Hi, I'm an experienced developer (C,C++,C#,Delphi,Java) and I did some stuff with XNA Studio with Visual Studio Express 2008.
What exactly do I need to start developing apps/games for windows mobile smartphones?
Sorry I tried the search but I'm not able to find anything useful, maybe I used the wrong keywords.
Decide what to use! For Windows Mobile you can use C/C++, .Net ( "Compact Framework" ), FreePascal (as you mention Delphi - this is my own favorite), I think there is even a VB for WM.
For C/C++ you will need to get the Windows Mobile SDK, this is available from Microsoft. API is very much like "slimmed down" Win32 API. For .Net, Google "Compact Framework", or ".Net CF SDK" or something similar.
I am not completely sure, but I think you will need commercial version of Visual Studio. As I recall, "express" / free version does not support WinCE / WM compilation (this is probably why you did not find the option to compile for Windows Mobile)
Good luck!
Thanks! I have both Visual Studio 2008 (non express too) and Rad Studio 2009 (delphi 2009) ...
As I want to get into game development, I'd like to have access to the full power of the phone Using Visual Studio with the SDK might be better, because as I've read it comes with a WM6 emulator...
Any ideas on where I can find tutorials, to display graphics on the phone?
I program using VS08 and the SDK with VB. Not doing anything fancy at the moment, but it does come with an emulator. I haven't figured out how to actually deply it on to the device yet tho.
When you deploy or debug the application it should usually give the option to deploy to a device or emulator. The device of course needs to be connected to ActiveSync.
Also theres a port of QT to Windows Mobile, which seems to work but far more tricky to set up and get working that just using .NET CF it seems
Looks like Silverlight is the platform for creating Windows Phone 7 apps, finally.
http://www.crn.com/software/222900433;jsessionid=ZSTDUKCIARR4FQE1GHPCKHWATMY32JVN
I hope so, SIlverlight rocks, so much better on my PC than Flash but yet it isnt widely adopted, hopefully if WP7S has Silverlight this will boost its use
Finally!
It is indeed a very logical step.
I was trying to make a "fancy" UI on WinMo 6x and it's damn hard (that will work blazing fast). And search for a Silverlight for WinMo... and it was there... and it was showed on the TechEd 08... but never released... and I was like:
-Oh ... come on... how long does it take to port it??!
This is almost like a "duh" story but it's good to have a "source" saying it.
Silverlight will be for lightweight stuff and XNA 3 (4?) will be for Games, etc.
Imagine being able to write one app and have it work on multiple platforms with little or even no code changes. Silverlight supports multi-touch on Windows 7 too.
XNA and Silverlight. No native apps - see attach.
Can you already create SL applications for the WinMo?
DMAND said:
I hope so, SIlverlight rocks, so much better on my PC than Flash but yet it isnt widely adopted, hopefully if WP7S has Silverlight this will boost its use
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes silverlight rocks and i am learning it right now.
afma_afma said:
Yes silverlight rocks and i am learning it right now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Know any application? Link?
Developing .NET CF on WM6 is a -pain-. Even if you want to do something as simple as draw a transparent image you have to delve into P/Invoke which feels like hacking. If they get .NET development under WP7 working simply and effectively, then I think it will be a great step forward. I've used WPF extensively and it is a great platform to work on. I've no reason to think Silverlight is any different.
My only concern is how they'll restrict the distribution and installation of applications. The openness of the Windows Mobile platform has always been a big draw, and if they do an Apple and try to restrict how I publish and obtain apps then not many people will see a reason to switch from such an established and successful platform.
Apparently Visual Studio 2010 doesn't support WM6.5 app development:
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Visu...pport-for-WM-6-x-App-Development-139781.shtml
Since Microsoft are making it hard to develop for both Winphone 7 and WM 6.5 at the same time, does this mean Winmo 6.5 is going to die out soon?
If so, then Microsoft's claims that WM 6.5 will live side-by-side with WM7 were all rubbish.
pkchips said:
Apparently Visual Studio 2010 doesn't support WM6.5 app development:
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Visu...pport-for-WM-6-x-App-Development-139781.shtml
Since Microsoft are making it hard to develop for both Winphone 7 and WM 6.5 at the same time, does this mean Winmo 6.5 is going to die out soon?
