Tutorial: Creating XML homescreens

[Guest I930-user]

Havn't got a non QVGA device myself so Id be trying to do it blindfolded basically.

I got 2 weeks of exams left after that Im free to do shedloads so I might try it... you'll have to be my guinea pig

Ah, I didn't think of asking if you had a non-qvga device. Sure I'll be the "lab-rat". It's going to be time consuming thats for sure. I mean since you don't have the device in your hands. Lots of trial and error. However, I'm sure people with non-qvga devices would love to get there hands on some of your work for there phone. Doesn't seem to be much out there unless I'm searching all the wrong places. So if you decide to do it then let me know and we'll go from there. Thanks

[Guest mrmackey]

I am having trouble figuring out how to add the recent items plugin to my existing homescreen.

I have searched for existing messages about this but I couldn't find anything.

I have the fizz weather homescreen which is great but it lacks the "recent quicklaunch icons" or whatever they are called. I tried to get the plugin from a different homescreen and that worked but only the whole part would highlight and you couldn't sidescroll the the applications.

Please help a newbie :)

[Guest pavankp]

I am having trouble figuring out how to add the recent items plugin to my existing homescreen.

I have searched for existing messages about this but I couldn't find anything.

I have the fizz weather homescreen which is great but it lacks the "recent quicklaunch icons" or whatever they are called. I tried to get the plugin from a different homescreen and that worked but only the whole part would highlight and you couldn't sidescroll the the applications.

Please help a newbie :)

You are looking for the MRU plugin. Try adding this XML to your homescreen:

<plugin clsid="{79EFB752-CB70-446d-B317-499723482B3D}" name="startmru" height="52">

		<mru y="3"/>

	</plugin>

Pavan

[Guest mrmackey]

You are looking for the MRU plugin. Try adding this XML to your homescreen:

<plugin clsid="{79EFB752-CB70-446d-B317-499723482B3D}" name="startmru" height="52">

		<mru y="3"/>

	</plugin>

Pavan

Yea I get that far but then the whole line highlights and I can't highlight individual icons in that line.

I even tried opening 5 new programs to see if it needed to register them before the shortcut would work but that didn't work either. I can get the mru line into the homescreen and see all the mru'd icons but not highllight them individually.

I even tried to rebbot, but that didn't work either.

[Guest w411y]

<!-- MRU Plugin -->

<plugin clsid="{79EFB752-CB70-446d-B317-499723482B3D}" name="startmru" height="168">

	<background b-border-width="0" />

	<mru icon-size="16" x="46" y="146" halign="left" valign="top" max-buttons="7" />

</plugin>

That should work :)

[Guest mrmackey]

<!-- MRU Plugin -->

<plugin clsid="{79EFB752-CB70-446d-B317-499723482B3D}" name="startmru" height="168">

	<background b-border-width="0" />

	<mru icon-size="16" x="46" y="146" halign="left" valign="top" max-buttons="7" />

</plugin>

That should work :)

Well that is a full page. But the same problem exists. I cannot highlight individual icons.

[Guest mrmackey]

Well that is a full page. But the same problem exists. I cannot highlight individual icons.

I thought I might be putting it into a spot that doesnt work but I changed it too the top and still it only highlights it as one whole thing. Maybe I cant edit the fizz weather one i will try another one.

[Guest mrmackey]

I thought I might be putting it into a spot that doesnt work but I changed it too the top and still it only highlights it as one whole thing. Maybe I cant edit the fizz weather one i will try another one.

