Microsoft recently released Visual Studio 2013 Community Edition, a free development tool that support cross-platform development, including Windows Phone, Windows Tablet, Win32, Web, game, Android devices and iOS devices.

In addition to the above, this Community edition of Visual Studio also support Windows Embedded Compact 2013 development, developing OS design and application for Compact 2013 devices.

Previously, Windows Embedded Compact (formerly known as Windows CE) development is not supported under Visual Studio Express edition, and require Visual Studio Professional or higher edition.

With Visual Studio 2013 Community edition, developer can now perform the following development tasks:

  • Develop custom OS runtime image for Compact 2013 device
  • Establish connectivity and download Compact 2013 OS runtime image from the Visual Studio 2013 Community edition IDE to the target device for testing and debugging
  • Use Remote tools to remotely debug Compact 2013 OS image on target device
  • Use Target Control to access the target device (with Compact 2013 OS image) from Visual Studio IDE
  • Develop managed and native code application for Compact 2013 device, deploy application from the Visual Studio IDE to the target device for testing and debugging.  Set break point and halt application execution as the app is running on the target device.


For more information about Visual Studio 2013 Community edition and associated download link, visit the following URL:

http://www.visualstudio.com/en-us/news/vs2013-community-vs.aspx 


Windows Embedded Compact 2013 toolkit, needed to develop custom OS runtime image, is available via the following URL:

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=39268


Application Builder for Compact 2013, a plug-in to Visual Studio 2013, needed to support application development in C++, C# and Visual Basic, is available via the following URL:

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=38819