Development Features for the Windows Live Platform

modonovan — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 10:10:33 GMT

Wow, I was sent this table of development "modules" for the Windows Live platform, I didn't realize it was so long. Looks good hey!!

Windows Live Contacts Control

The Contacts Control allows a web site to benefit from Windows Live contacts, but leaves control of the contact data with the user:
- It allows the user of a web site to select and approve their contact lists data for transfer to that web site
- It allows me to contact others
This is a control that appears on a web page with no end-user install needed, but the user does need to login.
It displays your contact lists with IM presence embedded into web sites
It provides the ability to launch an IM conversation (web visitor to IM or e-mail his contacts)
See http://dev.live.com/contacts/

Windows Live Contacts API

Similar to the Contacts Control, but there is no UI. The web site developer can create their own UI without needing to display the Contacts Control on their web site.
It allows third party servers to access user’s WL data without mandatory UI or user confirmation on each use.
The user must initially approve the third party to have ongoing access to their data, which issues an authorization token to the third party site that the third party site must include in future requests for the user’s data.
See http://dev.live.com/contacts/

Windows Live Spaces Photo Control

The Spaces Control allows a web site to benefit from millions of photos hosted on Windows Live Spaces, but leaves the control of the photo with the user:
- It allows the user of a web site to send selected photos from the private or public Spaces photo albums to the hosting web site.
- It allows access to the photo for a limited time. It makes private photos temporarily available to a third party using a time-limited encrypted URL.
See http://dev.live.com/spacescontrol/

RSS Feeds from Windows Live Spaces

Each Spaces site provides an RSS feed, which can be programmatically filtered and pulled into your web site, thus acting as a content management solution. Get feeds based on:
- Blogs (by tag or entire list)
- Lists (custom, Movie, Book, etc.)
- Photo albums
RSS feeds can be consumed by a mashup and applications, but:
- It takes some effort to get around domain restrictions in the browser, so it is best to do the work on the server side.
- Your web server needs to fetch the RSS data and relay it down to the browser.
See http://dev.live.com/spaces/

Windows Live Agents(for Messenger)

There are two main types of Agents:
- Natural language (interactive) agents to create an automated online personality. Build a personality for consumers to interact with and possibly tie it to a branded Custom Domains URL
- Menu driven agents for quick access to data
Agents can have a dynamic display picture in Messenger, launch Messenger Activities, use RSS feeds, have a Windows Live Space for blogs and photos, and be regularly updated to expand its vocabulary.
See http://dev.live.com/agents/

Windows Live Messenger Activities

Activities run within Messenger and they are:
- Engaging peer-to-peer activities, such as Games, MusicMix and PhotoSwap
- Additions that improve Messenger for a single user, such as Mimic and Search)
Silverlight applications can run within the Activity window
You can think of an Activity window as a small web browser
Messenger’s Options dialog box can be opened (think of educating the user, helping reset the Today page, etc.)
See http://dev.live.com/messenger/

Windows Live Messenger Add-In

Users can designate an add-in as their “local agent." The agent add-in acts on behalf of the local user, responding to messages from other users without intervention from the local user.
The add-in may also change the local user's status, user tile (photo), personal status message, and friendly name.
See http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa905655.aspx

Windows Live Spaces Gadgets

A gadget is a mini web-based application that runs on a personal Spaces site
A Gadget Can:
- Pull data from a web service
- Pull data from an RSS feed
- Save user preferences, such as a city name or stock symbol
- Display different text based on the browser’s language
See http://dev.live.com/gadgets/

Windows Live Writer
Plug-Ins

There are two topics for Writer:

Application API: For launching Writer from other applications, such as a browser Toolbar’s "Blog This" feature so Links, Snippets, Images, or Feed Items can be posted (blogged) on your Spaces site
- Content Source Plug-ins: For extending the capabilities of Writer to insert, edit, and publish new types of content from within Writer, for example:
- Images from online photo publishing sites
- Embedded video or audio players
- Product thumbnails and/or links from e-commerce sites
- Tags from tagging services
See http://dev.live.com/writer/

