MSN Messenger GUI Technology
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Does anyone know what's the technology used by MSN Messenger to create the GUI? Do you know any other software that uses this technology? Thanks
The GUI is still C++ I believe. According to Spy++, it uses a couple of custom Windows classes (MSBLWindowClass and DirectUIHWND, IMWindowClass). I believe the DirectUIHWND and MSBLWindowClass areused by other Microsoft apps but I guess the IMWindowClass is messenger specific as I've not seen it before. Michael CP Blog [^] Development Blog [^]
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The GUI is still C++ I believe. According to Spy++, it uses a couple of custom Windows classes (MSBLWindowClass and DirectUIHWND, IMWindowClass). I believe the DirectUIHWND and MSBLWindowClass areused by other Microsoft apps but I guess the IMWindowClass is messenger specific as I've not seen it before. Michael CP Blog [^] Development Blog [^]
There's more to it. MSN Messenger uses some kind of XML layout to define its interface. Here's a snippet from the UIFILE resource in msnmsgr.exe, taken with Resource Hacker:
viewer { layoutpos: nineclient; } simplescrollbar { colorize: -2; layoutpos: ninebottom; background: ifhc(buttonshadow, gradient(rgb(223,229,246), rgb(243,245,251), 0)); borderthickness: rect(1,0,1,0); bordercolor: ifhc(captiontext, rgb(214,221,243)); Accessible: true; AccName: rcstr(60061); AccRole: 3; }</pre>
You can also edit this layout to <a href="http://www.matthijs.net/msn.php" rel="nofollow">remove ads</a>, or use <a href="http://www.mess.be/pafiledb/pafiledb.php?action=file&id=630" rel="nofollow">Mess Patch</a> for a complete makeover. </x-turndown>
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There's more to it. MSN Messenger uses some kind of XML layout to define its interface. Here's a snippet from the UIFILE resource in msnmsgr.exe, taken with Resource Hacker:
viewer { layoutpos: nineclient; } simplescrollbar { colorize: -2; layoutpos: ninebottom; background: ifhc(buttonshadow, gradient(rgb(223,229,246), rgb(243,245,251), 0)); borderthickness: rect(1,0,1,0); bordercolor: ifhc(captiontext, rgb(214,221,243)); Accessible: true; AccName: rcstr(60061); AccRole: 3; }</pre>
You can also edit this layout to <a href="http://www.matthijs.net/msn.php" rel="nofollow">remove ads</a>, or use <a href="http://www.mess.be/pafiledb/pafiledb.php?action=file&id=630" rel="nofollow">Mess Patch</a> for a complete makeover. </x-turndown>
A prototype XAML possibly. Or more likely some DHTML offshoot. Interesting stuff though. Michael CP Blog [^] Development Blog [^]
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Does anyone know what's the technology used by MSN Messenger to create the GUI? Do you know any other software that uses this technology? Thanks
I think MS calls it DirectUI. Unfortunately it's undocumented at this time. --Mike-- Visual C++ MVP :cool: LINKS~! Ericahist | 1ClickPicGrabber | NEW~! CP SearchBar v3.0 | C++ Forum FAQ Strange things are afoot at the U+004B U+20DD
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There's more to it. MSN Messenger uses some kind of XML layout to define its interface. Here's a snippet from the UIFILE resource in msnmsgr.exe, taken with Resource Hacker:
viewer { layoutpos: nineclient; } simplescrollbar { colorize: -2; layoutpos: ninebottom; background: ifhc(buttonshadow, gradient(rgb(223,229,246), rgb(243,245,251), 0)); borderthickness: rect(1,0,1,0); bordercolor: ifhc(captiontext, rgb(214,221,243)); Accessible: true; AccName: rcstr(60061); AccRole: 3; }</pre>
You can also edit this layout to <a href="http://www.matthijs.net/msn.php" rel="nofollow">remove ads</a>, or use <a href="http://www.mess.be/pafiledb/pafiledb.php?action=file&id=630" rel="nofollow">Mess Patch</a> for a complete makeover. </x-turndown>
It looks like CSS (Cascading Style Sheet) to me. Regards Senthil _____________________________ My Blog | My Articles | WinMacro