XPe Tools Bugs/MS attn.

[KM]

Exploring XPe database I came across some issues with a few components that
I would like to report.
From my understanding they are bugs since the related components are
accessible by end user (dev).

1. Component Name: "Language Support Prototype"
Component Category: "Software : System : International :
Infrastructure;"
Component Visibility: 250

If I understand it properly, all language support components inherit from
this prototype. However, you may still add (even if it may be ridiculous)
the component to your configuration from Component Browser and it causes TD
error: "Configuration management Interface (CMI) Error. Code=0x800a16a8.
Description=language Support Prototype does not contain valid cmiLangId
property". If you click ok here, you will see another error message box
"Microsoft Target Designer: An internal error occurred while adding the
selected component to the configuration." (of course, the component does not
appear in your configuration tree).
After the second message you won't be able to do the Dependency check -
press F5 and it pops us a message box with the same CMI error (0x800a16a8)
but Description field will say "Object required".
Although, you can still save the configuration and build it skipping the
Dependency Check, when you close TD the same annoying CMI error occurs and
TD crashes. The most troublesome is that whenever you try to open this saved
configuration, TD throws the same error and you basically will never be able
to open the SLX file again.

The first error message does make a clear sense but the error handling seems
to be buggy - add the component, save the configuration and you loose the
project file completely.

2. Component Name: "MUI Prototype"
Component Category: "Software : System : International :
Infrastructure;"
Component Visibility: 250

Adding this component to your image will always cause the build error:
"Error 5800: [MUI Prototype] cmiLangMUILCID is missing.". This might be
behavior by design but still ugly to see unexpected build errors.

3. For many (I haven't checked all of them) XPe components added to your
configuration tree it will show wrong Visibility and Categories on the right
informational panel in TD. I heard that this has been reported for
Visibility level but found that Categories are shown wrong as well. This is
sometime very inconvenient since it requires us to search for the component
in Component Browser and do right click->Properties there to see the real
Visibility level and the Category the component belongs to (important for
CMI scripts). E.g. "NT Apm/Legacy Interface Node" component, reported
Categories: "Hardware : Devices : NT Apm/Legacy Support; Software : System :
System Services : Base;", real Category: "Hardware : Devices : NT Apm/Legacy
Support" (only).

Thanks,
KM

 

[Andy Allred [MS]]

Thanks for the feedback KM (Konstantin?) , it's appreciated. I'm aware of
these anomalies, I hope to have the mui prototypes cleaned up for the SP2
mui packs.

You obviously have a good handle on the XPe product, please keep the
feedback or bug reports coming. One of my goals is to get a web interface
set up in the next month or so to allow our customers to send their bug
reports and feature requests directly to the product team and into our bug
DB, the information goes to our database for consideration along with every
other bug and feature request from the rest of Embedded team.

Thanks.
Andy

--
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

Exploring XPe database I came across some issues with a few components
that
I would like to report.
From my understanding they are bugs since the related components are
accessible by end user (dev).

1. Component Name: "Language Support Prototype"
Component Category: "Software : System : International :
Infrastructure;"
Component Visibility: 250

If I understand it properly, all language support components inherit from
this prototype. However, you may still add (even if it may be ridiculous)
the component to your configuration from Component Browser and it causes
TD
error: "Configuration management Interface (CMI) Error. Code=0x800a16a8.
Description=language Support Prototype does not contain valid cmiLangId
property". If you click ok here, you will see another error message box
"Microsoft Target Designer: An internal error occurred while adding the
selected component to the configuration." (of course, the component does
not
appear in your configuration tree).
After the second message you won't be able to do the Dependency check -
press F5 and it pops us a message box with the same CMI error (0x800a16a8)
but Description field will say "Object required".
Although, you can still save the configuration and build it skipping the
Dependency Check, when you close TD the same annoying CMI error occurs and
TD crashes. The most troublesome is that whenever you try to open this
saved
configuration, TD throws the same error and you basically will never be
able
to open the SLX file again.

The first error message does make a clear sense but the error handling
seems
to be buggy - add the component, save the configuration and you loose the
project file completely.

2. Component Name: "MUI Prototype"
Component Category: "Software : System : International :
Infrastructure;"
Component Visibility: 250

Adding this component to your image will always cause the build error:
"Error 5800: [MUI Prototype] cmiLangMUILCID is missing.". This might be
behavior by design but still ugly to see unexpected build errors.

