XamlViewer
XamlViewer is an application written by me for the WinFX SDK (March 2005 CTP) Avalon bits. This CTP release has a bug with registering the Xaml file association. This little application fixes this, and in fact, even associates itself with Baml (binary, or compiled Xaml) files. The Baml files load faster by Avalon’s PresentationHost, because its records/nodes’ length is fixed.

Using XamlViewer
It’s highly recommended to place the executable file inside the %WinDir%\\Microsoft.NET\\Windows\\v6.0.4030\\ folder so you can make sure it won’t be deleted accidentally (otherwise the file association will brake). After that, run the executable once to create the file association.
You can use the application from both command line and even directly from Windows Explorer - just double-click any Xaml or Baml file.

Command Line Switches:
XamlViewer fileName
/b Indicates whether the selected file is a Baml file. You can skip this switch if you are sure that the selected file’s name ends with .Baml

The Package
The Zip package contains the application executable file (+ 2 pairs of sample files, compatible with the March CTP’s syntax: Xaml and Baml sources of Desktop Aurora and an “Avalon Shield” vector graphics for Mar 2005 Version).

Update: Download: XamlViewer for Avalon Beta1
Download: XamlViewer for Avalon Beta1 RC
Download: XamlViewer
Download: WinFX SDK Beta1 RC
Download: WinFX SDK March 2005 CTP
View: Windows Longhorn Developer Center
View: Online WinFX SDK

It seems like an official download link to a web installer for WinFX SDK Beta 1 RC 1 has been leaked. Some people already have it now, and others are downloading it. I personally haven’t heard (yet) when Release Candidate 1 of Beta 1 should have been released officially, but I’m sure it’ll be soon.

Edit: I got ahold of the release — it’s just contains the Avalon bits — 6.0.5062.0 (vbl_wcp_avalon(yungt).050429-0931), and Indigo. IMO, the release overall is disappointing - the SDK is not included, no new syntax schema, either (this one is because I use the released Schemas for my Xaml Editor application ).

On May 16, 2005, Microsoft Office Communicator 2005 was Released To Manufacturing, and the final Microsoft Office Communicator 2005 Documentation was released to the Office Online Resource Center at Microsoft Office site. A 120-day Evaluation version of Microsoft Office Communicator 2005 is now available at Microsoft Download Center, and it will be available through volume licensing channels in July 2005. The Service Pack 1 upgrade for existing Live Communications Server 2005 customers is now available at the download center and a 120-day trial software version which contains Live Communications Server 2005 integrated with Service Pack 1 can be downloaded from here.

Some of you reading this may already know that I’ve been working on a XAML code Editor with syntax checking/autocompletion capabilities. Well, here is the first public BETA release of it.
Xaml Editor 2005 is intented for use by both Developers and Longhorn Enthusiasts, learning to code in eXtensible Application Mark-up Language. The application provides code autocompletion (as in Visual Studio .NET — IntelliSense), new-line auto-formatting, and much more. This way, writing XAML files is easy-to-understand and code — automatic enumeration choices makes it even easier to write Case-sensitive properties’ data. The editor has support for any Avalon CTP/release syntax — currently built-in are the November 2004 and March 2005.

Further development of the application will be focused on:

• WYSIWYG Preview Pane. (When Avalon bits are present only.) So developers and users can see the output on-the-fly.
• Format Validation. Makes you sure the written code is parseable by the Avalon XAML parser
• Enhanced Syntax Check.
• Support for bookmarking, Find/Replace dialog boxes, advanced code editor.
• Support for any other Avalon release (currently supported are the public November 2004 and March 2005.
• Help/Documentation.
• Integration of Documentation Module. Developers and users can look up definition for classes/enumerations/properties,etc. in a categorized system.

You can get the BETA release here, and see a couple of screenshots of it: #1 #2.
If you have any suggestions, wishes,questions, feel free to contact me via E-Mail or Windows/MSN Messenger at stan_fisher[AT]aeroxp.net.

Special Thanks (For private testing): Olcay Buyan, Victor Mach, James Proud, Utaks, GCNaddict, oZZy.
Parts of Text Editor Control are based on ICSharpCode’s open-source SharpDevelop product.

I hope you’ll enjoy this application, and looking forward for feedback from you,
-Stanimir

P.S. For those of you who’d like to have a Hi-Res version of the logo, you can get it here.

Today I contributed my piece of research to the unofficial WIM Format Documentation - it’s regarding the WIM header, binary ImageListing format and some of the changes that could be seen in Windows Longhorn 5048’s WIM file (over the previous versions).

Header Format
08 bytes: Signature MSWIM\\0\\0\\0
04 bytes: Header length (including signature length)
04 bytes: WIM File Version
02 bytes: Compression On/Off
02 bytes: Compression Type Flag
04 bytes: LZX/LZNT Window Size
20 bytes: Unknown (Image Hash ?)

The WIM File Version field is used to determine if the unpacking application (mostly XIMAGE — the application that Microsoft uses to create and deploy Windows Images) can handle this file - the most spread version is 0×010A00, and 5048’s one is 0×010C00, so this means there are changes (described below).

The LZX/LZNT Window Size is the compression level - 0×8000 applies to LZX15 - that is a buffer with 2^15 bytes used by the decompressor. Images with only uncompressed data have value of zero.

In 5048’s WIM file header you can see that the header length is 0×74, while the only seen header length before that was 0×60. That’s because there is a new field after the Window Size one and is 0×14-byte long - probably a SHA-160 hash of the whole image data, or something related to NTFS (security).

Other people who research the WIM Format are Rafael Rivera, WinMonKey and ZoRoNaX.

Topic: Windows Image Format Documentation
Post: Here
Continue reading ‘Windows Image Format Documentation Update’

The Visual Studio .NET Beta Experience Kit that I ordered on April 26th, has just shipped here.
The kit contains 3+1 DVDs:
1. Visual Studio .NET 2005 Beta 2 Team Foundation Server
2. SQL Server 2005 Developer Edition CTP
3. Visual Studio .NET 2005 Team Suite
4. WeFly247.net - “Everything a developer needs to know about building applications with Visual Studio 2005 Beta 2″ — 7.63 GB training material.

Overall, I’m satisfied of the shipping procedure - even with the delayed (?) start of the Beta Experience program for Europe, I’ve got the kit 6 days before the predicted shipping date. Anyway, I’m off to play around with it.

See a couple of photos I took of the kit: #1 #2
or…
Get the Betas: MSDN

Hello and welcome to my blog, now up and running.
Here you’ll find thoughts, news and media about the upcoming Microsoft Windows Operating System, Code Named Longhorn, as well as other beta programs and coding stuff. I hope you’ll find something new here, and enjoy your stay.

-Stanimir