Windows Desktop Developer Center Updates for 06.24.2011
This week we refined and integrated the new code gallery into the developer center. We also made some improvements to the search refinements on the developer center.
New Code Gallery
The new Windows Desktop Developer Center code gallery, which should now appear under the samples tab in the center, has been skinned to have the Windows center look and feel and also has been set up with custom center refinements that put all of the downloadable Windows samples in one place. The following image shows how it looks:
We are currently working hard on getting more of the Windows samples into the samples gallery and if I have any say in it, there will be around 200 samples added to the scope for Windows desktop (C++).
Search
Over the past year, we have taken some major strides in improving search across the center. The most recent changes added a notion of “scoping” and “refining” search results within the Bing indexes on MSDN. In recent releases, we have begun giving input into the scopes that were set up and in the near future, you will begin seeing more tightly curated search results whenever you search on the center. Also, in case you didn’t notice, there are currently a number of useful refinements that will let you pick exactly what you had intended to search for whenever you search on the center. Check out the following screenshot:
If you look on the left pane, there is a list of refinements under the heading “Refine Search”. By clicking these refinements, you can change the results that appear. For example, if you click Windows 7, the search results become scoped specifically to touch input in Windows 7. The following image illustrates this.
What we’re currently working on is identifying the right refinements to enable and will be setting up some useful ways for you to filter and update your search results to get you what you want faster. It’s important to note that these refinements are not programmatic, but are results that are specifically curated by people to get you the most relevant information and scopes.
C++ Rennaissance
Article: The Biggest Changes in C++ 11 (and why you should care). This article hits the nail on the head about what the folks in the Visual C++ team have been saying. C++ has been modernized in many ways that make development on this proven language faster, more fault tolerant, and easier while still maintaining the core benefits of C++ over managed languages such as the features of performance and flexibility. Read more about all the new C++ 0x features here!
In a related story, the VC++ team blog reposted the Mohsen Agsen talk: C++ Today and Tomorrow. It's definitely worth a watch if you are a C++ developer.
Any Burning Questions or Concerns?
We’re always interested in hearing about what developers think about what we’re doing and the way things are going. Feel free to air any concerns or ask us questions in the comments. There are a number of things that folks working on Windows can’t talk about but whenever we hear your concerns, they do get amplified internally back to the product, marketing, and planning teams. Thanks!
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