Windows CE Programming

Hello

at KeyWedge I posted my code that connects to a serial port and then simulates keystrokes into your application.

Now, there were issues where the reconnect did not automatically take place after a Suspend/Resume and you had to invoke the main window and select File-Hide just to let KeyWedge reconnect. This happens on devices that provide the communication port all the time and dont close it during a suspend.

I have added some code to watch the Windows Mobile Power Message Queue for RESUM messages and then do an automatic reconnect. The other option would have been to send some data thru the port periodically to check if it is still working. But this may disturb the attached the device.

The main change is in PowerMsgQueue.cpp. It implements the msg queue to receive power broadcast messages like done in a MSDN example code. If a resume message is encountered, the code sends a WM_USER message to the main window, which will do a SuspendComm/ResumeComm cycle. Very easy.

In PowerMsgQueue.cpp we have code that recognizes the resume:

                case PBT_TRANSITION:
                    nclog(L"Power Notification Message: PBT_TRANSITION\n");
                    //Add2Log(L"Power Notification Message: PBT_TRANSITION\n",TRUE);
                    nclog(L"Flags: %lx\n", ppb->Flags);
                    nclog(L"Length: %d\n", ppb->Length);
                    wsprintf(szPBtype, L"trans.: ");
/*
Flags: 12010000
Length: 6
trans.: ON|PASSWORD|BACKLIGHTON|
*/
                    if(ppb->Flags & 0x12010000)
                    {
                        nclog(L"PwrMsgQueue: got 'ON|PASSWORD|BACKLIGHTON'...\n");
                        //send a message to main window
                        iPost = PostMessage(hwndMain, WM_USER_RESUMECOMM, 0, 0);
                        nclog(L"PostMessage WM_USER_RESUMECOMM returned %i\n", iPost);
                    }
                    break; 

                case PBT_RESUME:
                    nclog(L"Power Notification Message: PBT_RESUME\n");
                    //Add2Log(L"Power Notification Message: PBT_RESUME\n",TRUE);
                    wsprintf(szPBtype, L"resume: ");
                    //send a message to main window
                    iPost = PostMessage(hwndMain, WM_USER_RESUMECOMM, 0, 0);
                    nclog(L"PostMessage WM_USER_RESUMECOMM returned %i\n", iPost);
                    nclog(L"Power: PBT_RESUME\n");
                    break;

To not block the queue, I use PostMessage to inform the main window of the Resume. Here is the simple code block in WndProc of the main window:

Continue reading ‘KeyWedge: 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’ »

Hi

there are now more and more full VGA rugged devices coming. And some customers are still using Remote Desktop Mobile to run there application on the small screens. Unfortunately some of the coders use application screen layouts hard coded to QVGA (240×320). Now with a VGA capable Windows Mobile device they get weird screens on the device.

The client (Remote Desktop Mobile) sends the server information about there screen sizes. As a VGA device can display 480×640 pixels, the hard coded 240×320 applications only use a quarter of the screen. The texts are very small and more or less unreadable.

Continue reading ‘Remote Desktop Mobile on VGA devices: QVGA applications do not scale well’ »

Hi

I just updated my CodeProjectFeeder WordPress plugin.

I did the code change requested by WebBiscuit at the Technical Blog mirror at CodeProject

have fun

josef