June 2006 - Posts
Visit www.projectglidepath.net to participate in the Microsoft MicroISV Evangelism program that delivers an in-Visual-Studio experience providing the workflow-based guidance, sample code and technology to create applications for Windows Vista.
Project Glidepath delivers workflow-based guidance, code, templates and other content via a software factory, a Visual Studio add-in, consisting of tools for building a product which is a member of a product family.
Project Glidepath's product family is defined as "applications for Windows Vista including applications that use .Net Framework 3.0 technology on down-level operating systems".
Applications built with Project Glidepath focus on making their core application logic reusable so that the user experience can be delivered on many platforms (desktop, mobile, web).
Well, I have been approved to download and try the Windows Live Mail Desktop, the build I downloaded is v8.0.0774. I installed and try to login by using my Windows Live ID and I got a lot of error, including cannot migrate my OE6 folders/files to WLMD, and also cannot find my Microsoft Live ID, and also cannot synchronize my folders/files from Windows Live(same as Hotmail).
And the outlook of WLMD is cool, much like Office Outlook, and also I can access Newsgroup from WLMD. However, I found out that I cannot adjust the width of the right panel. And I found it out that it is the area for Advertisement. If you are a paid user in Hotmail or later the Windows Live, then you have choose to disable the Advertisement panel.
As it is still in Beta, so error sometimes come up.
Reading from MSN Spaces Team Official blog, found out that MSN Spaces will also change into Windows Live Spaces, and they will add some new and exciting functionality to yoru spaces. I specially love their new Friends Module which allow me to add more friends. Here is their original detail,
Hey Spaces fans,
Windows Live Spaces is arriving soon! Not only will your Space adopt the cool new Windows Live look & feel, but you will also be able to add new and exciting functionality to your space. With the addition of the Friends Module, you can create a place to hang out with your friends.
The Friends Explorer, which will be integrated with and accessible through Windows Live Messenger, will enable you and your friends to explore others and create new friendships.
You’ll notice some changes we’ve made to the header, including the replacement of the current text ad links with banner ads across the top. Of course, as always, if you prefer to see no ads at all in your space, remember you always have the option to switch them off as a subscriber.
In addition, your title and tagline will no longer be limited to the Spaces header. Instead, you can choose to display the title and tagline of your space as a module and have it appear wherever you want it to in your space. Removing the title from the header means you have more freedom and control over things like your space title and navigation to stuff in your space. Instead of always being stuck at the top, you can place them wherever you want.
The introduction of breadcrumbing and an optional new navigation module will enable you and your visitors to easily navigate through your space.
We are also going to offer many new ways to express yourself and customize your space. You’ll be able to add mini-applications called Windows Live Gadgets developed by the community for the community. Can’t find headlines, games, or other gadgets that reflect YOUR personality? Build your own gadget or bribe a techie friend to do it for you!
Of course with all this great stuff, we also have to make some changes to our URL structure. As Greg Phipps blogged about last month, your URL will be changing one final time with the switchover to Windows Live Spaces. Don’t worry though, we are working hard to make this as seamless as possible for you and the visitors to your space.
Here’s a glimpse of what the new Windows Live Spaces will look like:
* Note text & UI may change.
Thanks for making Spaces your home. We’re working hard to get this created for you and we hope you’re as excited as we are!
As always, we look forward to hearing from you.
Thanks,
The Spaces Team
Update news from Live.com Team, they found a new bug in IE6 when IE doing the Image Filtering.
Details here,
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We have recently released a workaround for a bug in IE6 where image filters for PNG can cause a hang on the Live.com site. This IE bug is already fixed in IE7, but we still needed to workaround it to make sure the site works properly for IE6.
To understand the problem, here is an explanation from the IE team (thanks Peter Gurevich!):
- Each IE 6 window is a UI thread.
- The HTML page and any script you written for the page run in the UI thread. Therefore filters in your page or in script will download on the UI thread
- IE’s implementation of the AlphaImageLoader filter downloads images synchronously
- Synchronous loading of an image or successive images on the UI thread has the potential to hang the browser and adversely affect the user experience.
Our workaround is to stop applying transparent image filters to PNG. As a result, your transparent PNG will not look as great as it used to. I would encourage you to change to using transparent GIF moving forward.Sorry for the inconvenience - the SDK will be updated with this new info in our next release.
Thanks!
James Lau
Program Manager
Live.com Team
I am one of VB Insiders and I got some clarify news from VB Product Group, I also feel confuse when WinFX is confirm to be .NET Framework 3.0. Many VB Insiders are also having the same feeling, finally VB Product Group tell us something and this is not able to be search from public area. After reading it, I feel better. After confirm, I know that I could be able to blog about this and I cannot wait to be share with you all. Here is the content,
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This is indeed a confusing topic., and there really isn't much out there to clarify. Here's a tabular view of what's is coming down the pipe, and when. Highlighted items ship together.
| Product/Deliverable |
Timeframe |
Language Ver. |
CLR Ver. |
| .NET FX 2.0 |
Nov 2005 |
VB 8.0/C# 2.0 |
2.0 |
| VS 2005 |
Nov 2005 |
VB 8.0/C# 2.0 |
2.0 |
| FX 3.0 (Formerly WinFX; Includes Avalon, Indigo, Workflow) |
Windows Vista RTM (2006) |
VB 8.0/C# 2.0 |
2.0 |
| Visual Studio "Orcas" |
2007 |
VB 9.0/C# 3.0 |
2.0 |
| FX 3.5 (LINQ) |
2007 |
VB 9.0/C# 3.0 |
2.0 |
Here's some information on what each version includes:
-
FX 2.0: Includes CLR 2.0 generics, etc. Shipped with VS 2005; not much to say here.
