Build with Platform Builder (Compact 7)
3/12/2014
You can build Windows Embedded Compact 7 OS designs using a graphical user interface. Platform Builder and Visual Studio 2008 make up an integrated development environment (IDE) where you can build, develop, download, and debug code for an embedded device. An OS design is a Visual Studio project that defines the characteristics of a Compact 7 operating system.
To get you started, this article provides an overview of the build process and some common terms used in the IDE. You will learn to create an OS design from a design template, customize its components, and then build it.
By using Visual Studio Solution Explorer, you can add and manage OS design subprojects and SDKs. You can also add and remove both catalog items and Board Support Packages (BSPs) from your OS design as needed.
When you build an OS design using the IDE, Platform Builder links and copies all necessary OS components, builds the platform, builds subprojects, copies files to the release directory, and makes the run-time image.
Platform Builder gives you several options for building your OS design. Your choices range from running the complete build process to building a single directory or subproject. Each build option is described, and guidance is given for how to select the appropriate build command for your needs.
You can customize your build process with time-saving functionality such as targeted building, Release Directory Modules, Alternate Release Directories, batch building, and scripting. By using the various OS design configuration property pages, you gain control over configuration settings that affect your build.
The scope of this section is limited to building OS designs by using the Platform Builder IDE. See The Build System for a description of the programs and files that compile and link code and produce an image for your device. That section provides the basis for understanding the material in this one.
In This Section
- Create an OS Design
Describes how to create a new OS design.
- Build an OS Design
Describes how to build your new OS design and other aspects of build.
- Subprojects
Describes how to create subprojects and change their configurations.
- Software Development Kits (SDKs)
Describes how to create a new SDK for your OS design, or add an existing one.
- Catalog and BSP Selections
Describes how to add and remove catalog items from an OS design.
- Release Directory Modules
Describes how to designate code files as release directory modules to save development time.
- Alternate Release Directories
Describes how to specify alternate release directories in addition to the primary one.
- Add an OS Design to a Source Control System
Describes how to select files from an OS design project and add them to a source control system.