RSS Platform Screen Saver Sample

re: RSS Platform Screen Saver Sample

Kris — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 08:35:16 GMT

Can I see a screenshot of the screensaver. I cannot install IE7 as I need IE6 for testing our webapps.

re: RSS Platform Screen Saver Sample

Dylan Greene — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 09:02:09 GMT

I second the screenshot request.

Who's going to go through all that trouble not knowing what they are going to get?

re: RSS Platform Screen Saver Sample

rss — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 12:50:16 GMT

FYI - I just updated the post with a screenshot.

- Walter [MSFT]

re: RSS Platform Screen Saver Sample

Peter — Wed, 01 Mar 2006 05:18:42 GMT

I've never understood the point of RSS-based screen savers. Typically the screen saver only kicks in when you're not there anyway, so why would I want it to display some nice pictures or RSS feeds when I'm not there anyway?

re: RSS Platform Screen Saver Sample

rss — Thu, 02 Mar 2006 02:26:26 GMT

Peter,

Well, it sort of presumes that you understand the point of picture screensavers in general.

If you accept that a picture screensaver is interesting, then a screensaver that is automatically updated with pictures from a photo feed is just cooler.

If you don't buy into picture screensavers at all, then an RSS-enabled one probably isn't going to change that. :)

Sean

re: RSS Platform Screen Saver Sample

Sam — Sat, 04 Mar 2006 15:06:30 GMT

http://www.mattbrett.com/archives/2006/01/running-ie-7-beta-2-and-ie-6-on-windows-xp/

Title says it all :)

re: RSS Platform Screen Saver Sample

game kid — Sat, 04 Mar 2006 17:57:17 GMT

Odd. The installer can be removed, even "repaired", but there's nothing else of any kind installed. Certainly no screen saver, and definitely not an RSS one.

re: RSS Platform Screen Saver Sample

rss — Sun, 05 Mar 2006 22:27:16 GMT

game kid:

The install is a little tricky. You need to look in your My Documents folder for an MSDN folder. In there you'll find the source and documentation.

For a compiled version, check the link to my blog.

re: RSS Platform Screen Saver Sample

game kid — Mon, 06 Mar 2006 07:07:12 GMT

Thanks.

re: RSS Platform Screen Saver Sample

Andrew Davey — Wed, 08 Mar 2006 21:20:10 GMT

Why is an MSI needed to simply distribute the source code? I hate having to "install" every piece of source I get from MSDN. Surely a simple ZIP file will surfice for the source?
Often I just want to quickly open the source archive and take a peak. Having to "install" makes me less likely to do this unless I *really* need the source.

re: RSS Platform Screen Saver Sample

Richard Rafaj — Tue, 14 Mar 2006 06:32:23 GMT

It doesn't work for me - I can see text but no images, just black background...

re: RSS Platform Screen Saver Sample

John [msft] — Tue, 28 Mar 2006 20:34:48 GMT

The RSS screensaver is a _sample_ application. The download page clearly points out that the application source code must be compiled with Visual Studio 2005. (It can be downgraded to Visual Studio .NET with a few minor code changes.)

If you get a blank screen with text and no pictures, you should make sure the feed properties are set to "download enclosures automatically." I believe you will need to wait for updates to the feed for new items to appear. (Or you can delete the feed, and resubscribe with this option selected.)

PS: Remember, the documentation is your friend... The blank screen "bug" is discussed and a workaround proposed--only a modicum of cutting and pasting required. My favorite feature isn't in the source code at all. To "Open Current Item in Browser" you need to read the documentation! All the hard work is already done for you.

re: RSS Platform Screen Saver Sample

Edward — Fri, 31 Mar 2006 17:31:25 GMT

I was writing a databindable wrapper for the Feed class. I'm subscribing to the notifications but it looks like the parameters passed with the FeedItemCountChanged event are incorrect.

Whilst I do get a notification whenever I set the IsRead property of an item from another app, the itemCount seems to always be 3 and the unreadItemCount is 0 regardless of how many items there are in the feed.

Its not too much of a problem to catch the notification, and then reread the actual unreadItemCount from the feed object. It just seems strange that these parameters are wrong.

re: RSS Platform Screen Saver Sample

damien — Mon, 10 Apr 2006 13:32:31 GMT

Two months ago, I developped exactly the same application, strange isn't it ? Some differences :
* .NET 2.0 C# source code under GPL
* works with any Windows XP + .NET 2.0 framework
* works with any feed containing enclosure tags _or_ media:content tags
* you can modify some of the parameters (a GUI lets you change the timings, background color, URL feed, font colors...)
* image/feed background refresh (in separate threads)
* high quality image resizing for full screen display
...

http://blog.debin.net/Media-feed-screen-saver/

re: RSS Platform Screen Saver Sample

mark — Tue, 11 Apr 2006 13:44:31 GMT

Is there any way to run the screensaver without IE7? Ie7 is bullshit

re: RSS Platform Screen Saver Sample

Edward — Tue, 11 Apr 2006 23:36:04 GMT

The whole point of the screensaver is to show how to use the Feed Store platform introduced with IE7, so no, without IE7 there is no Feed Store platform, thus no API, thus nothing to display in the screensaver.

