Yesterday Microsoft released the whole series of language packs (34), including Arabic, Greek and Bulgarian. The latter will be useful to fellow Bulgarians running Windows Vista Ultimate or Enterprise–they are the only editions of Windows with support of language packs.

There were some critic reactions to Windows Vista Ultimate Extras as a service because the team could not provide Windows DreamScene and all of the language packs besides other extras on time, although this was paid for by Ultimate users. However, the team is again up and running and I congratulate them on the job well done.

 

I have recently worked on Windows Sidebar Styler and version 2.0.6 is now available.

Among the improvements is instant application of styles as well as the resizable Windows Sidebar feature. The latter is especially useful when Windows Sidebar is docked on the left. Added are more localizations and Alky for Applications is supported for use in Windows XP or Server 2003.

The new version can be downloaded here.

If you are interested in localizing Windows Sidebar Styler in your native language, or just want to suggest a feature for the next version, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Christoffer Andersson–an MVP in Active Directory and a very good friend of mine–recently released the first beta of his Fine-Grained Password Policy Tool. If you are an IT planner or analyst or simply experimenting with the new features of Windows Server 2008 in terms of domain-wise security, you will like to deploy the application. It includes Management Console and PowerShell snap-ins which create and manage Fine Grain Password Policies with complex properties as provided by the latest Server OS.

Binaries: FGPP Beta 1_2228-20070706.0 32-bit, 64-bit

Documents: Original blog post, Quick Start Guide, Overview of Fine-Grained Password Policies

Notes: Contributors to the development of FGPP include Björn Österman and myself.

Microsoft is currently running a few campaigns for their partners, one of which is Windows Vista Partner Odyssey. It aims to bridge partners who have developed for the new platform or simply leveraged its power for their business. If you are one of those you can enter now — you stand a fair chance of being selected as a Windows Vista Adventurer and sent a bag full of survivor tools (in fact, it is rather nice). Microsoft will also award 5 exciting adventures to one of these partners each month.

I am glad that Microsoft selected Windows Sidebar Styler to highlight AeroXperience. You can read our case study on the Partner Profiles page by searching for AeroXperience.

An updated version of Windows Sidebar Styler (v2.0.5) has been made available. Please check the previous post for download links as well as updated documentation.

Additions include support for Gadget resource localization, translations of the application UI, as well as fixed issues with VAIO. If you are interested in helping localize Windows Sidebar Styler in your native language, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Windows Sidebar Styler is an application which takes advantage of various technologies introduced in Windows Vista in order to provide extensions to the existing functionality of Windows Sidebar.

Custom styles allow users to customize the appearance of Windows Sidebar so that it fits the style of other UI elements, such as the Aero Glass colorization or an actual third party theme. Designers could save their visual styles for Sidebar so that other Windows users could apply them. Designers would not necessarily create these files on Windows Vista - Sidebar Styler is backward-compatible with legacy operating systems as well.

Gadgets - these mini applications which are managed by Windows Sidebar can now take full advantage of Windows Presentation Foundation - a powerful managed code-oriented framework for presenting rich visual compositions such as vector graphics, 3D drawing, animations and more. In addition to that, it could be used in conjunction with the Communication Foundation in order for the Gadgets to connect to services and provide frequently updated information.

Using compiled class libraries also helps protect the intellectual property of developers because the actual source code is not distributed.

The tight integration with the core of Windows Sidebar allows the application to extend the current set of features of Windows Sidebar by allowing users to customize its appearance and by providing a more powerful framework for building Gadgets and visualizing information.

Designed for Microsoft Windows Vista. Written in C#, C++ and Managed C++. Compatible with Project “VAIO.”

Binaries: 32-bit, 64-bit v2.0.5/Jan 26th, 2007

Documents: Release Notes, A Guide to Writing WPF Gadgets, WPF Gadget Development Files

Notes: Sample gadgets and styles are included in the installation. The 3D CD Button and Chromeless Clock gadgets are designed by Nathan Dunlap. Debug builds are available upon request.

 I have recently updated the content of the Applications and Code and Project and Researches sections.

More specifically, updated is the Desktop and Preview Pane Aurora page, which now covers the development since early conceptual art, through various milestones, up to present day Windows Vista builds.

Added is a page describing ClockLock, a Windows application and service combo which I helped develop. Its primary aim is to let home computer users limit others’ computer activity based on a given time span. It is particularly helpful when restricting children’s computer usage at night.

I am already working on a new and better version of Windows Sidebar Styler. It implements a more sophisticated method of loading styles in memory, instead of modifying resources on disk which makes the solution relatively clean, unlike the previous version. This also guarantees that the application will work seamlessly with future builds, as well. I plan to add more features, including resizing for Windows Sidebar.

According to Utakz, Microsoft is going to release build 5342.2 of Windows Vista today. Information about this particular build appeared on the Internet via Paul Thurrott’s Windows SuperSite earlier this month.

This release is to be from the base winmain branch, and not an Idx (Internal Development Workstation/Server). Because of the fact that this is supposed to be a refresh build, there will most-likely be only bug fixes.

No screenshots or actual bits have been posted yet, but we all shall see in a few hours time.

[Cross-posted in the Code section]

The archive contains classes that can be used to enumerate and/or find windows using their titles, class names or handles.

The Helper.GetWindows() function takes one parameter, a window expression string, representing the window or controls’ hierarchy. For instance,

*[@c=IEFrame]/*[@c=WorkerW]/*[@c=ReBarWindow32]/*[@c=ComboBoxEx32]

can be used to obtain all Internet Explorer (6.*) windows’ URLs.

Extended usage is available in the “Expressions (Usage).txt” file.

Code is compatible with both .NET Framework v1.* and v2.0; however, the sample solution file is created using Microsoft Visual Studio 2005.

ToDo’s:

• Implement starting the search from a non-top-level window.
• Implement obtaining handles to all child windows.

The source code, including a sample application, is available here