-
FX 3.0 = FX 2.0 + WPF (Avalon), WCF (Indigo), WF (Workflow). In other words, FX 3.0 is a set of assemblies that has been added to FX 2.0; it only includes service pack-level fixes to existing (FX 2.0) assemblies or the existing languages (VB 8.0). FX 3.0 is installed by default on Windows Vista (and is therefore bound to the Vista RTM date), and available for download on down-level platforms. There currently is not a supported version of Visual Studio that targets FX 3.0, however; you can download extensions to VS 2005 that provides some rudimentary support for FX 3.0 at
http://msdn.microsoft.com/windowsvista/downloads/products/getthebeta/default.aspx.
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FX 3.5 = FX 3.0 + LINQ. Basically, you can think of FX 3.5 as the new compilers, tools, and assemblies required to support LINQ. Again, FX 3.5 includes new assemblies (e.g., System.Query.dll) and service-pack-level fixes to existing assemblies. FX 3.5 will ship with VS "Orcas".
An important thing to note about the above versions of the FX is that they all run on CLR 2.0, which shipped in 2005. Unlike previous versions of VS, VS "Orcas" will include the ability to build applications that target each of the above framework versions FX 2.0, FX 3.0, and FX 3.5.You'll have the ability to specify what framework version the project should target when a project is created, opened for the first time in VS Orcas, and via the property pages. Once a framework version is selected, references, IntelliSense, Object Browser, the Toolbox, etc will be modified such that references that aren't available in the chosen target are filtered (grayed out, generally).Some common questions,
-
Will I be able to open my 2005 project in VS "Orcas" without upgrading it to FX 3.5? Yes. Users will have the option to upgrade the project's framework target the first time they open it in VS "Orcas"; however, upgrading will not be required
-
Will I be able to open my 2005 project in VS "Orcas" then re-open it in VS 2005? No. Once a project has been opened in VS "Orcas", it cannot be subsequently opened in 2005.
-
Will I be able to use LINQ in my FX 2.0 project? No. LINQ requires assemblies that are only available in FX 3.5 projects.
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If I already have FX 2.0 installed and my app requires FX 3.0, what do I need to install when I deploy my app? Because FX 3.0 is just an add-on pack of sorts for FX 3.0, you'll only need to install the 3.0 Runtime Components, which have FX 2.0 as a pre-requisite.
Admittedly, this whole framework versioning scheme is pretty confusing, so we're trying to make the related user experience in VS opt-in: by default you'll target the latest and greatest version of the FX 3.5 when you create a project and most of this will be transparent. If you do need to target an earlier version, the option will be available. We'll certainly be interested in your feedback on the model when the first VS "Orcas" CTP is released. Fire away with any questions or rants, I'll do my best to clarify.
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Thanks.
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Searching from google about WPF, I found a cool blogger. His name is Adam Nathan, He is good in Win32API and .NET, from his blog, he mention that he is also going to publish a book about Win32 and WPF. He took the WPF UI he created for the Internet Hearts Migration, slapped it in a System.Windows.Window, and "glassified" it. Here is his result,
He didn't change a thing in the Hearts UI, and everything worked as expected: the 2D & 3D animations, the elements that already had partial opacity (like the card table), etc. And when doing a "Flip 3D" (which I'm surprisingly finding more useful than the standard Alt+Tab), the result is pretty cool:
Do you wanna read the full story and his code, go here : Adam Nathan's Win32 to WinFX Blog
Yesterday, I read about an example on Code4Fun about WinFX, It is a sample on creating a sample Sudoku with WinFX. Althought it is saying that the sample code are based on Feb CTP, but I could make it work by using May Beta2. Before you could be able to do WinFX programming, you may need to follow the instruction and download the setup files from
http://msdn.microsoft.com/windowsvista/downloads/products/getthebeta/. And I found that the installation is terrible. Finally, I created one but it is in Extensible Application Markup Language(XAML) which you will use to create a simple layout and a more complex layout.
Oh? Not .NET language? Yap, as the tutorial are in XAML. Later on I will try to use VB2005 to see if I can make one. And I found out that building application, don't have UI Designer. I heard from friends that there is a product with codename "Cider" and you may read and download from: http://channel9.msdn.com/wiki/default.aspx/Cider.HomePage. Later I will download it and have a try on it too. Come back later after the first hand on "Cider".
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Just read from some blog and know that there is a IE7+, what is it?
Actaully, it is the same as IE7, but due to some extra effect will be avaliable when IE7 are in Vista. And those feature will not be in IE7 in WinXP althought they are built from the same code base.So, they create this IE7+ to let you distinguish these 2 IE.
IE7+ running on Windows Vista: Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.0)
IE7 running on Windows XP: Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 5.1)
IE7+ having Windows Vista only feature like Protected Mode, Parental Controls and improved Network Diagnostics.
Wowow, before I went to singapore training, I open the manifest from the Microsoft original gadget in Vista 5381, I found out that there are some changes and some tab that I don't found frmo the Vista 5270's gadget. So I try to open all missing tab to my first gadget's manifest. Finally, it works, it works.
And when I was in singapore training, Vista 5384.4 is released. And a new update gadget online training are also released update. It is exactly the one I got from 5381. That is why I cannot make it work before.