I think it has something to do with the settings in the homescreen I am trying to add to. something about highlighting the whole strip instead of individual ones, here is what I have. The red is the mru I am trying to add. I tried changing the colors in the mru plugin to see if that would change the highlighted settings but I think it is something in the original stuff that is setting that. I think this rabbit hole is getting a little too deep for me :)

<?xml version="1.0"?>

<home>

<author>Fizz Software</author>

<contacturl>http://www.fizzsoftware.com/</contacturl>

<title lang="0x0409">Plague</title>

<title lang="0x0412">Windows 기준</title>

<title lang="0x0411">Windows 基本</title>

<title lang="0x0404">Windows 基本</title>

<title lang="0x0804">Windows 基本布局</title>

<version>1.0</version>

<default font-face="nina" font-size="14" font-weight="normal" padding-left="4" padding-right="4" bgcolor="transparent" fgcolor="COLOR_HOMETEXT" padding-top="2" b-border-color="COLOR_HOMERULE" b-border-width="1">

<format state="selected" bgcolor="COLOR_HOMEHIGHLIGHT" fgcolor="COLOR_HOMEHIGHLIGHTTEXT"/>

</default>

<background bgimage="\windows\WindowsMobile.jpg" valign="bottom" bgcolor="COLOR_GRADRIGHT" />

<scheme>

<color name="COLOR_WINDOW" value="#FFFFFF" />

<color name="COLOR_WINDOWTEXT" value="#000000" />

<color name="COLOR_STATIC" value="#FFFFFF" />

<color name="COLOR_STATICTEXT" value="#000000" />

<color name="COLOR_GRAYTEXT" value="#808080" />

<color name="COLOR_WINDOWFRAME" value="#000000" />

<color name="COLOR_HIGHLIGHT" value="#004196" />

<color name="COLOR_HIGHLIGHTTEXT" value="#FFFFFF" />

<color name="COLOR_MENU" value="#C4E7FF" />

<color name="COLOR_MENUTEXT" value="#000000" />

<color name="COLOR_GRADLEFT" value="#ffffff" />

<color name="COLOR_GRADRIGHT" value="#C5E3F5" />

<color name="COLOR_INTGRADLEFT" value="#ffffff" />

<color name="COLOR_INTGRADRIGHT" value="#A1D6F5" />

<color name="COLOR_HIGHGRADLEFT" value="#004196" />

<color name="COLOR_HIGHGRADRIGHT" value="#004196" />

<color name="COLOR_TRAYGRADLEFT" value="#2E97E3" />

<color name="COLOR_TRAYGRADRIGHT" value="#004196" />

<color name="COLOR_TRAYTEXT" value="#FFFFFF" />

<color name="COLOR_BTNFACE" value="#8ED4F7" />

<color name="COLOR_BTNTEXT" value="#000000" />

<color name="COLOR_SCROLLBAR" value="#2E97E3" />

<color name="COLOR_ALERTWINDOW" value="#C4E7FF" />

<color name="COLOR_ALERTTITLE" value="#004196" />

<color name="COLOR_ALERTRULE" value="#000000" />

<color name="COLOR_HOMETEXT" value="#FFFFFF" />

<color name="COLOR_HOMEHIGHLIGHTTEXT" value="#FFFFFF" />

<color name="COLOR_HOMERULE" value="#003B8F" />

<color name="COLOR_HOMEHIGHLIGHT" value="#003684" />

</scheme>

<plugin clsid="{837FC251-FE69-43ad-84E0-EBCEDEBA0884}" name="iconbar" height="20">

<iconbar fgcolor="COLOR_TRAYTEXT"/>

<background gradient="title" bgcolor="COLOR_TRAYGRADLEFT" b-border-color="COLOR_HOMERULE" b-border-width="1"/>

</plugin>

<!-- MRU Plugin -->

<plugin file="sysplug.dll" clsid="{79EFB752-CB70-446d-B317-499723482B3D}" height="40">

<background b-border-width="0"/>

<mru icon-size="16" x="46" y="2" halign="left" valign="bottom" max-buttons="7" />

<format state="selected" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" font-weight="bold" fgcolor="#808080"/>

<appname halign="left" x="190" y="13" font-size="14" fgcolor="#004196"/>

</plugin>

<plugin clsid="{E09043DF-510E-4841-B652-388316977A7A}" name="carrier" height="40">