If so, then Microsoft's claims that WM 6.5 will live side-by-side with WM7 were all rubbish.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just because 6.5 will live side by side with WP7 doesn't mean they want you to build new apps. They figure WM6.5 already has enough apps to keep it coasting on it's own for a couple years and they want all new focus to go into WP7. That's the way I see it.
Visual Studio 2008 doesn't stop working because Visual Studio 2010 was released. There's nothing to stop you developing for WM6.5 at all
flashpanda said:
Visual Studio 2008 doesn't stop working because Visual Studio 2010 was released. There's nothing to stop you developing for WM6.5 at all
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What I thought was that since its only possible to program for win7 in visual studio 2010, people will forget about WM6.5 because of the hassle of porting everything to Visual studio 2008 and .NET compact framework.
In other words, they can't just recompile the same code to work in WM6.5, and on top of that, they have to have both Visual studio 2008 and 2010 in their possession.
pkchips said:
What I thought was that since its only possible to program for win7 in visual studio 2010, people will forget about WM6.5 because of the hassle of porting everything to Visual studio 2008 and .NET compact framework.
In other words, they can't just recompile the same code to work in WM6.5, and on top of that, they have to have both Visual studio 2008 and 2010 in their possession.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If they aren't developing for WM 6.5 already then they probably arent going to in the future meaning they have no reason to get VS 2008 but if they are then they already have 2008 and they just have to install 2010 with it.
Kloc said:
If they aren't developing for WM 6.5 already then they probably arent going to in the future meaning they have no reason to get VS 2008 but if they are then they already have 2008 and they just have to install 2010 with it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, but if only they had made visual studio 2010 able to make programs for both WM6.5 and WP7. Then, they could write the program and easily just recompile it for WM6.5 with some changes.
Unfortunately it's not that easy to make a program that works for both WP7 and WM. Obviously the UI differences are huge, but even with regard to business logic you have to make lots of things differently.
You have VS 2008 for Windows Mobile development
You have VS 2010 for Windows Phone 7 development
You can still have source code which you can compile with both 2008 and 2010 but overall I think this doesn't make sense. WP7 development I guess you start it from scratch. If you already had your project developed for WM 6 then this is a great oppertunity to do a re-design to maintain clean code.
So will WM 6.5 app development still occur after WM7?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As far as commercial software development is concerned, development for Windows Mobile has already stopped. That's not because of VisualStudio versions, of course, it's because WP7 can't run WM software, and there's no point in creating software now for a platform that has already been terminated. This is the reason why Adobe isn't releasing FlashPlayer for Windows Mobile, why we won't see a new WM version of Skype and why (incredibly) even Microsoft has announced a new version of Silverlight for Symbian, but not for WM.
If I may, this conversation seems to be confounding Visual Studio versions with Windows Mobile Development kit APIs.
Has anyone actually tried installing the Windows Mobile 6.5 development kit on a Visual Studio 2010 release and found it to not work? The compiler is most certainly capable of compiling it, the question is whether incompatibilities for development kits have been introduced in 2010. VS 2008 Pro didn't include built in support for Windows Mobile, if I recall, I had to install the dev kit.
I'll check on this tonight when I get home. I'm also curious about whether they'll get the dev kit for WP7 working on 2008. That's likely what MS has been using internally, the question is simply about whether or not they want to release it.
Rob
I have asked Brian Harry (the Microsoft guy) about the support for wm6.5 and wince in vs2010 during his presentation in Moscow and he said that the SDK will be released a few weeks or month after the release of vs2010 and that they're not going to drop the support for old devices
Hello!
I've never programmed before.
So im thinking of learning c++.
The only problem i got is, how do i get started?
Like, what programs do i need to download?
To build an application for windows mobile 6.5.
I know i need Visual basics c++ of course, but emulators? And what version.
Thanks for all answers
robbi13 said:
Hello!
I've never programmed before.
