Changing the Tab Order

When you create a Console tab for the Windows Home Server Console and deploy it, the Console loads your tab and displays it along with all of the other Console tabs. If you create more than one Console tab, you may want to change the order in which your Console tabs appear.

You can change the order in which your Console tabs appear, but the following rules apply:

• The first tab position (furthest left on the console), numbered 1, is reserved for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).

• Tab positions, numbered 2 to 32, are reserved for Microsoft.

Within the constraints of these two rules, you can change the ordering of tabs.

To set the tab order for your Console tab, you need to edit or create the XML file that HomeServerConsole.exe uses to establish tab ordering, HomeServerConsole.exe.config. This file may not exist on the server before you deploy your custom tab. If it does not, you need to create it.

To create HomeServerConsole.exe.config

1. Using an editor such as Visual Studio or Notepad, paste the following code into a blank file:

   <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
   <configuration>
       <appSettings>
              <add key="Third Party"  value="50" />
              <add key="OEM"     value="1" />
       </appSettings>
   </configuration> 
   

2. For each custom tab that you are deploying, create a new add element.

   Note

   The code above contains two sample tabs. Tab OEM appears in the first position, and tab Third Party appears in the 50th position after tab OEM. When you create your HomeserverConsole.exe.config file, you should delete the two sample elements for OEM and Third Party.

3. For each new add element, add a key attribute and set it to the TabText property of the tab for which you are setting the ordering. The tab text is the text that appears on the Console tab on the Windows Home Server Console. For example, if the TabText for the tab is "My App," set the key attribute to "My App."

4. For each new add element, add a value attribute and set it to a number greater than 32 (unless you are an OEM). This attribute sets the tab order for the tab.

5. Save the file as HomeServerConsole.exe.config and place it in the directory %systemdrive%\Program Files\Windows Home Server\ on the server.

6. On the server desktop, double-click Windows Home Server Console.

7. Your Console tabs appear in the order specified in HomeServerConsole.exe.config.

Extending the Windows Home Server Console
Setting Up an Add-In Solution
Creating a Console Tab
Creating a Settings Tab