It’s been a while now since Microsoft stopped supporting Embedded Visual C++ 4.0 (eVC 4), and they don’t let you use the Windows Mobile SDK with the Express version of VS 2008. Now, I’m OK because I get an MSDN license through work (including VS 2008 Pro), but I’d like to work on a couple open-source projects, and not all the other contributing developers are so lucky. As a result, they’re sticking with eVC, even though it doesn’t run at all on Vista.
Is there a (free!) common denominator here? An IDE that will build MFC (and/or .NET!) apps, which runs on both XP and Vista? It doesn’t have to be fancy, per se, but the more VS-level niceties it has, the happier I think we’d all be with it.
Suggestions for cheap commercial-ware are also welcome, though of course the very best option would be something open-source, especially cross-platform. I think MS is doing serious damage to the WM OS by discouraging development like this.
Unfortunately I think you’re out of luck. There has been some success in getting SharpDevelop to compile managed smart device apps, though there was a period where is was broken in SharpDevelop too. I don’t believe that debugging directly against the device or emulator works, though, so I’d be highly inclined to not bother. Developing without a debugger is unbelievably painful.
Even with this you don’t have native support. What’s your option htere? Well there’s CeGCC and PocketGCC, but neither of those projects has had much activity in the fast few years – I’d say they’ve withered and died.
So really, Visual Studio is the only viable option.
Many in the development community (including myself) complained vocally when Microsoft stopped providing a free solution for smart device development. Believe me, we sat in several closed rooms in Redmond and yelled at several people about this – and it was way back in the Studo ’03 days that we started yelling. The standard response was that the development side (whom we talked to) don’t handle the business side (of pricing, SKU features, etc). Unfortunately I understand that, and I believe they were telling the truth.
To make matters worse, Microsoft made the unbelievable stupid decision that in VS ’08 they’d not just require Standard (like they did in VS05) but they move it back to a Professional and better SKU feature again (where it was in ’03) and thereby increase the cost to do development.
So what’s your recourse? I’d recommend that if you can’t afford the license, then look around for programs and offers that might give it. There was a time when Microsoft provided ‘driver developers’ a free copy if they promised to develop and sell a driver within a year. I don’t think they ever checked to see that you actually did (and if they did, creating a driver that does very little is only a couple hour task). If you’re a student try to get a student discount. If you play with hardware, look for a kit that comes with VS. If you have any contact with any Microsoft reps at work, complain about this feature lack. Even if it’s to the Office rep.
Edit: Just FYI, I ran it up the flagpole again this morning with the Visual Studio for Devices team telling them to tell their managers to think about a free option under VS 10. No idea if it will help or change things, but I’ve already seen another half dozen people jump in and agree with me, so there’s certainly support and pressure for the idea from the outside.