<label>

<text><carrier/></text>

</label>

<clock>

<time y="17"/>

<date y="17" halign="right"/>

</clock>

</plugin>

<plugin clsid="{37391041-C324-4725-BEE1-3232ED3539CA}" name="callprog" height="41">

<format state="nocall" visible="false"/>

<label>

<text lang="0x0409">Call in progress:</text>

<text lang="0x0412">진행 중인 전화:</text>

<text lang="0x0411">通話中:</text>

<text lang="0x0404">通话中:</text>

<text lang="0x0804">通话中...</text>

</label>

<label y="17">

<text><progress/></text>

</label>

</plugin>

<plugin clsid="{0BA8ABB8-1F1D-417f-88C6-DA8530E2E7A6}" name="missedcalls" height="20">

<format state="nocall" visible="false"/>

<label h="16">

<text lang="0x0409">Missed calls: <calls/></text>

<text lang="0x0412">부재 중 전화: <calls/></text>

<text lang="0x0411">着信あり: <calls/></text>

<text lang="0x0404">未接來電: <calls/></text>

<text lang="0x0804">未接电话: <calls/></text>

</label>

</plugin>

<plugin clsid="{2FFD93B3-0FF0-4228-A6D6-D2DF177D7D92}" name="alldayevent" height="20">

<format state="noevent" visible="false"/>

<label h="16">

<text><subject/></text>

</label>

</plugin>

<plugin clsid="{865A354A-4A96-4687-B001-C155DC0DBE76}" name="calendar" height="40">

<label h="16">

<text><subject/></text>

</label>

<label y="17">

<text><time/></text>

</label>

</plugin>

<plugin clsid="{4e822425-a00f-497c-80ff-1c554665a369}" name="cooltext" height="20">

<scrolltext textsource="cellbroadcast"/>

<background>

<format state="selected" bgcolor="COLOR_HOMEHIGHLIGHT"/>

</background>

</plugin>

<plugin clsid="{8486CC1E-025B-4888-9C76-048DF7C1787D}" name="msgcount2" height="20" autoheight="false">

<background>

<format state="selected" bgcolor="COLOR_HOMEHIGHLIGHT"/>

</background>

<mail account="sms"/>

</plugin>

<plugin clsid="{8486CC1E-025B-4888-9C76-048DF7C1787D}" name="msgcount2" height="20" autoheight="false">

<background>

<format state="selected" bgcolor="COLOR_HOMEHIGHLIGHT"/>

</background>

<mail account="mms"/>

</plugin>

<plugin clsid="{8486CC1E-025B-4888-9C76-048DF7C1787D}" name="msgcount2" height="20" autoheight="false">

<background>

<format state="selected" bgcolor="COLOR_HOMEHIGHLIGHT"/>

</background>

<mail account="activesync"/>

</plugin>

<plugin clsid="{8486CC1E-025B-4888-9C76-048DF7C1787D}" name="msgcount2" height="20" autoheight="true">

<text padding-bottom="4"/>

<background>

<format state="selected" bgcolor="COLOR_HOMEHIGHLIGHT"/>

</background>

<mail account="others"/>

</plugin>

<plugin clsid="{4e822425-a00f-497c-80ff-1c554665a369}" name="cooltext" height="20">

<scrolltext textsource="CB"/>

<background>

<format state="selected" bgcolor="COLOR_HOMEHIGHLIGHT"/>

</background>

</plugin>

<!-- Fizz Weather -->

<plugin clsid="{30DF3430-2005-0509-BAA6-00AA003E0EED}" name="WeatherPlugin" height="54" >

<general sepline="true"/>

</plugin>

<!-- Fizz Weather End-->

<plugin clsid="{95976968-45D5-40c9-9779-2B859B1C2FEC}" name="profile" height="20">

<label>

<text lang="0x0409">Profile: <profile/></text>

<text lang="0x0412">프로필: <profile/></text>

<text lang="0x0411">プロファイル: <profile/></text>

<text lang="0x0404">操作模式: <profile/></text>

<text lang="0x0804">情景模式: <profile/></text>

</label>

</plugin>

</home>

[Guest eladamri]

Thank you for this great tutorial, my own homescreen is well underway :)

Now I don't know if this is possible, but ideally I would want to do this in the XML: Insert all my plug-ins from the top-down in the usual manner, but align the recently used programs bar at the bottom of the screen! That is, just above start | contacts.

