

I don't know what you meant by "kit" but if you mean devices, don't worry, I already have two.

Hi ckl_88,

by 'kit' I did mean a couple of 'phones. I have a batch of HTC TyTn IIs for development. Lovely 'phones and they really show off FBA well. Getting Bluetooth would open up FBA to lots of things....

Robin