So im thinking of learning c++.
The only problem i got is, how do i get started?
Like, what programs do i need to download?
To build an application for windows mobile 6.5.
I know i need Visual basics c++ of course, but emulators? And what version.
Thanks for all answers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh boy.... Just so you know, programming == crack! I hope you know what you are getting into
The first thing that I would say, is learn C# instead of C++. That said, C++ is very powerfull, but there is much more that the programmer has to worry about (ie, pointer and memory leaks) Also, Visual Basic is a programming language similar to C# (and by similar I mean they compile to the same thing. They look nothing alike) Tidbit: BASIC stands for Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code. Cool huh?
I started with C++, then I learned C, then I learned C#. I use C# daily, but my C and C++ knowledge come in handy sometimes. C# is MUCH easier to learn and also is easier to find a job with it on your resume. Finally, jumping to other contemporary languages like Java is a piece of cake as Java is VERY close to C# (Sometimes too close... dang instanceof keyword...)
As for software, you will need Visual Studio. If you want to program for the .net 3.5 Compact Framework, you will need Visual Studio 2008 (not 2010).
If you are a student at a university, checkout dreamspark (www.dreamspark.com) You might be able to get a free version of VS to learn on.
As far as emulators go, you'll need the ones that emulate the devices you want to develop for
Get this one first, then at the bottom there are "related downloads". I would get as many as you can.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...1D-97A8-4F80-BC6A-AE010E085A6E&displaylang=en
If you want to learn how to program, read a book. I would recommend the "Teach yourself" series. If you want to learn how to program well, take a class.
For tutorials, I like the articles on http://www.codeproject.com/
Good luck!
Thanks for all that info!
I'm a boy at a age of 14.
My purpose is to create only small programs. Like web based apps.
And do i need to buy visual basic c#? Or can i use the express version?
robbi13 said:
Thanks for all that info!
I'm a boy at a age of 14.
My purpose is to create only small programs. Like web based apps.
And do i need to buy visual basic c#? Or can i use the express version?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Props for starting young! Are looking to develop for Windows Mobile, or desktop? For desktop, you can use the Express Edition. For Windows Mobile, you need Visual Studio 2008 Professional edition.
Looking for windows mobile.
Proffesional costs like alot of money i think.
Is there any other c# editors i can use that are free?
Not planning to use alot of money yet.
Wanna test it for a while and see if its any fun and if my work will be appriciated.
If i come that far
robbi13 said:
Is there any other c# editors i can use that are free?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
SharpDevelop. It can target Windows Mobile fairly well (http://wiki.sharpdevelop.net/CompactFrameworkDevelopment.ashx)
robbi13 said:
Looking for windows mobile.
Proffesional costs like alot of money i think.
Is there any other c# editors i can use that are free?
Not planning to use alot of money yet.
Wanna test it for a while and see if its any fun and if my work will be appriciated.
If i come that far
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can get a 90 day trial of VS 2008 Professional to try it out.
dude. please check out my programming tutorial i made. I think it was fairly easy and I can help you out in c# & vb.net. I too started when I was 14 and I am now fairly good at programming (being 15 now) But the point is....well, there's no point im getting to now but check out c#. Thats the easiest way to go without dipping too low in vb.net. Anyway, here's where I learned a bunch of stuff::
http://homeandlearn.co.uk/NET/vbNet.html
when you finish, you will be a master of vb.net....if you wanna go for c#, make sure you stick to one language and go for:
http://homeandlearn.co.uk/csharp/csharp.html
I would highly recommend not to go with mobile programming til' you get a basic understanding of the desktop programming (as .net CF is very very minimal compared to the full blown .net)...
