Second fail for missed icons?

Question

1) We put ONE <our-program-name>.ICO file as Embedded Resource into our Project in VS.2008,
with multiple images file and when we open the .ICO file in VS project we can see the fallowing size:

16x16, 8 bit, BMP 
21x21, 8 bit, BMP 
32x32, 8 bit, BMP 
43x43, 8 bit, BMP 
64x64, 8 bit, BMP 

2) We specify <our-program-name>.ICO  file in the Project | Properties | Application settings, in VS 2008

3) We look in the .EXE using Reflector.exe disassembler, <our-program-name>.ICO  is right embedded as a resource!


But our program still fail the subbission test for ICONS issue:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Steps to Conduct the Test
Applications will register the icons for their main
executable and saved file types for the Windows
Mobile Operating System, device resolution and
device platform that the application supports
Expected Result
Ensure the application's main executable includes a
minimum size of 16x16 and 32x32 icon sizes.
Comments:
The user is unable open the executable file in Platform Builder. The error
"Cannot enumerate resources in the exectuable" is received.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Really we are not able to understand why this "Platform Builder" cannot see our EMBEDDED .ICO FILE!

What we have to do to SOLVE THIS ICON ISSUE????

WHERE  WE WRONG?

We really need Help!

Thanks PTesta

Answer 1

Where is your PNG icon?

---

Joel Ivory Johnson

http://www.j2i.net

It takes all the running you can do to stay in one place.If you want to get somewhere else,you must try to run at least twice as fast as that.

Answer 2

For WM 6.0 and 6.1 we have created 1 .ICO file that includes the 5 icons in different format.
The .ICO file is embedded as a resource into our application project in VS. 2008, we also specify the .ICO file
in  Project | Properties | Application settings | Resources selecting the radio button Icon and Manifest

We followed the suggestions that Mike has given in this post:

http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/mktplace/thread/a5d59407-a3e4-4419-9bed-758d98efa0db

Here the Mike suggestion to add the .ICO file to the project:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For managed code projects, you specifiy an .ICO file, or a .RES file that contains the .ICO and other resources. Both of these options are in the Project | <app name> Properties | Application settings. To create an .ICO, right click the project in Solution Explorer, Add | New Item | .ICO file.  You will be in the Icon editor. Don't forget to specify this .ICO file in the Project | Properties | Application settings.

Alternatively you can create icons using an editor that creates .ico files and add the .ico file to your native or managed project.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For WM 6.5 we added 1 icon file in .PNG format, using "Custom Icons in Windows Mobile 6.5" -> "Dynamic Setup" to select and set
the correct icon in base to the device DPI.


1) Is there some required rule, we don't know, to naming the .ICO file?

2) We have obfuscated our executable, can be this the reason for which "Platform Builder" it is not able of to find the icons?


Thanks PTesta

Answer 3

Hi ptesta,

Maybe this helps:

- Why use ICO as an embedded resource? We've just used build action 'content'.
- Have you tested the icons? Does the icon appear correctly in the Start Screen, file explorer (uses the ICO file)?
- Does your cab/ico file contain special characters and/or spaces? See this video: http://www.youtube.com/user/WindowsMobileDev#p/a/0/3siGIuz4kGM
- You can use the WM6.5 emulators to test the icons.
- We have alsoobfuscated our executable, this was no problem.

Succes!

Gerben

Answer 4

Hi Gerben,

>>- Why use ICO as an embedded resource? We've just used build action 'content'.

Why not? Its one of possible ways to insert the application icons! We have not read that cannot be used!
What it means... " build action 'content'.

>>- Have you tested the icons? Does the icon appear correctly in the Start Screen, file explorer (uses the ICO file)?

Sure!

We tested a lot of times the application in all the required WM 6.0, 6.1 and 6.5 emulators, also in some real devices (not 6.5),
also in WM 5.0 and the icon appear always correctly in the Start Screen and file explorer with correct resolution!

>- Does your cab/ico file contain special characters and/or spaces? See this video: ...

1) Our .CAB file is called: newG-SommelierV.1.0.CAB

2) Our .ICO file is called: newGSommelier.ico

3) Our .EXE file is called: newG-SommelierV.1.0.exe

4) Looking in the disassembled newG-SommelierV.1.0.exe we can see the embedded resource:

   public resource professionalSommelier.newGSommelier.ico Size: 14310 bytes

>>- You can use the WM6.5 emulators to test the icons.

Sure, and all works very well!

Answer 5

Hi ptesta,

I was just looking at differences between our product, which has been certified, and your product.

- We've just set the ICO file in the properties of the project. After that it appeared in the solution explorer. The build action property of the ICO file was 'Content'. That's how we did it, I don't know if ours is better.

- Your file name contains '-' and '.' characters. I don't know if this is a problem, but we did not use such characters because in the YouTube video 'special characters are not allowed' is mentioned.

Since you've tested on the Emulator, I'm totaly out of other options...

Succes!

Gerben

Answer 6

PTesta -
Can you open your EXE in Visual Studio and see the resources? If not, try an unobsufcated version and see if that works. As you mention, the way the EXE is getting obsufcated may have something to do with this failure.

Thanks,
Mike

Answer 7

Hi Mike,

in the unobsufcated version of the EXE I can see the icon folder and open the icon resource in the VS editor,
while the obfuscated EXE cannot be opened in Visual Studio, I try to build an EXE with the smaller level
of obfuscation but Visual Studio still not able to open it!

Are you sure Visual Studio can open an obfuscated EXE?

Does this mean we cannot obfuscate our EXE to submit for the certification process?

Thanks
PTesta

Answer 8

Hi PTesta -
It looks like the obsufcation tool is doing its job in keeping your resources inaccessible from external tools. Unfortunately this is incompatable with how the Marketplace team currently does its testing. Can your obsufcation tool have an option to not protect resources? This may be a solution.

I hope this helps.
Thanks,
Mike

Answer 9

Hello,

we failed two certification tests for: "Cannot enumerate resources in the exectuable"

We discovered the issue was caused by the obfuscation level of of the EXE and not because we missed the required icons!

Now we are ready for a new attempt but we have already burnt 2 credits for this.

I would like to ask if kindly you can refund at least 1 credit!

Thanks

PTesta