Creating a Welcome Application (Windows CE 5.0)

Article
09/14/2012

You can create a welcome application that runs when the user starts a Windows CE-based device for the first time. This application can request such information as the name of the user and a name for the Windows CE-based device.

To create a welcome application for Windows CE

Add the application to the startup group by creating a shortcut to your application and modifying a Project.bib file and .dat file to put the shortcut to your application in the startup folder on the image. You can create shortcuts by calling SHCreateShortcut or SHCreateShortcutEx.

The following example shows the code that you need to add to your Project.bib file.
```
welcome.lnk      $(_FLATRELEASEDIR)\welcome.lnk       NK SH
```
The following example shows the code that you need to add to your Project.dat file.
```
Directory("\Windows\Startup"):-File("welcome.lnk","\Windows\startup\welcome.lnk")
```
For information about these files, see Binary Image Builder File and File System File.

You can also use the launch sequence in the registry to automatically launch your application. For information about using the launch sequence in the registry, see Configuring the Process Boot Phase.

When your application finishes, your application should delete the link from the startup folder.
Ensure that your application runs to completion and that users have completed any necessary steps before using the operating system and before other applications start.

For example, you could make your application window the topmost window on the system. You also need to handle attempts from other applications to obtain the focus. The following example shows how to make your application window the topmost window.
```
// Put the window on top and show it.
SetWindowPos(hWnd, HWND_TOPMOST, 0, 0, 0, 0, 
SWP_NOMOVE | SWP_NOSIZE | SWP_SHOWWINDOW);
```
Include a call to the TouchCalibrate function before doing anything that requires user input, if your target device uses a touch screen.

Creating a Welcome Application (Windows CE 5.0)

See Also

Additional resources