ALSO as a final note, use Visual studio 2010 Express edition for programming and if you wanna go a step up into mobile programming, get visual studio 2008. 2010 doesn't support device programning.
rkrishnan2012 said:
dude. please check out my programming tutorial i made. I think it was fairly easy and I can help you out in c# & vb.net. I too started when I was 14 and I am now fairly good at programming (being 15 now) But the point is....well, there's no point im getting to now but check out c#. Thats the easiest way to go without dipping too low in vb.net. Anyway, here's where I learned a bunch of stuff::
http://homeandlearn.co.uk/NET/vbNet.html
when you finish, you will be a master of vb.net....if you wanna go for c#, make sure you stick to one language and go for:
http://homeandlearn.co.uk/csharp/csharp.html
I would highly recommend not to go with mobile programming til' you get a basic understanding of the desktop programming (as .net CF is very very minimal compared to the full blown .net)...
ALSO as a final note, use Visual studio 2010 Express edition for programming and if you wanna go a step up into mobile programming, get visual studio 2008. 2010 doesn't support device programning.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 on this. it's way easier to step into mobile developing if you have at least a basic grasp of programming for PCs. And the 2010 Express Editions are very nice. Definitely nicer than 2008 Express Editions.
A little hwile back I thought it would've been good to start learning in C++ (i started in C#), but looking back, C++ is way too hard to get a "quick win" and it's too easy to mess something up when you dont know what youre doing. C# you can literally go from zero programming knowledge to creatic a bsic application within a couple hours.
MSDN has some good C# programming tutorials also.
msdn blows for a first time newbie. I am posting a tute for an ultimate newbie in the dev section and hope to see a few people getting help from it
ok done. it is posted in new thread....enjoy.
One can not see the forrest thru the trees? I'll try my best to help you out here.
The xml International Standard Organization (ISO) -=[ find xml apps here too ]=- :
http://www.w3.org/standards/xml/
Side Note: Some Microsoft web pages need/prefer you being logged in @live.com
Learning XML An Overview;
XML is an almost universally supported way of exchanging documents and data across applications and platforms. Microsoft has a family of XML technologies that allows users with differing requirements to do what they need, as simply and efficiently as possible.
Which XML application programming interface (API) should you use? Here are our top-level guidelines:
If you are writing managed code targeting the .NET Framework in C#, Visual Basic, J#, managed C++, or any other managed language, you should use System.Xml and/or LINQ to XML in the .NET Framework.
If you are writing native code using Visual Basic 6, C, C++, or a scripting languages you will probably want to use the MSXML library:
MSXML6 is the latest version that's included with Windows XP SP3 and all versions of Windows Vista and Windows 7. New applications should be using MSXML6.
MSXML5 is an older library optimized for Microsoft Office 2003 and 2007 and can only be used on machines that have an Office license.
MSXML4 is nearing deprecation. MSXML6 should be used for new applications
MSXML3 is included in Windows XP and higher.
Comprehensive list of all MSXML versions and variants
If you are writing native code and your application has tight performance or memory constraints, consider the XmlLite API.
What XML Tools Are Available? Visual Studio offers a core collection:
XML Editor
XML Schema Explorer
XSLT Debugger
XML Tools in Visual Studio overview
.NET XML PowerToys:
Generating XML Documents from XML Schemas
The XML Diff and Patch GUI Tool
Using the XML Diff and Patch Tool in Your Applications
Using the XSD Inference Utility
XML Tools Update
Read more HERE; http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-gb/data/bb291061.aspx
Visual Studio Editor Choosing System
XML and the .NET Framework
Hosted by Microsoft; a very good and free XML Editor: XML Notepad 2007 (supports stylesheets)
Visit the XML forum
MSXML SDK
3 free XML Editors;
XF Desktop Edition 7.5.0
Comprehensive XML formatting solutions based on Open Standards.
XML Marker v1.1 ScreenShot
SciTE an opensource cross-platform SCIntilla Text Editor
Core Downloads for Windows Mobile
Windows Mobile 6 SDKs: documentation, sample code, header and library files, emulator images, and tools for building Windows Mobile 6 applications in Visual Studio
Windows Mobile Device Center 6.1 for Windows Vista (32-bit or 64-bit)
Microsoft ActiveSync for Windows XP or earlier versions
New Downloads
Windows Embedded CE 6.0 Monthly Update June 2010
Office 2010: Product Guides
Windows Embedded CE 6.0 Monthly Update May 2010
SQL Server Compact 3.5 SP2 for Windows Desktop
Windows Embedded CE 6.0 Monthly Update April 2010
Windows Embedded CE 6.0 Monthly Update March 2010
Windows Embedded? Give me More information please!
