Windows CE Programming

This time I combined a set of functions to clear the Start Menu and the Today/Home Screen:

Before

After

Continue reading ‘Windows Mobile: Kiosk mode – Clear Today and Programs’ »

In an earlier post I wrote about a tool to autohide the annoying WMDC window. As a developer I dont like to keep WMDC come up every time I connect a device. I just need to know, if the device is connected or not.

Fortunately, Henkie leaved a comment about a usefull alternative for WMDC. But as commented here, no visual control of the connection.

Now I started to think about a small tool to have a visual control of WMDC connected or not. I had to use RAPI either provided by MS or via OpenNetCF.Desktop.Communication. Although the OpenNETCF one works OK, I was not satisfied, as it was impossible to get a connection status without disconnect/connect. So I went back to WIN32 API and wrote this small tool based on DeviceInfo sample of Windows Mobile 6 SDK.

First I again messed up with notification icons in Windows 7 (64bit). But the icon may be removed or not, depending on Windows 7 decisions I dont know.

So the tool uses a simple window and an icon to let you know the connection status.

Just start the tool and the icon and edit window background will show, if device is connected or not. The application icon in the title bar as in the taskbar button will change from gray to color for a connected versa a disconnected device.

Visual Studio 2008 C/C++ Win32 code and exe: [Download not found]

Just a post to let you know, that RDM_KeepBusy for WM6.5 has been updated

Hello Windows Mobile Users

recently the following was requested:

How can I start an application by just hitting some keys in sequence?

The answer: Just use a keyboard hook.

So I started to code this hook tool based on my KeyToggleBoot2 code. There was not too much to change. The new tool is called KeyToggleStart and it is configured by the registry:

            REGEDIT4

            [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Intermec\KeyToggleStart]
            "ForbiddenKeys"=hex:\
                  72 73 00
            ;max 10 keys!
            "KeySeq"="123"
            "Timeout"=dword:00000003
            "LEDid"=dword:00000001
            "Exe"="\\Windows\\iexplore.exe"
            "Arg"=""

Reg keys meaning:

Forbiddenkeys is just an addon feature: key codes entered in this list will not be processed any more by your Windows Mobile device. For example, to disable the use of the F3(VK_TTALK) and F4 (VK_TEND) keys you have to enter a binary list of 0x72,0x73,0x00 (the zero is needed to terminate the list).

KeySeq list the char sequence you want to use to start an application. For example if this is the string “123”, everytime you enter 123 in sequence within the given time, the application defined will be started.

TimeOut is the time in seconds you have to enter the sequence. So do not use a long key sequence as “starteiexplorenow” and a short timeout (except you are a very fast type writer). The timeout is started with the first char matching and ends after the time or when you enter a non-matching char of the sequence.

With LEDid you can specify a LED index number. LED’s on Windows Mobile are controlled by an index number, each LED has one or more ID assigned to it. So, with LEDid you can control, which LED will lit, when the matching process is running. You can even find an ID to control a vibration motor, if your Windows Mobile device is equipped with one.

The Exe registry string value is used to specify which application will be started when the key sequence is matched.

If the application you want have to be started needs some arguments, you can enter these using the Arg registry value.

When you start the KeyToggleStart tool, you will not see any window except for a notification symbol on your Start/Home screen of the device.

If you tap this icon (redirection sign) you have the chance to end the hook tool.

Continue reading ‘KeyToggleStart: Yet another usage for keyboard hook’ »