This version of the Technology Preview is delivered as a windows installer (.msi) setup. Run Borland Delphi .NET Compact Framework Tech Preview.msi and agree to the license agreement to complete the installation. You need to have Delphi 2005 installed on your system before installing this setup. This preview will get installed to a directory named "CFPreview" under Delphi 2005 installation directory.

This release of the Delphi for .NET Compact Framework Technology Preview is not meant for use in production applications.

The following steps outline how to build a simple .NET Compact Framework application using the Windows Forms designer for desktop applications:

1) Create a new Delphi for .NET Windows Forms Application.

2) Set the form's Text property to "Delphi for .NET Compact Framework".

3) Drop a Label on the form

4) Set the label's Text property to "Hello World!"

5) Save and compile the project.

6) Switch to the code editor (View | Show Code).

7) Expand the region "Windows Form Designer Generated Code".

8) Comment out the following lines:

  
Self.SuspendLayout;
Self.Label1.Name := 'Label1';
Self.Label1.TabIndex := 0;
Self.AutoScaleBaseSize := System.Drawing.Size.Create(5, 13);
Self.Name := 'TWinForm';
Self.ResumeLayout(False);

Note: Please see the Microsoft .NET SDK documentation for information regarding properties and methods supported by the .NET Compact Framework.

9) Select Project | View Source.

10) Find the line "[STAThread]" and delete it.

11) Save the project.

12) Open a commend prompt and change to the folder where the project is saved.

13) Delete the project's cfg file (del Project1.cfg).

14) Run the command:

"C:Program FilesBorlandBds3.0CFPreviewBin"dccil Project1.dpr 
    -u"C:Program FilesBorlandBds3.0CFPreviewLib"
    -luSystem.Windows.Forms.dll
    -luSystem.Data.dll

Note: Substitute with the folder where the .NET Compact Framework is installed.

15) Deploy Project1.exe to the Windows CE device and run.

Additional Information

More in-depth information about building .NET Compact Framework applications with Delphi is available on BDN, http://bdn.borland.com/article/0,1410,33066,00.html.

Newsgroup: news://newsgroups.borland.com/borland.public.delphi.dotnetPreview

Download Location

Registered Delphi 2005 customers can download the technology preview at
http://www.borland.com/downloads/registered/download_delphi.html