3. For many (I haven't checked all of them) XPe components added to your
configuration tree it will show wrong Visibility and Categories on the
right
informational panel in TD. I heard that this has been reported for
Visibility level but found that Categories are shown wrong as well. This
is
sometime very inconvenient since it requires us to search for the
component
in Component Browser and do right click->Properties there to see the real
Visibility level and the Category the component belongs to (important for
CMI scripts). E.g. "NT Apm/Legacy Interface Node" component, reported
Categories: "Hardware : Devices : NT Apm/Legacy Support; Software : System
:
System Services : Base;", real Category: "Hardware : Devices : NT
Apm/Legacy
Support" (only).

Thanks,
KM

 

[KM]

Andy,

CMI objects helped me a lot to find those bugs. Actually, playing with CMI
automated script I've seen many more problems in TD. Since TD's VBScript is
good written and easy to read I guess it would not take much time to write a
set of automated scripts to test the tool functionality.

Having a web based app to report XPe defects ("bugzilla") with a public
access is a very good idea.
Also (don't know if you already thought of that) it would be great to have
one source for all the XPe resources - Google NG archive (either a link or
search UI), www.xpefiles.com (link), MS XPe articles&tutorials, MSDN XPe
documentation (would be great to have a tunnel to search there from your
site), XPe Tips, etc. For the moment, we are trying to keep the links in
Favorites and always have to go to a few web sites to keep ourselves
up-to-date.

Thanks and have a happy NY!
Konstantin

Thanks for the feedback KM (Konstantin?) , it's appreciated. I'm aware of
these anomalies, I hope to have the mui prototypes cleaned up for the SP2
mui packs.

You obviously have a good handle on the XPe product, please keep the
feedback or bug reports coming. One of my goals is to get a web interface
set up in the next month or so to allow our customers to send their bug
reports and feature requests directly to the product team and into our bug
DB, the information goes to our database for consideration along with every
other bug and feature request from the rest of Embedded team.

Thanks.
Andy

--
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

Exploring XPe database I came across some issues with a few components
that
I would like to report.
From my understanding they are bugs since the related components are
accessible by end user (dev).

1. Component Name: "Language Support Prototype"
Component Category: "Software : System : International :
Infrastructure;"
Component Visibility: 250

If I understand it properly, all language support components inherit from
this prototype. However, you may still add (even if it may be ridiculous)
the component to your configuration from Component Browser and it causes
TD
error: "Configuration management Interface (CMI) Error. Code=0x800a16a8.
Description=language Support Prototype does not contain valid cmiLangId
property". If you click ok here, you will see another error message box
"Microsoft Target Designer: An internal error occurred while adding the
selected component to the configuration." (of course, the component does
not
appear in your configuration tree).
After the second message you won't be able to do the Dependency check -
press F5 and it pops us a message box with the same CMI error (0x800a16a8)
but Description field will say "Object required".
Although, you can still save the configuration and build it skipping the
Dependency Check, when you close TD the same annoying CMI error occurs and
TD crashes. The most troublesome is that whenever you try to open this
saved
configuration, TD throws the same error and you basically will never be
able
to open the SLX file again.

The first error message does make a clear sense but the error handling
seems
to be buggy - add the component, save the configuration and you loose the
project file completely.

2. Component Name: "MUI Prototype"
Component Category: "Software : System : International :
Infrastructure;"
Component Visibility: 250

Adding this component to your image will always cause the build error:
"Error 5800: [MUI Prototype] cmiLangMUILCID is missing.". This might be
behavior by design but still ugly to see unexpected build errors.

3. For many (I haven't checked all of them) XPe components added to your
configuration tree it will show wrong Visibility and Categories on the
right
informational panel in TD. I heard that this has been reported for
Visibility level but found that Categories are shown wrong as well. This
is
sometime very inconvenient since it requires us to search for the
component
in Component Browser and do right click->Properties there to see the real
Visibility level and the Category the component belongs to (important for
CMI scripts). E.g. "NT Apm/Legacy Interface Node" component, reported
Categories: "Hardware : Devices : NT Apm/Legacy Support; Software : System
:
System Services : Base;", real Category: "Hardware : Devices : NT
Apm/Legacy
Support" (only).

Thanks,
KM