Using the Visual Studio Project Templates

The Windows Media Center SDK includes C# project templates for developing a Windows Media Center Presentation Layer application. The Windows Media Center SDK installs these project templates when Visual Studio 2008 or Visual C# 2008 Express Edition is already installed. However, if you install Visual Studio 2008, and then Visual C# 2008 Express Edition afterwards, you can add the project templates by repairing or reinstalling the Windows Media Center SDK.

The following templates are included:

  • Windows Media Center Application creates a project that contains a page with four buttons, which open a Windows Media Center dialog box.
  • Windows Media Center Application - Background creates a project for a background application.
  • Windows Media Center Application - Fundamental creates a project that contains the minimum code and markup that is required for a Windows Media Center application.

For more information, see Application Types. To learn more about using the application templates, see the Windows Media Center Application Step By Step document, which is located in [WMCSDK_InstallPath]\Docs.

Important   For best results, you should read the Readme.htm in your new project before you attempt to modify an application created by the template. The readme.htm describes how to create a strong-name key, create a Windows Installer Package setup program (.msi), and add code and resources to a project.

To create a new application using Visual C# 2008 Express Edition:

  1. Start Visual C# 2008 Express Edition.
  2. On the File menu, click New Project.
  3. In the New Project dialog box under Templates, click Windows Media Center Application.
  4. In the Name box, enter a name for the application.
  5. Click OK.

To create a new application using Visual Studio 2008:

  1. Start Visual Studio 2008.
  2. On the File menu, point to New and select Project.
  3. In the Project Types pane, expand Visual C#, and then click Windows Media Center.
  4. In the Templates pane under Visual Studio installed templates, click Windows Media Center Application.
  5. In the Name box, enter a name for the application.
  6. Click OK.

See Also