As an easy-to-use application that provides information at a glance, a gadget basically takes the concept of portal dashboards and moves them to the more accessible Windows desktop where users can quickly and easily obtain weather information, RSS news feeds, and much more. In Windows Vista, there are two types of gadgets—Sidebar and SideShow gadgets. Sidebar gadgets are mini applications hosted in the Sidebar pane located on the Windows desktop, and SideShow gadgets are applications that send information to SideShow-enabled devices, such as an external LCD display, or even a remote control. With this hands-on guide, you'll discover the simplicity of developing Vista Sidebar and SideShow gadgets that can run onthe Windows desktop as well as send information to SideShow-enabled devices.

This book contains two parts. The first covers Sidebar gadgets and the second part covers SideShow gadgets. In each part, Microsoft MVP author Wei-Meng Lee begins by walking you through the development of a simple gadget, introducing you to the key concepts in the process. Each chapter breaks down the specific APIs that are relevant to enhancing a gadget, and helpful code samples throughout every chapter detail the step-by-step progression of how a gadget is built. By the end of the book, you will beconfidently programming Vista gadgets.

What you will learn from this book

• Components of a Sidebar gadget

• Detailed description and code samples for using the Sidebar APIs

• Tips on using .NET Interop to enhance Sidebar gadgets

• How to Interface Sidebar gadgets with SideShow-enabled devices

• Tips on localizing Sidebar gadgets

• How to debug Sidebar gadgets

• Details of a Sidebar gadget project

• SideShow architecture

• How to use the SideShow managed class for .NET development

• Tips on understanding the Simple Content Format (SCF) content format for sending SideShow data

• Interacting with SideShow-enabled devices

• Step by step instruction on how to develop a SideShow gadget project

Who this book is for

This book is for developers who want to build Windows Vista gadgets that target both the desktop as well as SideShow-enabled devices.

Wrox Professional guides are planned and written by working programmers to meet the real-world needs of programmers, developers, and IT professionals. Focused and relevant, they address the issues technology professionals face every day. They provide examples, practical solutions, and expert education in new technologies, all designed to help programmers do a better job.

About the Author

Wei-Meng Lee , Microsoft MVP, is a technologist and founder of Developer Learning Solutions ( www.learn2develop.net ), a technology company specializing in hands-on training in the latest Microsoft technologies.
Wei-Meng speaks regularly at international conferences and has authored and co-authored numerous books on .NET, XML, and wireless technologies. He writes extensively for the online publications such as DevX.com and the O’Reilly Network on topics ranging from .NET to Mac OS X. He is also the author of .NET Compact Framework Pocket Guide (O’Reilly Media, Inc) and Practical .NET 2.0 Networking Projects (Apress). You can contact Wei-Meng at weimenglee@learn2develop.net