Windows Embedded? Of course here is more information!
Windows Embedded CE PowerToy: DiskPrep Blog (MSDN Code Galery)
Related Resources
Windows Embedded CE Development Tools
What is the .NET Micro Framework?
Windows Mobile Starter Kits
Windows Mobile 6 Developer Resource Kit Trial Software
Popular Downloads
Windows Mobile 6 SDK Refresh
Windows Mobile 6 Localized Emulator Images
SQL Server Compact 3.5 SP2 for Windows Desktop
Windows Mobile 5.0 SDK for Pocket PC
Office 2010: Product Guides
Windows Mobile Developer Power Toys
SQL Server Compact 3.5 SP1 and Synchronization Services for ADO.NET v1.0 SP1 for Windows Desktop
Library Topics
Installing Developer Tools for Windows Mobile
Welcome to Windows Mobile 6 Documentation
Windows Mobile 6 SDK Documentation
Windows Mobile 5.0 SDK Documentation
Only if you want to code your applications to run on all WM5/6 devices without any problems you need besides the Professional ~ the WM5/6 Standard SDK too!
Windows Mobile Developer Power Toys; (Released with WM5 though usable with WM6)
ActiveSync Remote Display - Display Pocket PC applications on your desktop or laptop without needing any device side configuration.
CECopy - Command line tool for copying files to the device currently connected to desktop ActiveSync.
Convert PPC DAT to SP XML - Command line tool for generating Smartphone CABWizSP XML docs from existing Pocket PC CAB files.
Hopper - User input stress simulator.
JShell - UI version of the Platform Builder Target Control Window.
PPC Command Shell - Command shell for the Pocket PC 2003 device.
RAPI Debug - Displays detailed information about currently running processes.
RAPI Start - Command line tool to remotely start an application on your Pocket PC from your desktop.
TypeIt - Send characters/strings to the Smartphone 2003 Emulator via ActiveSync.
Windows Mobile Network Analyzer PowerToy (Released with WM5 though usable with WM6)
Windows Mobile Device Security Manager PowerToy(Released with WM5 though usable with WM6)
Windows Mobile Development Tools and Resources!!! (Released with WM5 though usable with WM6)
General (Embedded) WM 6.x CE PowerToys link
-=[ Windows Phone (= Vista or Windows Seven as OS and VS2010) ]=-
Windows Phone Developer Tools Beta
Vista or Windows Seven and VS2010 and Embedded Windows Phone in action;
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
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}
http://www.microsoft.com/express/Phone/
Microsoft SDKs for;
Azure Services Platform
Windows Desktop
Office
Devices
Windows Live Services
Server Technologies
Social
Games
Web Development
Other
Development Resources for WM- here on xda-developers.com UPDATED
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=445396
Not (all) Windows Mobile specific: Microsoft Solution Accelerators & ~ A-Z technet :Free power(toys);
Tools and guidance that help you solve your deployment, planning, and operational IT problems. They are free and fully supported.
MSDN Code Galery third party resources Plus nice (embedded) CE PowerToys (like DiskPrep).
Delphi Components, Scripts, Codes: Blade API Monitor, Delphi SWF
SDK, FastCube, PDFConverter ActiveX ...
http://www.vclcomponents.com/Delphi/
Dependency Walker. Read it, download it, configure it, start using it! All first time users will be amazed Do not forget to read the thread completely ; great utilities when missed out on..
When developing for Windows Mobile or Windows Phone verify your application with PEinfo(executability check following Portable Executable File Format).
Have fun informing yourselves while downloading some SDKs people,
kliptik said:
+1 on this. it's way easier to step into mobile developing if you have at least a basic grasp of programming for PCs. And the 2010 Express Editions are very nice. Definitely nicer than 2008 Express Editions.
