What should programmers know when moving from XP/Vista to Windows 7?

Question

I have not used Windows Vista. I knew that many APIs have been changed/deprecated in Vista, so programs need to be fixed or configured to execute in XP Compatible mode.

So, what should windows programmer know when they move from XP/Vista to Windows 7?

Answer 1

For starters, and if history has taught us anything - don't rely on the Betas or CTPs, especially the early ones (I believe Windows 7 ship date is still sometime in 2010).

Having said that, I believe that Windows 7 shares a similar kernel to the Windows 2008 Server and Windows Vista SP 1 kernels as well as the same (or similar) security models. It's likely the same will apply to driver requirements too, but again too early to tell.

At this early stage, about all you could do is see if your application deploys, installs and runs under the Windows 7 beta. If you already have updated your application to run within the restrictions enforced by Windows Vista then I'd bet you will probably be safe.

If you are porting an application from earlier versions of Windows (XP or earlier) then I'd target Vista support first (handle/support the security model, etc).

With luck only minor changes may be required to jump to Windows 7, but really you'd have to look at Windows 7 closer to 2010.

At this stage we might see the .Net Framework 4.0 by 2010, so if your application is a .Net application, you might be tempted to upgrade to 4.0 to take advantage of new language features.

Edit: I almost forgot about this - (1) a whitepaper on Developing for Windows 7! If you're curious about the changes, this has a pretty in-depth feel to it.

Some particular points of interest/new features include:

"Windows 7 is designed to run on the same hardware as Windows Vista, and to be compatible with applications and device drivers that work with Windows Vista."

"With Windows BranchCache, clients can retrieve data from other clients in their own branch that have already downloaded the data, instead of having to retrieve the data over remote servers. "

"Built on the Sensor platform, the Windows Location APIs are a new Windows 7 feature that enables application developers to access the user’s physical location information. "

Here's the (2) main page.

[(1) http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/Release/ProjectReleases.aspx?ProjectName=Win7DeveloperGuide&ReleaseId=1702 ]
[(2) http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/Win7DeveloperGuide ]

Answer 2

It think it is too early to know for sure, but I believe that there will only be minor changes in the API from Vista to Windows 7. I expect that if your program runs well in Vista, you will have nothing to worry about.

There is more likely to be new API's in Windows 7 that you could use, but few API's that were available in Vista that are no longer available.

XP to Vista was the major jump in the API, just like 98 to NT was, but the changes between NT and Windows 2000 for example were much less.

Answer 3

According to here there is a new API for the new right-click taskbar functionality. For example, access to recent files.

Answer 4

I think the first thing I'd look at when doing programs for Windows 7 would be Multitouch, it could help to improve usability and perhaps helps porting programs to mobile phones like iPhone.