Windows Live Alerts SDK

You can enable Alerts from any RSS feed with zero development by following the instructions at http://signup.alerts.live.com
With the Alerts SDK, you get more control versus the above signup.alerts site, such as:
- Alert specific groups of subscribers
- Redirect URL when user clicks alert
Control the entire subscription process
See http://dev.live.com/alerts/

Windows Live Toolbar

You can create buttons for users to add to the Windows Live Toolbar that:
- Link to a web site
- Run a specific search
- Display a list of links
- Display information in the button’s menu
- Display information in an HTML window that drops down from the button.
See http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa336231.aspx

Windows Live Custom Domains

With Custom Domains, you can build an entire experience and community around a branded URL and co-branded web page header. The co-branded products include:
- Hotmail: Custom URL for Hotmail-based e-mail with custom e-mail addresses, such as Brian@MessengerRocks.com
- Spaces: Custom URL redirect to a Spaces site: http://Blog.MyDomainName.com -> http://MyDomainName.Spaces.Live.com
- Search: Custom URL based on a Search macro: http://Search.MyDomainName.com
- Maps: Custom URL for maps.live.com, centered on a specific location when someone goes to your URL: http://Map.MyDomainName.com
- Live.com: Customized live.com template for your URL, such as http://www.MyDomainName.com with gadgets, colors and RSS feeds automatically setup for the user
The Custom Domains SDK can help you automate the management of your Custom Domain user IDs and other aspects related to your Custom Domain. It provides methods to programmatically manage your Custom Domain via a web service.
See http://dev.live.com/customdomains/

Windows Live ID

This allows you to integrate with the Live ID authentication system so the user doesn’t need yet another username and password. Existing 3rd party member username/password can be synced with Live ID. There are two options:
- Windows Live ID Web Authentication: provides single sign on to Microsoft's online properties and also allows third party developers to leverage the Windows Live ID authentication system for their own website.
- Windows Live ID Client SDK: allows rich client (desktop) applications authenticate users using their Windows Live ID credentials.
See http://dev.live.com/liveid/

Live Search Web Service API

With the Live Search API you can:
- Create a custom search engine with our search query language, allowing your web site to have its own search feature
- Enhance your existing site search with spelling suggestions, images, news articles, feeds.
- Add images to your mashup from a Live image search
See http://dev.live.com/livesearch/

Live Search Macros

Search Macros help narrow a search to any topic area you prefer. Building one also creates a unique home page for your macro, which makes it easy to use, bookmark and share.
You can integrate these macros into your site, to offer a search box that only searches your site or only searches specific sites on the Internet, just as two examples.
See http://search.live.com/macros/

Live Search Box
for Site Owners

Add a search box to your site that can appear in two ways:
- Basic Live Search box: Displays results on the Live Search website. Searches a single site that you specify, or the entire Web.
- Advanced Live Search box: Displays results on your site. Searches multiple sites you specify, the entire Web, or applies a Live Search Macro.
The Live Search box provides a fast, customisable search solution for your website or blog and visitors to your site can search entire web, just your site, or any sites that you choose based on Live Search Macros.
See http://search.live.com/siteowner/

Virtual Earth

The Virtual Earth platform is an integrated set of services that combines unique bird’s eye, aerial, and 3-D imagery with best-of-breed mapping, location and search functionality.
The Virtual Earth map control API provides developers with an API need to develop new 3D applications or update their existing 2D projects to the 3D platform.
See http://dev.live.com/virtualearth/

Microsoft® Silverlight™ Streaming by Windows Live™

Silverlight Streaming is a companion service for Silverlight (a small, on-demand, easy-to-install plug-in that works with all leading browsers) that makes it easier for developers and designers to deliver and scale rich media as part of their Silverlight-based applications.
It is a convenient solution for hosting and streaming cross-platform, cross-browser media experiences and rich interactive applications.
Silverlight Streaming is designed to host two types of content:
- Rich interactive applications for the Web that can incorporate video, animation, interactivity, and stunning user interfaces.
- Media such as video (including High-Definition video), audio and images
See http://dev.live.com/silverlight/

Michael O'Donovan's SharePoint and Stuff : Windows Live

Development Features for the Windows Live Platform