Windows CE

operating system /C E/ A version of the Microsoft Windows

operating system that is being used in a variety of

embedded products, from handheld PCs to specialised

industrial controllers and consumer electronic devices.

Programming for Windows CE is similar to programming for other

Win32 platforms.

Windows CE was developed to be a customisable operating system

for embedded applications. Its kernel borrows much from

other Microsoft 32-bit operating systems, while eliminating

(or replacing) those operating system features that are not

needed for typical Windows CE-based applications. For

example, as on Windows NT, all applications running on

Windows CE run in a fully preemptive multitasking

environment, in fully protected memory spaces.

The Win32 (API) for Windows CE is smaller than the Win32 API

for the other 32-bit Windows operating systems. It includes

approximately half the interface methods of the Windows NT

version of the API. But the Win32 API for Windows CE also

includes features found in no other Microsoft operating

system. The notification API, for example, makes it possible

to handle user or application notification events (such as

timer events) at the operating-system level, rather than in a

running application. The touch screen API and the built-in

support for the Windows CE database are not found in other

Windows operating systems. The touch screen API makes it easy

to manage screen calibration and user interactions for

touch-sensitive displays, while the database API provides

access to a data storage facility.

.

.

(1997-12-20)