What's Missing from NETCF in .Net Framework?

What's Missing from NETCF in .Net Framework?

Microsoft had to do some serious trimming to make the .NET Framework fit into the operating constraints of Windows CE. The most notable .NET Framework features that did not make it into NETCF are the subject of this section.

Method Overloads

Overloading a method provides alternative ways to call that method. It also increases the size of a framework. Because of this, the .NET Compact Framework trimmed the overloads from almost all methods.

What this means to you is twofold. First, there is a good chance that a particular method overload you used with a desktop application will not be available under NETCF. Second, when (notice I didn't say if) you read the documentation, pay close attention to whether or not a method is supported by NETCF.

Nonessential Controls

At first, you're led to believe that the list of missing controls is but a few. In fact, the controls that are missing are nearly as many as are included. Now, is that areason for you to abandon programming with the .NET Compact Framework? Certainly not. Like other missing features, it provides you with an opportunity to demonstrate your programming prowess. How's that for a positive spin.

Table 1-2 lists .NET Framework controls that didn't make it into NETCF. The absence of most of these controls is not going to be of any significance to mobile developers. Since printing has such a limited role in mobile applications, removing the whole family of print-related controls is not an issue. That takes care of the CrystalReportViewer, PageSetupDialog, PrintDialog, PrintDocument, PrintPreviewControl, and PrintPreviewDialog controls. You can replace many of the missing dialog boxes with your own dialog boxes or by accessing system dialog boxes directly using the Windows CE API

Table 1-2: Controls Missing from NETCF

CONTROL	DESCRIPTION
CheckedListBox	Hybrid list box that includes check boxes next to each item; a suitable workaround for this limitation is the ListView control.
ColorDialog	Control that provides access to the operating system's color dialog box.
CrystalReportViewer	Control that links an application to Crystal Reports. No precanned reporting functionality is provided under NETCF, nor for that matter is printing supported.
DateTimePicker	Graphic component for selecting date and time.
ErrorProvider	Graphical indicator to the user as to what fields on a form contain invalid values.
FolderBrowserDialog	Interface to folder hierarchies.
FontDialog	Control that provides access to the operating system's font dialog box.
GroupBox	Control used to group related controls together. The Panel control offers a suitable replacement.
HelpProvider	Control that links an application to a help file.
LinkLabel	Control that combines the functionality of a label with a hyperlink.
MonthCalendar	Pop-up calendar from which the user could select a date.
NotifyIcon	Control that adds a link between a status bar icon and background applications.
PageSetupDialog	Control used to manipulate page, margin, and printing configurations for a document.
PrintDialog	Control that provides access to the operating system's print dialog box.
PrintDocument	Object used to define a print document.
PrintPreviewControl	Preview of how a printed document will appear.
PrintPreviewDialog	Dialog box containing a PrintPreviewControl.
RichTextBox	Text box that supports advanced formatting features.
Splitter	Control that allows the user to resize docked controls.
ToolTip	Pop-up window that provides a brief description of a control.

The missing controls that I'd like most to have added would be the DateTimePicker, MonthCalendar, and RichTextBox. The functionality offered by these controls would be immediately beneficial in developing mobile solutions.

Note

As luck would have it, other developers feel the same way and have done something about it. For a list of third-party controls