Non "Gadget" Gadgets
In the new Device Emulator, there is a PC Status "gadget" that has no corresponding "gadget" appearing in the Windows SideShow Control Panle Applet. We assume there is some kind of "stub" running on the back-end communicating with the Emulator and sending it the appropriate information.
Is that "gadget" available for running on "real" devices?
Is it a "best pratice" to have Windows SideShow Gadgets running without a corresponding control interface on the PC?
The same includes the games included with the SDK. Are there any published guidelines for running applications locally and have them appear as if they are "real" Windows SideShow Gadgets.
Thanks.
Regards,
=D-
Derek R. Flickinger
Interactive Homes, Inc.
[855 byte] By [
DrFlick] at [2008-2-17]
The PC Status and Solitaire "gadgets" are actually code in the device firmware, as opposed to a PC-side application sending content to the device. Only a Windows SideShow device manufacturer would have the ability to add these types of "gadgets", aka code-on-device endpoints.
Does that adequately answer your question?
Edward Priest
Windows SideShow Test Lead
Yes and no. Doesn't the PC Status "gadget" have to get its data from the PC? Is that communications channel "out of band" from the "normal" Windows SideShow communications? Does it use internal endpoints the same way as a Windows SideShow client or is it a completely different thing? In other words, is that "application" transportable to other Windows SideShow devices?
It just seems weird to include a piece of software in a development emulator that appears to have nothing to do with the platform for which one is developing. Especially one that also does not appear to follow the recommended model and best practices by having a corresponding piece exposed and managed on the PC via the Windows SideShow Control Panel. Granted, it is nice to see other applications running on the screen, but are they applicable to the purpose and intent of the Emulator?
=D-
I can't find a gadget that shows the PC Status. All I have on my emulator are two game-gadgets (columns and reversi), but if there is a "pc status" gadget "embedded" in the emulator (I repeat: I do not know what kind of emulator or what version are you running), it cannot use a different channel for comunicating with the PC than a nomal gadget.
The application is transportable on another device if the manufacturer of the device decides to include this gadget in his product. If not, you'll have to write a gadget with this functionality yourself.
Sombody please corect me if I'm wrong 
The PC status gadget receives data from the SideShow platform for battery and WiFi network status. This data can only be consumed by code on the firmware written by the Windows SideShow team or a device manufacturer. It is sent by the SideShow platform, but is seperate from standard gadget data.
Derek, I agree that the PC status gadget is not useful for gadget developers. I'll suggest to our team that this gadget be disabled in future versions of the simulator to avoid any confusion.
Lucian, my guess is that Derek is running the latest version of our simulator that is available for download at
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=bba99eb2-aa6d-4133-b433-933a2c4d41dc&displaylang=en
. Perhaps Derek can confirm his version info.
Edward Priest
Windows SideShow Test Lead
The "About Windows SideShow" says it is Firmware Version 1.3.3.0/1.0. Yes, it only shows up on the newer stand-alone version just released (not the one that comes with the SDK).
We actually hate to see cool things "disabled." We would rather see it turned into a "real" Windows SideShow Gadget or something that can be used outside of this environment (and the source code included as an example of how to do it <g>).
=D-
