Microsoft KB Archive/314539

= HOW TO: Port Web Programs to the Pocket PC 2002 =

Article ID: 314539

Article Last Modified on 10/26/2002

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Pocket PC 2002 Software Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q314539



IN THIS TASK
SUMMARY
 * Test the Client
 * Avoid Horizontal Scroll Bars
 * Use Vertical Page Layouts
 * User Server-Side Include Files
 * Use XML and XSL



SUMMARY
This article lists items that can improve the appearance of Web pages on the Pocket PC 2002.

Because the Pocket PC 2002 includes a full-featured Web browser (Microsoft Pocket Internet Explorer), most Web pages that are designed for desktop computers are rendered correctly on the Pocket PC 2002. However, there are a few changes that IT professionals can make to their Web pages that make the pages look better on the Pocket PC 2002.

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Test the Client
When you serve Active Server Pages (ASP pages) to a client by using Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS), you can identify the type of client that is requesting a page. You can do this by examining the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) information that is related to the page request. ASP pages provide access to this information through the ServerVariables collection in the Request object.

For example, you can set a variable to indicate that the client is a Pocket PC by using a request that is similar to: IsPocketPC = (InStr(UserAgent, &quot;Windows CE&quot;) > 0) back to the top

Avoid Horizontal Scroll Bars
Pocket PC users may find scrolling horizontally with the stylus to be inefficient. Avoid the need for horizontal scroll bars to improve compatibility with the Pocket PC.

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Use Vertical Page Layouts
This item is related to the previous item. Instead of horizontal page layouts, use vertical page layouts. Instead of presenting pages in columns, present them in rows. For example, many pages display a navigation bar in a column on the left side of the screen, and display the content in a column on the right. For the Pocket PC, move the navigation information to a row across the top or bottom of the screen.

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User Server-Side Include Files
To improve the structure of Web pages, use server-side include files. Put content and markup language that is common to all browsers in the ASP pages. Put device-specific content and markup languages in include files. For example, you may want to use different logos on desktop computers than you use on the Pocket PC. Put each logo in its own file. Then, conditionally include them in the main ASP page, depending on the type of the user's device.

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Use XML and XSL
Both Extensible Markup Language (XML) and Extensible Stylesheet Language (XSL) increase the structure and portability of your pages by separating content from presentation. You can store your page content in XML and use different XSL files for each type of device that is used to browse the page.

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Keywords: kbhowto kbhowtomaster KB314539

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