We are currently working with Wix (Windows Installer XML) and  today we wanted to roll out a new software package with a prerequisite for Silverlight 3.0.

I must say it’s pretty hard to find something on the web, on how to check installation or version of Silverlight (for Wix or other deployment projects).

But Alex and I found the solution.

If Silverlight is installed you will find the following Registry Entry:

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AgControl.AgControl\CurVer]

@=”AgControl.AgControl.x.x”

The “AgControl.AgControl.x.x” part contains the current installed version (Silverlight 3.0 = AgControl.AgControl.3.0)

As a little extra here the “Condition” check for Wix:

<Property Id="SILVERLIGHTVERSION">
  <RegistrySearch Id="SilverLightSearch" Type="raw" Root="HKCR" Key="AgControl.AgControl\CurVer"/>
</Property> 

<Condition Message="Please install Silverlight 3.0 or higher, available at: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=149156&amp;v=3.0.40818.0">
  <![CDATA[Installed OR SILVERLIGHTVERSION >= "AgControl.AgControl.3.0"]]>
</Condition>

Since I do some Compact Framework programming on the side. I ran into the problem on how to do full screen applications on WM. Due to our background as “third level developers” we got a pretty good framework for C# Compact Framework programming and there I found the good old HHTaskBar “Hack”.

public static class TaskBar
{
    private static IntPtr taskbar; 

    [DllImport("coredll.dll", EntryPoint = "FindWindowW", SetLastError = true)]
    private static extern IntPtr FindWindowCE(string lpClassName, string lpWindowName); 

    [DllImport("coredll.dll")]
    private static extern IntPtr ShowWindow(IntPtr hWnd, int visible); 

    [DllImport("coredll.dll")]
    private static extern bool EnableWindow(IntPtr hwnd, bool enabled); 

    /// <summary>
    /// hides windows taskbar
    /// </summary>
    public static void HideTaskbar()
    {
        taskbar = FindWindowCE("HHTaskBar", null);
        ShowWindow(taskbar, 0);
        EnableWindow(taskbar, false);
    } 

    /// <summary>
    /// shows windows taskbar
    /// </summary>
    public static void ShowTaskbar()
    {
        ShowWindow(taskbar, 1);
        EnableWindow(taskbar, true);
    } 

}

This is fine,… but if the app crashes or you forget to implement the  ”ShowTasbar” function your TaskBar is gone (till the next cold reset). So I searched and found the following “lightweight” way to “hide” the TaskBar.

public static void FullSize(Form frm)
{
    frm.WindowState = FormWindowState.Maximized;
    frm.Size = Screen.PrimaryScreen.WorkingArea.Size;
    frm.FormBorderStyle = System.Windows.Forms.FormBorderStyle.None;
}

Only tested for WM 5.0, 6.0 and 6.5!

For some applications this is a very useful technique to assure, the user runs the latest version.
For some applications, you may experience difficulty with settings files. Settings files in that way, that users store local data in there, and that these changes are not going to be lost on the next app-update.

There are 3 known circumstances, where your settings files will not get updated:
1) downgrade your deployment version (e.g previous version was 2.5, new version is 2.3)
2) change your deployment provider url
3) changes in public key token/certificates

So if you can make sure, that none of the 3 reasons will ever appear, let click-once setup handle your settings files.
Otherwise, you might consider moving the files to a location outside the click-once environment (e.g. the localappdata folder).
Get an idea of how to do this in this article.

Kaum gepostet ist “Mäxchen” auch schon getestet! Saijo George hat in seinem Bestwindowsmobileapps – Blog “Mexican” einen Review über unser neuestes Machwerk geschrieben.

Und um uns Arbeit zu ersparen auch ein kleines Video gemacht.

Den gesamten Review gibt es unter Mexico 1.0 – Mexican dice game on windows phone | Best Windows Mobile Games / Windows Phone Apps Review

“Thirsty” programmer are the worse and it’s even worse when you want to play a dice game without dices.

Since none of us carries dices with them all the time (just in case we’r in the mood to play with some friends) I descided to make a new game.

Because “we” don’t leave the house without our WM Smartphones

Mexico (en)

http://www.lore-and-saga.co.uk/html/dice.html

aka. Mäxchen (at) aka. Meier (de)

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mäxchen

You can play it with and without your G-Sensor and I also included a small Tutorial and HowTo, I hope you have fun with it.

Here the download:  MexicoSetup

PS.: Für die Österreicher einfach im Installationsverzeichnis den “de-DE” Folder löschen und ihr habt “Mäxchen” statt “Meier”

Wir freuen uns, dass SparxSystems LieberLieber AMUSE geprüft hat uns in die 3rd Party Tool Liste aufgenommen hat! (und das sowohl auf der australischen als auch auf der deutschen Seite).

Details – SparxSystems Europe

Somit ein weiterer Meilenstein in der LieberLieber AMUSE Erfolgsgeschichte!

Heute bekamen wir besuch von der Feuerwehr. Da quasi vor der Bürotüre (die Baustelle ums Eck) ein Gasflasche brannte.

Bei dieser “kleinen” Aktion wurde auch gleich der Handelskai gesperrt, wie man auf den beiden Fotos eindrucksvoll sieht.

Zum glück war es gerade Zeit zum Mittagessen und nur ein paar Stunden später konnten wir auch schon in unser Büro zurück.

Andi B. (Name der Redaktion bekannt) meinte hierzu nur: “Es ging alles so schnell, ich konnte nicht mal fertig builden, geschweige denn einchecken. Panisch versuchte ich eine Entscheidung zu treffen, was brauch ich mit, Geld, Notebook, Jacke,… also schnappte ich mir kurz entschlossen mein Fotohandy und rannte.”