Random Thoughts on the Passing Scene #80
28 Aug
- I note that some of you may not realize that our newsgroups have moved. They can now be found at https://forums.codegear.com. Note that you can access those forums either via the web interface or with an NNTP newsreader. I recommend Xananews — and excellent Delphi application.
- Delphi and C++Builder in Dr. Dobbs — CodeGear Delphi 2009, C++ Builder 2009 Released
- We’ve been demo-ing the new TRibbon controls this week, They are really cool and powerful and should enable you to really spruce up your user interfaces. Since they’ve been shown, I’ve been asked a couple of times "What do I need to deploy with my app to make the ribbon controls work?" The answer is: nothing. The ribbon controls in Delphi and C++Builder 2009 are pure-as-the-driven-snow VCL components. There’s no runtime DLL from Microsoft or anything in there. It’s all VCL top to bottom, left to right, and front to back.
- Another question is about the license that Microsoft requires to deploy apps with Ribbon controls in them. There is a license — the installer warns you about it — and you need to agree to it in order to deploy an application using ribbon controls. This is no big deal at all. You can find out more information about the license here. They have an FAQ, and you can actually sign the license here. I just personally signed up this very minute - took about 90 seconds, and I told them the products I was registering was "My Shareware". Nothing to it.
- I’m going to be in Australia next week demo-ing Delphi 2009 and spreading the good word about all the cool stuff we are doing. Should be lots of fun, especially since the gang down there is taking me to an Australian Rules Football game! I’m then going to Japan, where I’ll get to ride the bullet train. Fun!
Please keep in mind that you have to license your app when using the Ribbon control @ Microsoft. Nice blog entry: http://blogs.msdn.com/jensenh/archive/2006/11/21/licensing-the-2007-microsoft-office-user-interface.aspx
And carefully read this paragraph: "You must follow the guidelines, though."
Michael
August 28th, 2008 at 10:23 amOops didn’t really notice that you already put that into your article
August 28th, 2008 at 10:24 amFrom the license:-
"Licensed UI and Licensed Products may not damage Microsoft’s reputation or goodwill."
MS obviously gave themselves a waiver on that clause for Office 2007…
August 28th, 2008 at 10:33 amRoddy:
August 28th, 2008 at 10:50 amSo Nick, since you’re going all the way to Australia I presume you’ll be crossing the ditch to visit your loyal and friendly customers in New Zealand at the same time? (It’s only a few hours flying time from Sydney to Auckland!)
August 28th, 2008 at 1:29 pmThis from the company that has apparently managed to get a patent on page up/page down.
http://www.itwire.com/content/view/20193/53
Gotta love MS. Does this mean that GNU & linux users have rip the keys off their keyboards to remain gnu compliant?
Honestly, you have to wonder how enforcable that license agreement actually is.
August 28th, 2008 at 1:59 pmI’m with Mark on the fact that you should come across the ditch to New Zealand.
August 28th, 2008 at 3:48 pmHi Nick
August 28th, 2008 at 6:17 pmHas CodeGear given up on India since i dont find any product launches in India for D 2009
Another vote for New Zealand.
August 28th, 2008 at 6:42 pm+1 for NZ (but make it Christchurch!)
August 28th, 2008 at 6:45 pmHi Nick, China also has bullet trains now. Hope one day you or David I can visit Shanghai. I guess your guys are enough familiar with Beijing, so why not visit another site?
August 28th, 2008 at 8:52 pmHello Nick,
August 29th, 2008 at 4:00 amFor the new CodeGear newsgroups, I need a user name and a password to send a question. What is this username and password ?
Thanks !
Will you publish a full list of closed(fixed) QC items for Tiburon ?
August 31st, 2008 at 8:10 pmGuest -
When Tiburon ships, we’ll be updating QC to reflect the state of the product, yes.
Should be a long, long list.
Nick
August 31st, 2008 at 8:15 pmAbout this blog…
What’s up with the current design trend of light text on dark backgrounds? Many web designers seem to favour inverted colour schemes, but what happened to readability and usability? I know I am not the only person to find it very uncomfortable to read text on sites with inverted, high contrast designs.
August 31st, 2008 at 11:33 pmHubert,
It’s the username of your CodeGear Developer’s Network (formerly the Borland Developer’s Network, or BDN) account. You can sign up for one for free at CodeGear if you don’t have one already.
September 4th, 2008 at 6:53 am[...] Nick Hodges blog post: Ribbon controls licensing [...]
November 3rd, 2008 at 12:04 pm