As you can see, I've tried using valign="bottom" to an almost comical extent, but I guess it doesn't affect anything, since the XML isn't any longer.

<plugin clsid="{79EFB752-CB70-446d-B317-499723482B3D}" name="startmru" height="32" valign="bottom">

<format valign="bottom"/>

<background b-border-width="0">

<format valign="bottom"/>

</background>

<mru icon-size="16" y="3" valign="bottom"/>

</plugin>

I guess I could hardcode heights in the previous plug-ins to get the startmru at the bottom, but I wanted some of the plug-ins only to be shown of there are new events, i.e. only display missed calls if there are actually missed calls and so on.

So... I guess what I'm asking is impossible: align the startmru plug-in along the bottom of the screen no matter how many of the previous plug-ins are displayed. Any clever solutions would be greatly appreciated, though.

[Guest w411y]

Yeh guess it is impossible to have it right on top of the softkey display. Unless you do display them when theres no events?

[Guest pavankp]

I think it has something to do with the settings in the homescreen I am trying to add to.

A quick question/suggestion... I didn't read the full XML, sorry. But what happens when you go into the MRU plugin (the whole line gets highlighted, I get that) and then you press the Action button? I suspect the first item in the MRU list might get activated. Once you get into the MRU, press right a couple of times and hit the action button again and see if other programs on the MRU list are starting. If that is happening, then the problem is only with the highlighting on selection.

[Guest eladamri]

Yeh guess it is impossible to have it right on top of the softkey display. Unless you do display them when theres no events?

Good idea, I usually take care of missed events first anyway :)

Another question, though, which is probably more solvable: How can I display the next, say, 3 calendar events on my homescreen?

I seem to have read somewhere that the built-in calendar plug-in doesn't support this, but there are perhaps other plug-ins out there that you can recommend and/or give me an example of using?

Also, I have no clue how to get a complete overview of available plug-ins... a sort of API, as it were. Surely, this must exist somewhere? Are these plug-ins individual files that are located somewhere?

[Guest w411y]

Example of ading another calendar event...

<!-- Calendar Plugin -->

<plugin clsid="{865A354A-4A96-4687-B001-C155DC0DBE76}" name="calendar" height="41">

	<background>

		<format state="selected" bgcolor="transparent"/>

	</background>

	<label w="219" h="18" x="21" y="4">

		<format state="selected" font-weight="bold" fgcolor="#505E75" font-size="18"/>

		<format state="unselected" font-weight="bold" fgcolor="#000000" font-size="18"/>

		<text><time/> <subject/></text>

	</label>

	<label w="219" h="17" x="21" y="24">

		<format state="selected" font-weight="bold" fgcolor="#505E75" font-size="18"/>

		<format state="unselected" font-weight="bold" fgcolor="#000000" font-size="18"/>

		<text><time/> <subject/></text>

	</label>

</plugin>

But I would reccomend SBSH Facade for calendar, tasks and programme management on a homescreen.

THere is currently no collection of all plugins although I'm putting one together :)

[Guest mrmackey]

A quick question/suggestion... I didn't read the full XML, sorry. But what happens when you go into the MRU plugin (the whole line gets highlighted, I get that) and then you press the Action button? I suspect the first item in the MRU list might get activated. Once you get into the MRU, press right a couple of times and hit the action button again and see if other programs on the MRU list are starting. If that is happening, then the problem is only with the highlighting on selection.

yes! that is exactly what is happening. I worked around it by listing the item with small text underneath it so I know what item is selected, but this is not ideal as I have to widen the height for the added text.

