Microsoft.Ink.dll and CLR that ships in VS.NET 2005 Part 2

Tablet PC Team — Tue, 15 Nov 2005 03:13:00 GMT

We've finally got a repackaged SDK that has the updated Microsoft.Ink.dll in it that is compatible with CLR 2.0.

http://download.microsoft.com/download/7/7/5/77577462-db2a-41c1-8630-26b611eaf1d7/setup.exe is the download URL. Note that this is different from the previous SDK download URL, and also may not be available from search in MSDN. Please click this URL to get to it for sure.

There's fine print to the update behavior using this SDK, which you may need elaboration on.

The new Microsoft.Ink.dll is being updated based on an in-place strategy (increment the file version, but keep the assembly version the same so that applications do not need to be recompiled). If an existing Microsoft.Ink.dll version 1.7.x.x is on the desktop PC, the new Microsoft.Ink.dll will not install unless CLR2.0 is on the system (to be more specific, unless CLR1.1 and above is on the system - this is because CLR added in-place update support at CLR1.1).

If an existing Microsoft.Ink.dll version 1.7.x.x is not on the desktop PC, the new Microsoft.Ink.dll will install regardless of CLR version.

<What this means - you will need to have this FAQ ready if you are an ISV>

What this means is that for the case where CLR1.1 and above is not installed, and Microsoft.Ink.dll version 1.7.x.x is on the desktop PC, managed ink applications will work fine.

Then, an application setup that has the new Microsoft.Ink.dll in it is installed on top, but due to the existence of Microsoft.Ink.dll version 1.7.x.x it did not install the new Microsoft.Ink.dll (due to lack of CLR1.1 and above).

Then CLR2.0 got installed on the desktop PC by some means - your application may not function properly at this point.

The recovery method here will be to reinstall the application setup that had the new Microsoft.Ink.dll in it.

Koji Kato - Platform Lead Program Manager - Tablet PC

Microsoft.Ink.dll and CLR that ships in VS.NET 2005

Tablet PC Team — Mon, 24 Oct 2005 22:31:00 GMT

It's been a while since the last blog, and I've been hearing multiple mentions of this issue recently - in fact it's been my primary task for the last week, so I'd like to share what's sharable.

In Microsoft.Ink.dll which is an operating system component in Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005, there were some code issues which resulted in an incompatibility of this managed assembly with CLR 2.0. An updated Microsoft.Ink.dll for the Tablet PCs which need to install CLR 2.0 is available on the link below.

http://download.microsoft.com/download/5/0/6/506a0663-dadc-4b98-95d6-43ef39c56338/WindowsXP-KB900722-x86.exe

Developers are also interested in getting an updated MSM (Windows Installer Merge Module) which allows them to ship Microsoft.Ink.dll in their setup application. We are actively trying to get this out - in the mean while there is an alpha release of the updated Microsoft.Ink.dll MSM in the Mobile PC and Tablet PC Software Development Kit September Release at http://download.microsoft.com/download/c/d/f/cdfc8b4b-c4a2-4ab0-b290-eed0ec3d0ec4/MPCSDKSetup.exe which was shipped in sync w\ PDC. tpcman17.msm in this CTP had the update for CLR 2.0 in it, although there is an issue in the assembly file version (note not assembly version) which requires the target PC to be free from having Microsoft.Ink.dll on it. You can get going with this - although I acknowledge this is not ideal.

We are doing our best to ensure our partner needs are met, while also executing on Vista.

More interesting news to come soon ...

Koji Kato - Platform Lead Program Manager - Tablet PC

Tablet PC Team Blog : SDK

Microsoft.Ink.dll and CLR that ships in VS.NET 2005 Part 2

Microsoft.Ink.dll and CLR that ships in VS.NET 2005