Getting Started with the SCE Starter Kit

The Syndicated Client Experience, or SCE, is the technology behind the MSDN, New York Times and Seattle P-I readers. This new article describes how to get started with the SCE Starter Kit.

Setting up a development environment

To use the starter kit, you will need to configure a computer with the following tools:

1. Visual Studio 2005 (the free C# Express Edition or any of the retail editions
2. .NET 3.0 Runtime (requires Windows XP SP2 or Windows Vista)
3. WPF Project templates for Visual Studio 2005

Installing the SCE Starter Kit

Once you’ve installed the tools above, the starter kit does not require any additional installation. All you need to do is:

1. Download the starter kit
2. Unzip the contents of the zip archive to a directory of your choice (for example, c:\Projects\ReaderProject)

Running your application

The starter kit contains a fully functioning sample app. This application can be used as a starting point for your own application. To build and run this application, do the following:

1. Open Visual Studio 2005
2. Open the starter kit solution file
3. Verify that the sample app is the startup project
4. Press F5 to build and run your app in debug mode

For an accelerated Syndicated Client Experience, please download and review the SCE Reader Keyboard Shortcuts.

Next Steps

After your app is running, you can customize it by:

1. Adding your own data feed
2. Customizing the styling, look, and feel
3. Extending, enhancing, and adding functionality to the application

Please see the rest of the starter kit documentation to find resources that will help you customize your application.

Customization FAQ

How do I make my own data feed in the app?

The Reader Extensions Data Feed Spec provides all the information you need to know. The data feed is XML based and extends RSS 2.0. The sample data included with the kit should help get you started.

How do I use my own data feed in the app?

Host the data internally or externally in a location that can be reached using the HTTP protocol, and set the DataFeedUri property of the sample application to the location of your master feed. To edit this property, expand the “Properties” folder under the SceReaderSample project within Visual Studio’s Solution Explorer. Double click on “Settings.settings.” You will also need to set the UseDesignFeedInDebug property to false if you want to see your own data during debugging.

You can also use your own data in design and debug mode by copying a feed to the SceReaderDesign project’s Resources/DesignFeed/ folder. Be sure and set the Build Action property of these resources to “Embedded Resource.”

How can I debug my feed?

The starter kit app makes use of the SceReader error logging and reporting mechanism. To debug the feed, simply point the app at your feed and run it. When the app shuts down, the error log is flushed to a persistent log file. This log file is found under "%userprofile%\Application Data\Sample\Sample Sce Reader\log.txt." When running Vista, look for “%userprofile%\AppData\Local\Sample\Sample Sce Reader\log.txt." Note that the log file path is partially constructed by the CompanyName and ApplicationName property values found in the “Properties” folder under the SceReaderSample project within Visual Studio’s Solution Explorer.

How can I change the automatic sync interval?

Set the DataUpdateFrequency property of the sample application to a valid TimeSpan value that represents at what time interval you would like your application to start an automatic sync. To edit this property, expand the “Properties” folder under the SceReaderSample project within Visual Studio’s Solution Explorer. Double click on “Settings.settings.”

How do I change the application logo?

[These instructions apply to Visual Studio 2005]

1. Add your new logo image to the project
   1. Within the project’s Solution Explorer, expand the Resources folder and right click on Images.
   2. Select Add >> New Item
   3. Use the file picker to select your image
2. Insert your image into the application chrome
   1. Open MainPage.xaml in the Pages folder.
   2. Type Ctrl-F, and search for the text “dailyplanet.png”
   3. Type your logo’s filename over the “dailyplanet.png” text
3. Compile and run by hitting F5.

How do I change the color of the application chrome?

[These instructions apply to Visual Studio 2005]

1. Open ColorResources.xaml in the Resources folder
2. Edit the resource “Background_ChromeDefault”
3. Edit the resource “Background_Masthead”

In reality, this task is far easier to do in Expression Blend

How do I change the file extension associated with the application?

Set the SavedDataExtension property of the sample application to a file extension value that you desire. To edit this property, expand the “Properties” folder under the SceReaderSample project within Visual Studio’s Solution Explorer. Double click on “Settings.settings.” Note that file association is registered during setup, thus for file association to work, the application needs to be fully installed on a system by a msi package. Be sure to match the DocFileExtension definition in the install .wxs to the value that you have set for SavedDataExtension. See the setup doc for more information.

Additional Tools and Resources

The following optional tools may help you develop an application using the starter kit:

1. Microsoft Expression Blend– Blend is the professional design tool to create engaging web-connected experiences for Windows
2. Windows SDK– Documentation and utilities for creating Windows applications
3. Snoop– a utility for visual debugging of WPF applications at runtime

Questions and Problems?

If your question isn't answered above please check the WPF Starter Kits forum at MSDN.