Mobile Client Software Factory CTP
Patterns & practices team released the first CTP of what they call a Mobile Client Software Factory. Here's the summary:
Summary
The Mobile Client Software Factory provides an integrated set of guidance to help architects and developers create line-of-business Windows Mobile applications that interact with back-end systems over various networks (WiFi, GPRS, etc.) that might be intermittently available. A mobile smart client line-of-business application has one or more of the following characteristics:
- It has a rich user interface that takes advantage of the power of the Windows Mobile device.
- It connects to and exchanges data with multiple back-end systems through a gateway server through the most cost effective underlying network technology.
- It takes advantage of local caching and processing to enable operation during periods of no network connectivity or intermittent network connectivity.
- It is easily deployed and configured.
- It keeps local, potentially confidential information secure.
The guidance assets included in the Mobile Client Software Factory take different forms: patterns, step-by-step instructions (How-to topics), sample application source code (reference implementation), reusable self-contained components (application blocks), a Guidance Automation Toolkit package that automates common mobile client development tasks in Visual Studio, and architecture documentation.
This offering also leverages the following existing patterns & practices assets:
- Composite UI Application Block ported into the .NET Compact Framework
- Specific application blocks for logging, data access, and so on
- Guidance Automation Toolkit
