Platform Builder User Interface Migration (Windows CE 5.0)
In Microsoft Windows CE 5.0, the following functionality has changed in the Platform Builder user interface. For more information, see What's New.
If you are migrating from versions earlier than Microsoft Windows CE 3.0, you might also review the new functionality and processes of Windows CE 5.0 as discussed in Platform Builder Tutorials.
New and Updated User Interface Elements
| Functionality | Version added | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Automatic dependency checking | 4.0 | Imports Catalog items required to support functionality selected by the OS design developer. |
| Breakpoints List window | 4.0, 5.0 | Extends existing functionality for working with breakpoints by displaying a hierarchical list of breakpoints set in the current source code.
For more information, see Breakpoints List Window. |
| Build OS menu | 5.0 | Provides the ability to perform a variety of tasks in the Platform Builder integrated development environment (IDE) related to building a run-time image based on an OS design.
For more information, see Build OS Menu Options and Platform Builder Menu Migration. |
| Build Project menu | 5.0 | Provides the ability to perform a variety of tasks in the Platform Builder IDE related to building a project.
For more information, see Build Project Menu Options and Platform Builder Menu Migration. |
| CEC Editor | 4.0, 5.0 | Used to create and edit .cec files.
In version 5.0, the CEC Editor is no longer used to add information about how to build Catalog items to a .cec file. For more information, see CEC Editor Tool and How to Add an Application to the Catalog. |
| Combined workspace views | 4.0 | Combines the Project Workspace with the Platform Workspace to provide a simple interface to all active projects and OS designs.
For more information, see Workspace Window. |
| Emulator | 4.0, 4.1 | Software emulator for prototyping Windows CE-based OS designs.
Effective with version 4.1, the emulator supports incoming network connections as well as full duplex audio and Voice over IP (VoIP). For information about changes in version 5.0, see Emulator. |
| Expanded Remote Connection configuration | 4.0 | Used to create and maintain a list of connection configurations for multiple target devices.
For more information, see Configuring a Connection for Downloading and Debugging. |
| FileView tab | 5.0 | Updated to display files and directories in your %_WINCEROOT%, including those in the active OS design. Only files and directories specified as buildable in sources and dirs files are displayed.
Functionality and options related to builds are available on this tab. Available choices are dependent on the FileView node selected. For more information, see FileView Tab and Running a Targeted Build. |
| Find in Files | 5.0 | Provides functionality for performing file searches in the Workspace window, on the FileView tab. |
| Kernel Independent Transport Layer (KITL) | 4.0 | Provides a layer of abstraction between the communication protocol and the hardware to simplify debugging and performance analysis during kernel development.
For more information, see KITL Transport. |
| Locale tab | 4.0 | Contains localization information, including:
For more information, see Locale Tab. |
| Design templates | 4.0 | Provided by Platform Builder as starting points for the creation of an OS design.
For more information, see Overview of Design Templates for Developing a Target Device. |
| IMGRAM64 | 4.0, 5.0 | Provides the ability to build run-time images larger than 32 MB by configuring the run-time image for greater amounts of RAM.
In earlier versions, you set this variable through the Environment tab in the IDE. Effective with version 4.2, you set this variable from the Build Options tab. For more information, see Enabling a Run-Time Image Size Larger Than 32 MB. |
| Multiple %_WINCEROOT% selection | 5.0 | Provides the ability to specify the %_WINCEROOT% you want to associate individual workspaces with.
This enables you to work with a %_WINCEROOT% that is under source control. However, Windows CE does not include functionality for checking files in and out within Platform Builder. For more information, see Creating an OS Design and Build Tab. |
| OSDesignView tab | 5.0 | Changed name of the FeatureView tab.
Provides the ability to view information about the functionality included in an OS design. For more information, see OSDesignView Tab. |
| Platform menu | 5.0 | Provides the ability to perform a variety of tasks in the Platform Builder integrated development environment (IDE) related to configuring and modifying an OS design.
For more information, see Platform Menu Options. |
| Project menu | 5.0 | Provides the ability to perform a variety of tasks related to projects, including:
For more information, see Project Menu Options. |
| Platform Settings dialog box | 4.0 | Provides the ability to configure settings for the current OS design and associated projects.
In version 5.0, the Custom Build Actions and Image Settings tabs provide additional functionality, and the available settings have been updated. For more information, see Platform Settings Dialog Box. |
| Project Settings dialog box | 4.0 | Provides the ability to configure settings for the selected workspace project.
In version 5.0, the available settings have been updated. For more information, see Project Settings Dialog Box. |
| Remote Call Profiler | 4.0 | Provides the ability to profile protected server libraries (PSLs) and configure the number of buffers, threads, and processes during a profiling session. |
| Release Directory Modules dialog box | 5.0 | Provides the ability to select modules to load directly from the release directory onto an attached target device. |
| Side-by-side installation with an earlier version of Platform Builder for Windows CE | 4.1 | Permits side-by-side installations of different versions of Platform Builder to facilitate migration from an earlier version of Windows CE. |
| Special notifications | 4.1 | Provides detailed information regarding licenses or security issues for specific OS Catalog items.
You can keep track of notifications you have addressed or need to address for a specific OS design. |
| Target Device Connectivity Options dialog box | 5.0 | Provides a graphical user interface for connecting your development workstation to a target device for download and testing.
For more information, see Target Device Connectivity Options Dialog Box. |
| Targeted builds | 5.0 | Provides the ability to build selected nodes on the FileView tab.
For more information, see Running a Targeted Build. |
| Terminology in the IDE | 5.0 | Updated terminology used in Windows CE 5.0.
For more information, see Terminology. |
| Source code browsing | 4.1, 4.2, 5.0 | Extends the existing source code control system by enabling the IDE to display the location of the primary source code supporting a Catalog item, and in most cases, the source code itself. |
| Web notifications | 4.1 | Sent by the Windows CE support team, these notifications inform you when important hotfix releases, updates, and information related to creating Windows CE-based OS designs are available from Microsoft. |
| Windows CE .NET Test Kit | 4.0 | Provides a collection of tests and tools for device driver testing in a graphical user interface.
To facilitate development and testing of drivers without running Platform Builder, the CETK is not part of the Platform Builder IDE. You can open the CETK from the Windows Start menu. |
Removed User Interface Elements
The following functionality has been removed from Windows CE 5.0.
| Functionality | Version removed | Description |
|---|---|---|
| BIB Info tab | 4.0 | Used to add additional files and select attributes for these files.
For more information, see CEC Editor. |
| Build menu | 4.2 | Provides a set of menu options for building a run-time image based on an OS design.
Replaced with the Build OS and Build Project menus. |
| Build Selected Feature(s) | 5.0 | Used to build functionality included in your OS design on the OSDesignView tab in the Workspace window.
Replaced with the Targeted Build functionality. For more information, see Running a Targeted Build. |
| Enable Deptree Build | 5.0 | Selected to enable builds of the Private and Public OS trees.
In version 5.0, all builds include the Private and Public trees by default. |
See Also
Platform Builder User Interface
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