Little tip that can save a ton of time for when typing using the emulator. The on-screen keyboard will jump up by default and allow you to use the mouse to click on the keys you are after. However, by default, it will not allow you to use your computer's keyboard to input text.
A very counter-intuitive way around this, is when the on-screen keyboard is shown on the emulator, simply hit the PAGE UP button on your machine's keyboard. This will dismiss the keyboard and let you type at full speed.
And yes, PAGE DOWN will allow you to restore the on-screen keyboard.
Showing posts with label windows phone 7. Show all posts
Showing posts with label windows phone 7. Show all posts
Saturday, 12 November 2011
Thursday, 20 October 2011
Sat Nav App for WP7
I recently went looking for a good sat nav software for my Windows Phone. Even with mango, Bing Maps is nothing more than "all right".
Sure it can get me from A to B. But doing so in an easy, safe and convenient manner whilst driving seemed to cause it issues. I mean really, it doesn't update the instructions as you pass them, so the onscreen information is still showing you how to get out your street when you've hit roadworks half way through your journey and need a plan B. And don't even get me started on a lack of turn by turn voice directions.
So I went looking. And sadly found no good free apps. However, I did find a rather spiffingly good app that comes at a cost.
Sure it can get me from A to B. But doing so in an easy, safe and convenient manner whilst driving seemed to cause it issues. I mean really, it doesn't update the instructions as you pass them, so the onscreen information is still showing you how to get out your street when you've hit roadworks half way through your journey and need a plan B. And don't even get me started on a lack of turn by turn voice directions.
So I went looking. And sadly found no good free apps. However, I did find a rather spiffingly good app that comes at a cost.
Thursday, 31 March 2011
WP7 - URI Mapper
Overview
I am always on the lookout for ways to improve code; short term benefits are nice but there is a great feeling in identifying potential problems way in advance, and putting in the framework early to make life easier later. Using a UriMapping when developing WP7 apps is one of the many ways you can help eliminate annoyances later.
So first of all, a brief description of how page navigation works in WP7, what a UriMapper is, and why it pays to use it. Scroll down passed these descriptions if you'd rather just see how to implement one.
I am always on the lookout for ways to improve code; short term benefits are nice but there is a great feeling in identifying potential problems way in advance, and putting in the framework early to make life easier later. Using a UriMapping when developing WP7 apps is one of the many ways you can help eliminate annoyances later.
So first of all, a brief description of how page navigation works in WP7, what a UriMapper is, and why it pays to use it. Scroll down passed these descriptions if you'd rather just see how to implement one.
Friday, 4 March 2011
WP7 Web Browser
After spending some time working with WP7 now, I really must comment on the embeddable web browser, the WebBrowser component. As a recent convert to WP7 as a user, I can't say I've too many complaints about the phone's main browser (Internet Explorer, as you may have guessed) and it usually does the job fine. In my heart, I know it could be much better, much smoother, support many standards better, be... much more like a Webkit browser really!
However, having found a requirement which could have been satisfied with either native components, or the use of the embeddable web browser, I opted straight for the web browser route. The reason for this, mainly, is that this solution has been used across iPhone, Android and BlackBerry with little or no tweaks needed on the server side when integrating the new platforms. Take all the content needing shown, use HTML to handle the layout (optimised for the requesting device, of course), wrap it all up and send to the device which can store it locally for offline viewing. Elegant, efficient, flexible... perfect. And best of all, changes to this layout requires no code changes, so can be edited even after the apps have went live. Beautiful, I must say, even though I can't take the credit for the original idea. Cue WP7 deciding to be a bit special.
However, having found a requirement which could have been satisfied with either native components, or the use of the embeddable web browser, I opted straight for the web browser route. The reason for this, mainly, is that this solution has been used across iPhone, Android and BlackBerry with little or no tweaks needed on the server side when integrating the new platforms. Take all the content needing shown, use HTML to handle the layout (optimised for the requesting device, of course), wrap it all up and send to the device which can store it locally for offline viewing. Elegant, efficient, flexible... perfect. And best of all, changes to this layout requires no code changes, so can be edited even after the apps have went live. Beautiful, I must say, even though I can't take the credit for the original idea. Cue WP7 deciding to be a bit special.
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