Associating Application Entry Points with Integration Locations
Entry points are specific locations within an application where the end user enters the application experience. An entry point is represented within the Windows Media Center user interface with several elements that you provide, including a PNG-format image, a title string, and a descriptive string that describes the purpose of the entry point or application. An entry point also has an associated category that determines the location in the Windows Media Center user interface where the entry point appears. Each application can have multiple entry points in various integration locations in the Windows Media Center UI if you specify the locations when the application is registered.
The basics rules for entry points are as follows:
- An application can have one or more entry points.
- At a minimum, an application has a single entry point that typically opens the application's main menu. This entry point should always be present in the Extras Library but can be duplicated elsewhere as needed.
- An application can respond contextually to metadata provided by Windows Media Center about the currently-playing media or to a string specified as part of the registration information.
- An application can be launched with the same entry point from multiple locations within Windows Media Center—although, in general, this isn't helpful for the end user.
- You should always register applications and their entry points for all users so that they are available to any user on the Windows Media Center PC, as well as to all Media Center Extender devices. The registration samples in this SDK assume registration for all users.
An example of registering an application for all integration points in Windows Media Center, including custom Start menu strips, can be found at [WMCSDK_InstallPath]\Samples\Registration\. Running install.bat in this folder automates the registration process, while uninstall.bat reverses the changes.
See the following topics for more information:
| Topic | Description |
| Using the Registration API or Utility with XML | Describes the registration method and utility to register application entry points. |
| Creating the XML Registration Information | Describes how to create the XML that contains the registration information. |
| Using Multi-Language User Interface Features | Describes how to support a multi-language UI using resources. |
| Providing Contextual Information for Launching an Entry Point | Describes how to provide additional startup information for your entry points. |
| Removing Application Registration | Explains how to unregister applications. |
Sample Explorer
- ApplicationContext > InstallApplication
See Also