Running Windows “Barcode scanner sample” application

Question

I am a beginner and I am trying to understand Windows 8 Embedded Handheld application development.

The simplest thing i want to do is to run the provided sample application provided on the Microsoft website here .

But some how i am facing lot of issues in deciding while version of Windows, Visual Studio to use to run this application, i want to test c# application.

I have following things:
1. Windows 8 OS with Hyper-V and SLAT support.
2. Windows Phone 8 SDK.
3. Windows 8 Embedded Handheld SDK, Both downloaded from MS website.

I tried following Visual Studio Versions:
1. Tried with Visual Studio 2012 Express Desktop Version With Update 4
2. Tried with Visual Studio 2013 Express Desktop Version (With No Updates)
2. Tried with Visual Studio 2012 Express Windows 8 Version

But using all above combination i am not able to open this project (either any project with .csproj extension). I get Error as Unsupported . Whatever combination I try i get this error message.

So please help me in these Questions:
1. How to open projects with ".csproj" extension, which version of Visual Studio and Windows to use.
2. How to run "Barcode Scanner" sample application, which version of Visual Studio and Windows to use.

Answer 1

The linked barcode sample is for Windows Store 8.1 apps, not for Windows 8 Embedded Handheld. It will require Visual Studio 2013 (a non-Express version or Express for Windows) running on Windows 8.1. The barcode API for Windows Store apps is new for Windows 8.1. It cannot be used with Visual Studio 2012 or on Windows 8.

Windows 8 Embedded Handheld is based on Windows Phone 8, not Windows 8. You need to use Visual Studio 2012 Express for Windows Phone 8 . If you upgrade to Windows 8.1 then Visual Studio 2013 Express for Windows supports both Windows Store and Windows Phone apps. There is a separate implementation of barcode API for Windows 8 Embedded Handheld.

Andy Wigley has a video--but not a sample--walking through barcode scanning in Windows 8 Embedded Handheld in the Creating modern style apps with the Windows Embedded 8 Handheld SDK entry on the Windows Embedded Blog

For your explicit questions:

1. How to open projects with ".csproj" extension, which version of Visual Studio and Windows to use.

Just about every versions (if not all) of Visual Studio can open .csproj files. That just means the project is in C#, and C# is supported for Windows, Windows Desktop, Windows Phone and Web.

You need to use a version of Visual Studio which matches the project's target, not the language. If you try to open a Windows Store .csproj in Visual Studio 2012 Express for Windows Desktop you'll get the unsupported err. A WPF .csproj will load fine in the same Visual Studio 2012 Express for Windows Desktop.

Here are some minimum Express versions. Other than Windows Store 8 apps you could also upgrade to Visual Studio 2013. Whichever you use, get the latest update.

• Web apps: Visual Studio 2012 Express for Web

• Desktop apps (console apps, MFC, WPF, etc.): Visual Studio 2012 Express for Windows Desktop

• Windows Store 8 apps: Visual Studio 2012 Express for Windows 8

• Windows Phone 8 apps: Visual Studio 2012 Express for Windows Phone 8

• Windows Store 8.1 apps: Visual Studio 2013 Express for Windows, running on Windows 8.1

• Windows Phone 8.1 apps: Visual Studio 2013 Express for Windows, running on Windows 8.1

  2. How to run "Barcode Scanner" sample application, which version of Visual Studio and Windows to use.

The linked "Barcode Scanner" sample is a Windows Store app for Windows 8.1. It requires Visual Studio 2013 Express for Windows running on Windows 8.1