Lesson 2: Microsoft Windows Logo Compliance

Logo Compliance Requirements

Applications must meet installation, interface, naming, and compatibility standards to be logo-compliant.

Installation and Uninstall

Applications must provide a 32-bit, graphical installation program that performs the following tasks :

  • Registers components .
  • Automatically detects the operating system.
  • Sets the default installation directory to the drive:\Program Files directory.
  • Provides a preinstallation test using the Install Analyzer tool.
  • Includes a registered, automated uninstall program.
  • Uninstalls completely without removing core or shared components that are needed by other applications.

User Interface and Shell

Applications must use system metrics. This means that applications must be compatible with the standard window classes and controls system color , size , font, sound, and input settings. This standard provides you with a consistent user interface and allows you to customize the system to meet user needs and preferences. These settings are queried using the GetSystemMetrics , SystemParametersInfo , or GetSysColors API functions. In some development programs such as Visual Basic, this is done for you automatically. For example, by setting properties at design time in Visual Basic, you can specify form positions , fonts, colors, and other settings.

Example

This Visual Basic sample call returns the height of a form's caption bar:

 Declare Function GetSystemMetrics Lib "user32" _ 

Alias"GetSystemMetrics" (ByVal nIndex As Long) As Long


Const SM_CYCAPTION = 4'Height of caption or title

Dim HeightY As Double


HeightY = GetSystemMetrics(SM_CYCAPTION)

Universal Naming Conventions and Long File Names

Applications must support long file names (LFN) and universal naming conventions (UNC). This means that users must be able to enter file names of 255 characters, including all uppercase and lowercase standard characters , embedded spaces, and periods. There must be no leading or trailing spaces in a file name .

UNC paths allow logical connections to network devices that specifically reference a network drive letter. An application does not have to be network-aware , but it must work seamlessly in a network environment.

Example

An example of a LFN is:

 C:\Program Files 

An example of a UNC path to a logical network device is:

  \User1\Drive_C  

The Windows Registry

To obtain the Windows compatible logo, an application must also fulfill the Windows registry requirements.

Many applications use the Windows registry to store user preferences, file names and paths, and other information that supports the application. This information can be used in subsequent sessions. For example, an application can save the name of a database accessed by a user. The next time the program executes, the same database opens automatically.

Applications should query the registry directly to obtain the proper language-specific directory names and to ensure an appropriate installation. An installation application must set the default installation directory (or directories) to drive:\Program Files .


Note

For more information or detailed specifications on logo requirements see the following Web site: www.microsoft.com/windows/thirdparty/winlogo.


Lesson Summary

To be Windows logo compliant, an application must meet installation, interface, naming, and compatibility standards. It must also make proper use of the Windows registry. The registry should be used to store user preferences, file names and paths, and other information that supports the application. The application should also query the registry directly to obtain the proper language-specific directory names, and to ensure an appropriate installation.



Microsoft Windows Architecture Training
Microsoft Windows Architecture for Developers Training Kit
ISBN: B00007FY9D
EAN: N/A
Year: 1998
Pages: 324

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