An updated version of the Windows Media Center Software Development Kit is now available both online via MSDN at http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa286546.aspx and download from http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=a43ea0b7-b85f-4612-aa08-3bf128c5873e&displaylang=en. These are the same links as before, so no need to change your bookmarks. These links also persist in the navigation section at http://blog.mediacentersandbox.com/.
This update was primarily designed to consolidate some whitepapers and technical articles and take into consideration some of the feedback we've been hearing over at http://discuss.mediacentersandbox.com/forums/.
The following is a summary of the key changes to the Windows Media Center Software Development Kit:
- Incorporation into CHM of previously separate MSDN technical articles and team blog postings.
- The MCML Preview Tool Launcher power toy is now included ‘out of the box’ (no separate install).
- Q and Z setup projects now based on WiX 3.0 (was WiX 2.0).
- Shortcuts for the MCML Preview Tool have been added to the Windows Vista Start Menu: One launches standalone, the other within Windows Media Center.
- Registry files (*.reg) added to the \Tools folder to enable / disable of launch debugging and error details.
- MCML Sampler source C# files (*.cs) files added.
- Minor fixes and tweaks to the Z sample application.
- Installs to the same c:\Program Files\Microsoft SDKs\Windows Media Center\v5.0 folder.
- Setup UI and the entry in Add/Remove Programs both refer to Windows Media Center Software Development Kit 5.1.
In addition, we've heard many times over the past few months that MCMLSampler is wonderful for demonstrating the individual pieces and parts of MCML, and the Q and Z applications are really helpful as well. The feedback concludes they are good resources -- for the advanced developer. What we've been missing is something to bridge the gap for the novice or intermediate developer. So a couple of us sat down and created the Windows Media Center Application Step By Step whitepapers.
These documents take you step by step through creating a simple Windows Media Center Application with Media Center Markup Language (MCML) for the visuals leveraging managed code and the Windows Media Center object model. Each major section is prefaced by an explanation of what will be accomplished in that section as well as links back to the online version of the SDK. We've also put together a second whitepaper which shows you how to use Windows Installer XML (WiX) to build a setup program for the application. Finally, we are making source code for both available which is the end result after working through both whitepapers.
Windows Media Center Application Step By Step
Word Format: http://play.mediacentersandbox.com/docs/WindowsMediaCenterApplicationStepByStep.zip
Adobe Acrobat Format (PDF): http://play.mediacentersandbox.com/docs/WindowsMediaCenterApplicationStepByStep.pdf
Windows Media Center Application Step By Step -- WiX Installer
Word Format: http://play.mediacentersandbox.com/docs/WindowsMediaCenterApplicationStepByStep.WiX.zip
Adobe Acrobat Format (PDF): http://play.mediacentersandbox.com/docs/WindowsMediaCenterApplicationStepByStep.WiX.pdf
Windows Media Center Application Step By Step -- Source Code
http://play.mediacentersandbox.com/docs/WindowsMediaCenterApplicationStepByStepSource.zip
As always, feedback is welcome either in comments here or in the forums at http://discuss.mediacentersandbox.com/forums/.