What is the best way to enter numbers in Windows Mobile? (.NET CF 3.5)

Question

There should be a better way than limiting the numerical updown control.

Answer 1

The easiest way to enter numbers (especially non-integer numbers) in Windows Mobile (or in a regular Windows application) is to simply enter a text field into which users are pasted and then confirm that they have entered the correct number.

The problem with this approach in Windows Mobile is that the standard SIP (soft keypad or small pop-up keyboard) looks like this:

alt text http://img510.imageshack.us/img510/6210/sipreg.jpg

Windows Mobile SIP , , . , , - , , "123" :

alt text http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/6128/sipnum.jpg

, () SIP . SIP , Microsoft.WindowsCE.Forms, "SIPHandler" ( ):

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Text;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
using System.Drawing;
using Microsoft.WindowsCE.Forms;

namespace DeviceApplication1
{
    /// <summary>
    /// Handles showing and hiding of Soft Input Panel (SIP).  Better to use these
    /// methods than having an InputControl on a form.  InputControls behave oddly
    /// if you have multiple forms open.
    /// </summary>
    public class SIPHandler
    {
        public static void ShowSIP()
        {
            SipShowIM(1);
        }

        public static void ShowSIPNumeric()
        {
            SipShowIM(1);
            SetKeyboardToNumeric();
        }

        public static void ShowSIPRegular()
        {
            SipShowIM(1);
            SetKeyboardToRegular();
        }

        public static void HideSIP()
        {
            SipShowIM(0);
        }

        private static void SetKeyboardToRegular()
        {
            // Find the SIP window
            IntPtr hWnd = FindWindow("SipWndClass", null);
            // Go one level below as the actual SIP window is a child
            hWnd = GetWindow(hWnd, GW_CHILD);
            // Obtain its context and get a color sample
            // The premise here is that the numeric mode is controlled by a virtual button in the top left corner
            // Whenever the numeric mode is active, the button background will be of COLOR_WINDOW_TEXT
            IntPtr hDC = GetDC(hWnd);
            int pixel = GetPixel(hDC, 2, 2);
            // Notice that we cannot simply compare the color to the system color as the system color is 24 bit (or palette)
            // and the real color is dithered to 15-16 bits for most devices, so white (0xff, 0xff, 0xff) becomes
            // almost white (oxf8, 0xfc, 0xf8)

            // ken hack:  here we only want to simulate the click if the keyboard is in numeric mode, in 
            // which case the back color will be WindowText
            //int clrText = (SystemColors.Window.R) | (SystemColors.Window.G << 8) | (SystemColors.Window.B << 16);
            int clrText = (SystemColors.WindowText.R) | (SystemColors.WindowText.G << 8) | (SystemColors.WindowText.B << 16);

            SetPixel(hDC, 2, 2, clrText);
            int pixelNew = GetPixel(hDC, 2, 2);
            // Restore the original pixel
            SetPixel(hDC, 2, 2, pixel);

            if (pixel == pixelNew)
            {
                // Simulate stylus click
                Message msg = Message.Create(hWnd, WM_LBUTTONDOWN, new IntPtr(1), new IntPtr(0x00090009));
                MessageWindow.SendMessage(ref msg);
                msg = Message.Create(hWnd, WM_LBUTTONUP, new IntPtr(0), new IntPtr(0x00090009));
                MessageWindow.SendMessage(ref msg);
            }
            // Free resources
            ReleaseDC(hWnd, hDC);
        }

        private static void SetKeyboardToNumeric()
        {
            // Find the SIP window
            IntPtr hWnd = FindWindow("SipWndClass", null);
            // Go one level below as the actual SIP window is a child
            hWnd = GetWindow(hWnd, GW_CHILD);
            // Obtain its context and get a color sample
            // The premise here is that the numeric mode is controlled by a virtual button in the top left corner
            // Whenever the numeric mode is active, the button background will be of COLOR_WINDOW_TEXT
            IntPtr hDC = GetDC(hWnd);
            int pixel = GetPixel(hDC, 2, 2);
            // Notice that we cannot simply compare the color to the system color as the system color is 24 bit (or palette)
            // and the real color is dithered to 15-16 bits for most devices, so white (0xff, 0xff, 0xff) becomes
            // almost white (oxf8, 0xfc, 0xf8)
            int clrText = (SystemColors.Window.R) | (SystemColors.Window.G << 8) | (SystemColors.Window.B << 16);
            SetPixel(hDC, 2, 2, clrText);
            int pixelNew = GetPixel(hDC, 2, 2);
            // Restore the original pixel
            SetPixel(hDC, 2, 2, pixel);

            if (pixel == pixelNew)
            {
                // Simulate stylus click
                Message msg = Message.Create(hWnd, WM_LBUTTONDOWN, new IntPtr(1), new IntPtr(0x00090009));
                MessageWindow.SendMessage(ref msg);
                msg = Message.Create(hWnd, WM_LBUTTONUP, new IntPtr(0), new IntPtr(0x00090009));
                MessageWindow.SendMessage(ref msg);
            }
            // Free resources
            ReleaseDC(hWnd, hDC);
        }

        [DllImport("coredll.dll")]
        private extern static bool SipShowIM(int dwFlag);

        [DllImport("coredll.dll")]
        private extern static IntPtr FindWindow(string wndClass, string caption);

        [DllImport("coredll.dll")]
        private extern static IntPtr GetWindow(IntPtr hWnd, int nType);

        [DllImport("coredll.dll")]
        private extern static int GetPixel(IntPtr hdc, int nXPos, int nYPos);

        [DllImport("coredll.dll")]
        private extern static void SetPixel(IntPtr hdc, int nXPos, int nYPos, int clr);

        [DllImport("coredll.dll")]
        private extern static IntPtr GetDC(IntPtr hWnd);

        [DllImport("coredll.dll")]
        private extern static void ReleaseDC(IntPtr hWnd, IntPtr hDC);

        [DllImport("coredll.dll")]
        private static extern bool SipSetCurrentIM(byte[] clsid);

        const int WM_LBUTTONDOWN = 0x0201;
        const int WM_LBUTTONUP = 0x0202;
        const int GW_CHILD = 5;

    }
}

. SIP , :

SIPHandler.ShowSIPNumeric();

:

SIPHandler.ShowSIPRegular();

:

SIPHandler.HideSIP();

, , - "" , , SIP , ( ) , , SIP .

: "" -, , . - SO , , , , .

: , 2 Google, , Daniel Moth:

http://www.danielmoth.com/Blog/InputPanelEx.cs

... :

http://www.alexfeinman.com/download.asp?doc=IMSwitch.zip

, ! ( , ).

Answer 2

MaskedTextBox . TextBox OnTextChange, , . , .

NumericUpDown , , . , , . MaskedTextBox TextBox - .

Answer 3

ContextMenu, , , :

alt text http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/6329/dropdowns.jpg

( ) . , Windows Mobile.

This approach is also very suitable for entering monetary values.