A little hwile back I thought it would've been good to start learning in C++ (i started in C#), but looking back, C++ is way too hard to get a "quick win" and it's too easy to mess something up when you dont know what youre doing. C# you can literally go from zero programming knowledge to creatic a bsic application within a couple hours.
MSDN has some good C# programming tutorials also.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Checking out the tutorial now.
I will start learning c# first. But leaving to Italy on sunday.
@robbi13: I understand that everyone is saying to go for C#, and they all are presenting very valid reasons of why to start there.
I however, feel, from my experiences, that learning C++ is a great way to start because it really challenges you. Take it like a workout: On your first day, you have to challenge yourself to see where you are and what you can do, then on every succeeding day, you do a bit more to get better.
Starting with C++, you can see if it is too tough to manage (dealing with Pointer issues and Memory Allocation / Leans), and if it is, go to C# or VB, but know that you made the attempt to learn C++ first. I tried learning C++ about 4 or 5 times, gave up EVERY single time (started with PSP Development) because I knew that I already knew how to code in Lua or C# or MortScript, and those 'safety nets' actually prevented me from learning a new language, because I was aware that I could fall back on them without having to learn a new thing at all.
Having said all that, if you would like help with C++ Development, PM me or email me at [email protected] ... I would be thrilled to help out a fellow aspiring developer
[BTW: I am 17 ... so consider that in terms of how I learned my languages]
Cyclonezephyrxz7 said:
I however, feel, from my experiences, that learning C++ is a great way to start because it really challenges you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If there's one language every self respecting programmer has to know today, it's C. C is everywhere, it's as close to the bare metal as you need to get, and yet it's a simple and elegant language. The concepts you learn with C are relevant in every other programming language. C may be hard for a beginner to understand, but it's a language you can eventually fully master - it has relatively few concepts you need to understand, and few exceptions and quirks.
C++ adds nothing to your understanding over C. And yet C++ it a much more difficult language - you can't really use it without a solid understanding of C, and you need to know a whole lot more to figure out the variety of exotic bugs you come across.
So my advice: forget C++. There are 2 things a serious programmer really must know - C and any modern high level language, such as C#. The order of learning is down to preference, but I think it's better to get the hang of programming first with C# before delving deep into implementation details with C. A hobbyist however can just learn C# and be done with it.
Elemris said:
If there's one language every self respecting programmer has to know today, it's C. C is everywhere, it's as close to the bare metal as you need to get, and yet it's a simple and elegant language. The concepts you learn with C are relevant in every other programming language. C may be hard for a beginner to understand, but it's a language you can eventually fully master - it has relatively few concepts you need to understand, and few exceptions and quirks.
C++ adds nothing to your understanding over C. And yet C++ it a much more difficult language - you can't really use it without a solid understanding of C, and you need to know a whole lot more to figure out the variety of exotic bugs you come across.
So my advice: forget C++. There are 2 things a serious programmer really must know - C and any modern high level language, such as C#. The order of learning is down to preference, but I think it's better to get the hang of programming first with C# before delving deep into implementation details with C. A hobbyist however can just learn C# and be done with it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I think you hit the nail on the head with "hobbyist" it really depends on how much you're going to be learning. If you're just going to play around a little bit and then get burnt out, you migh t as well do it in C# andenjoy it!
That being said, the .NET frameork does have some shortcomings, and to get around them you need some knowledge in C/C++...
I've been out of the loop a long time as far as programming goes. Whats the best place to start because when I get my Win7 phone later this year i want to be able to build and modify programs for it. As well as modify the OS as well.
Thanks.
For developing apps: http://developer.windowsphone.com/windows-phone-7/
As for hacking, we'll most likely have to wait for proper devices first...
What programming language is Win7 Mobile being built in?
slight22 said:
What programming language is Win7 Mobile being built in?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's silverlight and XNA. Silverlight is being recommended for applications and 2d games while XNA is being recommended for heavier 3d games.
Silverlight isn't bad. It's just c# and xaml. The free tools provided are great. You can get VS2010, XNA Game Studio, and Blend. The advantage to Blend is that it lets you design your silverlight interfaces and animations in a simple GUI instead of having to code it.