Last weekend, Microsoft unleashed the Windows 7 beta (take our in-depth tour) and the Windows Server 2008 R2 beta to the web. Due to the chaos and craze over downloading a beta operating system, many missed the news that Microsoft had also made the Windows 7 beta SDK available. If you're a developer, or you're just slightly interested, you can grab it from the Microsoft Download Center (1304.8MB). Here's what's on the .iso file:
The Windows SDK for Windows 7 and .NET Framework 3.5 SP1: BETA provides the documentation, samples, header files, libraries, and tools (including C++ compilers) that you need to develop applications to run on Windows 7 BETA and the .NET Framework 3.5 SP1. To build and run .NET Framework applications, you must have the corresponding version of the .NET Framework installed. This SDK is compatible with Visual Studio® 2008, including Visual Studio Express Editions, which are available free of charge.
If that got you interested, be sure to check out the Release Notes as well. The most important thing to note about this release is that the SDK will definitely change by the time Windows 7 is released, and developers should keep this in mind when they're using it. I would still recommend downloading it and getting a feel for what you'll want to update in your application to take advantage of the improvements of Vista's successor.
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Showing posts with label Windows 7. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Windows 7. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Saturday, December 6, 2008
User Interface Automation Evolution in Windows 7
Microsoft is leaving no components of the Windows client “unturned” in the evolution from Windows Vista to Windows 7. Loyal to the strategy of building the next Windows operating system as a superlative of Vista in all aspects, the Redmond company's overhauling efforts span from Win7's under-the-hood architecture to the GUI on the surface, and to the natural user interface interaction model. Michael Bernstein, the development lead for Accessibility and Speech Recognition experiences in Windows 7, pointed to the Microsoft User Interface Automation as the evolution of the foundation for accessibility in the next iteration of the Windows client.
“In Windows 7, we invested in improving the performance of the UI Automation system, and created a new, native-code API for UI Automation, to make sure that it can be used effectively by a wide range of assistive technology software,” Bernstein explained.
“Now applications written in C++, as well as those written using the .NET Framework, can take advantage of UI Automation. We also did a bunch of work to make sure that the UI Automation system was integrated even more closely with the legacy Microsoft Active Accessibility (MSAA) system, and developed new bridging techniques between the best of the new and the old technologies.”
The Windows accessibility framework, intimately connected with the Windows Presentation Framework, is designed to take the manipulation of the UI beyond standard input via assistive technology products. A collection of applications programming interfaces and a set of default features, Windows Accessibility is designed to open up the operating system to as much people as possible, regardless of physical or cognitive disabilities.
“UI Automation Clients can read Accessibility information from MSAA applications, and vice versa, to ensure maximum Accessibility, regardless of which accessibility API an application used originally,” Bernstein added. “Since the UI Automation and MSAA systems cooperate closely in many scenarios, we decided to name the combination of the two, calling it the Windows Automation API. This architecture forms the foundation for the rest of our Accessibility effort, and we’re pleased to have this Accessibility foundation Windows 7.”
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“In Windows 7, we invested in improving the performance of the UI Automation system, and created a new, native-code API for UI Automation, to make sure that it can be used effectively by a wide range of assistive technology software,” Bernstein explained.
“Now applications written in C++, as well as those written using the .NET Framework, can take advantage of UI Automation. We also did a bunch of work to make sure that the UI Automation system was integrated even more closely with the legacy Microsoft Active Accessibility (MSAA) system, and developed new bridging techniques between the best of the new and the old technologies.”
The Windows accessibility framework, intimately connected with the Windows Presentation Framework, is designed to take the manipulation of the UI beyond standard input via assistive technology products. A collection of applications programming interfaces and a set of default features, Windows Accessibility is designed to open up the operating system to as much people as possible, regardless of physical or cognitive disabilities.
“UI Automation Clients can read Accessibility information from MSAA applications, and vice versa, to ensure maximum Accessibility, regardless of which accessibility API an application used originally,” Bernstein added. “Since the UI Automation and MSAA systems cooperate closely in many scenarios, we decided to name the combination of the two, calling it the Windows Automation API. This architecture forms the foundation for the rest of our Accessibility effort, and we’re pleased to have this Accessibility foundation Windows 7.”
Read More...
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