The homescreen must have somewhere where it says "highlight the whole line" or something like that because none of the other lines need to be highligted seperately. But I have no idea where this can be tweaked and I am a newbie and can only add and subtract existing plugins.

If anyone knows how this can be done that would be great. (Otherwise no sweat the text works.)

Thanks for the help!

[Guest dishe]

Hey, has anyone else noticed that msgcount2 plugin for the newer WM devices displays the sms count even if its 0? For the others (like mms or email) it only displays something if there are unread messages, but hides it if zero. I like that, why can't I make it do that for my text message count too?

I've searched and searched, and a few other people asked, but no one gave answers. Does anyone know how this works?

[Guest w411y]

Does this happen on the standard homescreens that came with the WM5 device?

[Guest dishe]

Does this happen on the standard homescreens that came with the WM5 device?

Yeah

EDIT: it seems like its a "feature" of the plugin. Perhaps something in the registry needs to be edited?

There's gotta be a way. Its too strange to not have the option to disable.

Edited June 16, 2006 by dishe

[Guest pavankp]

Yeah

EDIT: it seems like its a "feature" of the plugin. Perhaps something in the registry needs to be edited?

There's gotta be a way. Its too strange to not have the option to disable.

You might be able to solve your problem by a registry change: HKCU\System\State\Messages\sms\Unread. There change SMS (0) to blank and see if that helps.

I would like to do the opposite: always display something even if there are no messages. And that doesn't happen for email and MMS! Does anyone know how to do this? I do want to use this plugin (not the generic one which on clicking it takes you to the Outlook menu not to the messages).

Pavan

[Guest barfoo]

can anyone tell me how to make the bar on the bottom of my cingular 2125 qvga (where it says start and contacts with the gradient border) completely black? I tried a few of w411y's homescreens where in the screenshot it was black but when i loaded it on my phone windows switched it to a grey gradient. ive found out which registry key on the PPC to edit but i dont have the same keys on my phone :) Any ideas?

[Guest w411y]

Your using a WM5 device whereas I am using WM2003SE. I don't believe anyone has worked out how to get it all one block colour. I remember encece (member of this forum) was going nuts trying to do it for his Vista II screen :)

[Guest prk72]

I have created a yahoo pop account and would like it to show up on my homescreen even when I don't have an unopened email. I am running mobile 5.0.

[Guest kynam30041]

how do you move the icon bars all the way to the left, i tried moving the x and y but didn't work very well

[Guest w411y]

I have created a yahoo pop account and would like it to show up on my homescreen even when I don't have an unopened email. I am running mobile 5.0.

Um I havn't got a WM5 device so cannot look in to it. In the XML, try putting 0

That way, it will display a 0, and when you get an email it will then however show 01

how do you move the icon bars all the way to the left, i tried moving the x and y but didn't work very well

How do you mean? The Iconbar takes up the full width :)

[Guest prk72]

Um I havn't got a WM5 device so cannot look in to it. In the XML, try putting 0

That way, it will display a 0, and when you get an email it will then however show 01

How do you mean? The Iconbar takes up the full width :)

Where would I insert the zero?

<plugin clsid="{8486CC1E-025B-4888-9C76-048DF7C1787D}" name="msgcount2" height="25" autoheight="false">

		<text padding-left="10" padding-bottom="5"/>

		<background>

			<format state="selected" bgcolor="COLOR_HOMEHIGHLIGHT"/>

		</background>

		<mail account="others"/>

	</plugin>

[Guest prk72]

Anyone know how I can specify which buttons show up in the mru plugin?

<plugin clsid="{79EFB752-CB70-446d-B317-499723482B3D}" height="24">

		<background b-border-width="0"/>

		<mru icon-size="16" x="48" max-buttons="9" />

		<format state="selected" bgcolor="#000000" font-weight="bold" fgcolor="#FF0000"/>

	</plugin>