Why not try out the one mentioned by damien in the previous comment?

re: RSS Platform Screen Saver Sample

marc — Wed, 19 Apr 2006 05:50:50 GMT

Screensavers at :
http://www.yaodownload.com/utilites/screensavers/

re: RSS Platform Screen Saver Sample

kurt — Wed, 19 Apr 2006 08:06:17 GMT

where does msi install code. i cannot find.

re: RSS Platform Screen Saver Sample

Walter [MSFT] — Thu, 20 Apr 2006 05:38:17 GMT

Edward,
what you are seeing FeedItemCountChanged call back is change that is not completed yet. Currently the method's signature doesn't reflect yet that one arguments sends back the FEEDS_EVENTS_MASK and the other is zero in current builds. Future builds will correct the method's signature.

Kurt,
the MSI installs the sample code in
My Documents\MSDN\RssScreenSaver

re: RSS Platform Screen Saver Sample

rserious — Sun, 23 Apr 2006 18:51:07 GMT

The screensaver example is good for an example of interfacing with IE7. However, I have one already loaded from an earlier, I think implementation done in VB. I don't care what language the examples are in, as it gives me an opportunity to learn about each of the languages. My only complaint is that the 2 apps are named the same, and the installer, wants to repair or remove, and I just want to see the code and play with it. Can you at least name these examples in a more unique way to avoid having to make a choice between one or the other?

re: RSS Platform Screen Saver Sample

VirGin — Mon, 24 Apr 2006 13:27:54 GMT

Why on earth would someone think deploying a sample with source in an MSI package is a good idea?

This sounds interesting, even though I don't use screensavers on any of my machines. But it isn't worth the hassle or the potential issues associated with 'installing' something on the machine.

I hope it's cool, because the deployment method is completely unacceptable.

-V-

re: RSS Platform Screen Saver Sample

WhyNot — Mon, 24 Apr 2006 18:47:32 GMT

Me thinks it better to offer an example of using the MS custom Feeds dll within the context of a web app. Just makes more sense. Screensavers that consume web resourcds whilst one is away is a pretty bad security issue in my mind.

I applaud the attempt, but a better example needs to be offerred.

Also, why is the feeds dll only available if you load IE7. If this is to become a useful library then it should be part of the asp.net framework, no?

re: RSS Platform Screen Saver Sample

Ed — Wed, 26 Apr 2006 11:59:59 GMT

Thanks - that's a really rather clever way of making RSS work. I guess a lot lessons have been learnt from the joys of MAPI.

From the comments, it looks like a simple RSS API aware screen saver would be very well received - how about doing some tidying up and making this an IE7 "power toy" or some such?

re: RSS Platform Screen Saver Sample

crap — Thu, 04 May 2006 10:09:50 GMT

crap

re: RSS Platform Screen Saver Sample

halfmoon — Wed, 10 May 2006 08:28:29 GMT

download beautiful screensavers

http://www.yaodownload.com/utilites/screensavers/

re: RSS Platform Screen Saver Sample

Ron — Thu, 01 Jun 2006 02:26:57 GMT

Does anyone know of a sample RSS Platform app written in VB.Net? I've been running into problems with the IFeedFolder.GetWatcher method and setting up an event handler and would like to it working somewhere.

My problem code:

Dim rssEvents As Object
rssEvents = CType(msFeedMgr.RootFolder, IFeedFolder).GetWatcher(FEEDS_EVENTS_SCOPE.FES_ALL, _
FEEDS_EVENTS_MASK.FEM_FOLDEREVENTS Or FEEDS_EVENTS_MASK.FEM_FEEDEVENTS)

AddHandler CType(rssEvents, FeedFolderWatcher).Error, AddressOf RSSPlatformEvent_Error

... doesn't allow me to cast the rssEvents to FeedFolderWatcher.

Thanks.

re: RSS Platform Screen Saver Sample

rss — Thu, 08 Jun 2006 09:40:52 GMT

Ron, I've posted about your question on how to make events work from VB.NET. See: http://blogs.msdn.com/rssteam/archive/2006/06/08/621623.aspx
- Walter [MSFT]