Input Module Requirements
An IME module must meet the following requirements:
- An IME module must be implemented as an in-process, free-threaded COM module. Support for the IDispatch interface is neither required nor needed.
- An IME module must not require a Windows message loop and must not create visible user interface (UI) elements. An IME module can, however, provide changes to text strings in the Text Pad UI.
- An IME module can call back into the Windows Media Center shell using its private thread. The shell callback interface is thread-safe.
- An IME module must implement all of the classes, interfaces, and methods described in this document.
- The shell can instantiate more than one instance of an IME module's class at the same time. An IME module must be thread safe and must be implemented as a single-instance COM class.
- More than one instance of the shell can run at the same time. An IME module must not fail in such cases.
- An IME module must return from calls to its IMediaCenterInputModule interface as quickly as possible. It should use a private thread to perform lengthy operations. Windows Media Center provides ample support for asynchronous callbacks into the shell.
- Each IME module must register itself in the registry and must be present at the time the shell is launched.
See Also