Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC Edition SDK
Fact Sheet October 2003
The Tablet PC is the evolution of the notebook computer, delivering all the functionality of today’s notebook computers while adding pen, ink and handwriting-recognition functionality. A superset of the Windows® XP Professional operating system, Windows XP Tablet PC Edition adds new ink, pen and handwriting-recognition platform capabilities to make applications more powerful, mobile and versatile.
The Tablet PC Platform Software Development Kit (SDK) provides developers with everything they need to add great Tablet PC support to new and existing Windows-based applications, including documentation, sample programs and headers. In addition, the SDK provides both Automation and managed platform-level APIs as well as controls for adding pen input and handwriting capabilities to any Windows-based application compatible with Windows XP. The SDK runs on Windows 2000, Windows XP Professional and Windows Server™ 2003, so developers do not need a Tablet PC to create applications for Windows XP Tablet PC Edition.
Since the SDK was first introduced in August 2001, Microsoft has continued to work closely with software developers around the world, helping them extend their applications for the Tablet PC. Version 1.7 of the Tablet PC Platform SDK, announced at the Microsoft® Professional Developers Conference in October 2003 and slated for shipping during the second quarter of 2004, adds Web support for Tablet PC applications, a context tagging tool, real-time stylus capabilities and a developer recognition pack.
SDK Key Features Web support. The new SDK adds the ability to embed Microsoft .NET Windows Forms inking controls into Microsoft ASP.NET or HTML pages via tags. .NET No Touch Deployment Support. Developers can create applications and deploy them using the no touch deployment feature of the .NET Framework. Users can download the application simply by going to a specified URL. Updates can be automatically applied at future application launches, meaning that administrators get the ease of deploying a Web application with all the richness of a smart client.
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Context Tagging tool. Developers can now add contextual information to aid in handwriting recognition in many existing applications without modifying any binaries. For example, developers can specify through the context tagging tool that a certain field is a phone number. A small XML file is created that stores the information; the results generated by the handwriting recognition engine will be biased toward a phone number, greatly improving the recognition accuracy without having to change the original code. Real-time stylus APIs. Microsoft has opened up access to lower levels of the Tablet PC Platform so developers can have more control over the flow of ink data. Improvements include better support for synchronous and asynchronous collection of ink data and a simplified threading model. Developers can now extend the platform capabilities beyond anything available in previous versions of the SDK. Detailed design guidelines. In addition to the standard developer guide and API reference information, the Tablet PC Platform SDK includes detailed design guidelines that cover user experience, pen-based interaction, and other elements of user interface and hardware design. For example, the content includes formulas for calculating optimal dimensional measurements of controls based on display resolution. These design guidelines help ensure a consistent, intuitive and satisfying experience for end users across all pen-, ink- and speech- enabled Tablet PC applications. Extensive set of sample applications and source code. The SDK includes 19 sample applications that highlight the primary features of the Tablet PC Platform, with many available in multiple languages (Visual C++®, Visual Basic® .NET, Visual C#®). A detailed walkthrough guides users through the development of a simple surface-inking application to introduce them to the ink framework of the Tablet PC Platform. For each sample application, users can view project contents and open the project in the Visual Studio® development system for further study. Comprehensive API reference. The SDK includes a comprehensive set of API references and code examples for developers of Visual C++, Visual C#, Visual Basic .NET and Visual Basic 6. Familiar development environments. Developers can work in Visual Studio 6.0, Visual Studio .NET, or Visual Studio .NET 2003 installed on a PC with Windows 2000, Windows XP Professional or Windows Server 2003. With the combination of the SDK and Visual Studio installed on a desktop, PC, laptop or server, developers can integrate and test most of the pen-and-ink functionality in their applications targeted for use on Tablet PCs. Subscribers to MSDN® also can install the full Windows XP Tablet PC Edition operating system on a desktop. This operating system, combined with an external digitizer using a human interface device driver, enables developers to simulate the environment of a Tablet PC. External graphics tablets compatibility. The SDK works with any HID-compatible external digitizer, such as many of those manufactured by Wacom Technology Co and FinePoint Innovations Inc. Full language support. The complete pen, ink and ink-stroke recognition functionality is exposed to Visual Basic 6.0, Visual Basic for Applications, Visual Basic .NET, Visual C# and other languages that are compiled with the .NET Framework’s common language runtime (CLR). The same object model is exposed to all developers so they can combine
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ink-enabled application components built with different programming languages. With full COM support, C++ developers can also easily integrate tablet functionality. Enhanced controls. Controls encapsulate complete pen, ink and handwriting recognition functionality such as the InkPicture control for capturing ink annotations and markup. InkDivider object. The InkDivider object provides layout analysis features that classify and group strokes into different structural elements, allowing developers to distinguish between ink that is handwriting and ink that is a drawing.
Developer Benefits Quick start and rapid development. A detailed walk-through of a sample application allows developers to jump right into the code and get started instantly without reading lengthy documentation or instructions. Source code for 19 sample applications provides even more guidance. In addition, technical issues are clearly documented to remove potential roadblocks for the developer. Comprehensive information. The SDK addresses the needs of a broad range of audiences, including application developers, designers, planners, ISV management, OEM hardware engineers and enterprise IT management. Technical and conceptual documentation. The SDK includes detailed technical information as well as white papers and articles describing key conceptual frameworks for the Tablet PC. Together, the technical and the conceptual contents form a comprehensive set of tools to help ISVs create powerful applications for the Tablet PC. Through a built-in feedback mechanism, developers can make suggestions about the documentation and samples in the SDK directly to Microsoft’s technical documentation team.
Availability The SDK is available free to the public on the Web at http://msdn.microsoft.com/tabletpc/.
More information on this program can be found at the Developer Center for Tablet PC at http://msdn.microsoft.com/tabletpc/.
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