windows-server-2003/shell/themes/themedir/tak.txt

            Theme Authoring Kit - 7/26/00
            -----------------------------

The Theme Authoring Kit (TAK) is an informal (internal use only) collection 
of tools to help theme authors build new "visual styles" for Whistler.

TAK consists of the following:

    1. themesel.exe         (theme testing program - see below)
    
    2. packthem.exe         (packages theme files into a .mstheme DLL)
    
    3. tools needed for running packtheme.exe:
    
        - rc.exe            (resource compiler)
        - link.exe          (linker; used to build dll)
        - rcdll.exe         (used by rc.exe)
        - cvtres.exe        (used by link.exe)
        - mspdb60.dll       (used by link.exe)
    
    4. Sample theme Directories:
    
        - Business
        - BusSolid
        - BusDev

    5. Informal documentation:

        - schema.txt    (explains format/use of "TmSchema.h" file)
        - themes.txt    (explains format/use of .ini files for themes)
        - tak.txt       (this file)
        - skeming.ppt   (a powerpoint intro to themes)

    6. misc files:
    
        - TmSchema.h    (schema file)
        - SchemaDef.h   (schema helper file)
        - uxtheme.h     (public api for theme-aware controls)
        - uxthemep.h    (internal-only api for theme selection UI)


Manually Switching Themes:
--------------------------

Until the real theme switching UI is ready, you can turn themes ON/OFF 
(and switch themes) by manually editing the registry:

To turn the business "visual style" ON:

    a. shut down explorer (Start | Shut down | hold CTRL+ALT+Shift and click on the cancel button)

    b. run: regedit

    c. navigate to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\microsoft\windows\currentversion

    d. add KEY: ThemeManager

    e. add string value to ThemeManager key:

		string: ThemeActive
		value: 1

    f. add string value to ThemeManager key: 

		string: DllName
		value: %windir%\resources\0409\themes\business\business.mstheme

    g. close "regedit"

    h. run: explorer   

    i. verfiy that taskbar has a new start button, smaller text, etc.  

The file "themeon.reg" automates the above steps.  You can run in using "start themeon.reg"

    
To turn the business "visual style" OFF:

    a. shut down explorer (Start | Shut down | hold CTRL+ALT+Shift and click on the cancel button)

    b. shut down any other programs running (this is a temp. requirement)

    c. run: regedit

    d. navigate to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\microsoft\windows\currentversion\ThemeManager

    e. change the value of the "ThemeActive" string to "0"

    f. close "regedit"

    g. run: explorer   

    h. verfiy that taskbar and start button have returned to normal

The file "themeoff.reg" automates the above steps.  You can run in using "start themeoff.reg"


To switch to a different "visual style":

    a. shut down explorer (Start | Shut down | hold CTRL+ALT+Shift and click on the cancel button)

    b. shut down any other programs running (this is a temp. requirement)

    c. run: regedit

    d. navigate to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\microsoft\windows\currentversion\ThemeManager

    e. change the value of the "DllName" string to be the full path of the .mstheme file
       to be loaded

    f. change the value of the "ThemeActive" string to "1"

    g. close "regedit"

    h. run: explorer   

    i. verfiy that taskbar and start button reflect the new theme


ThemeSel Program:
-----------------
themesel.exe is a program designed to test themes (and the theming 
subsystem).  It consists of a tabbed set of pages in a window.  

The main page is labelled "general" and is used to browse and select
available themes (packaged as .mstheme dll's) and theme directories.
It can also control special theme loading options (target only 1 app
or 1 window, etc).

When a theme directory is selected and applied by themesel, it
will call the "packthem" utility to package the theme into a .mstheme
DLL and then load the DLL as the current theme.

The other tabbed pages are used to view the effects of the theme on
various controls.


ThemeSel and Hooking Services:
------------------------------
The loading of system-wide hooks needed by themeing is done in 
explorer.exe.  When explorer starts up, it will install the hooks
if there is a theme active for the current user.  ThemeSel will ask
explorer to install the hooks when themesel is started and there isn't
a theme active.  When ThemeSel exits, it will ask explorer to remove the
hooks if no theme is currently active.


Packaging Themes:
-----------------

    1. a theme directory consists of:
            - a "themes.ini" file
            - one or more "classdata" files
            - all of the image files used by the theme
            - all of the NTL files used by the theme
            
    2. the only image files supported in a classdata file are ".bmp" files 
    
    3. the following files can be converted using "imagecon.exe" to .bmp files:

            - .jpeg
            - .gif
            - .png
            - .tif
            - .emf
            - .wmf
            - .ico


    4. the contents of a theme directory can be packaged into a DLL file by 
       using the "packthem.exe" tool.  this tool is run automatically by themesel
       when you select a theme directory.
       
    5. "packthem" requires that the following tool support files are available in the 
       same directory (as packthem.exe) or in your PATH:

        - link.exe
        - rc.exe
        - cvtres.exe
        - rcdll.dll
        - mspdb60.dll

    6. the above support files can be copied from: \\rfernand7\public\tak

    7. packthem takes a directory name as its cmd line argument and processes the "themes.ini" file
       in that directory.  For example:

        packthem subcool

    8. As the "themes.ini" file is processed:
    
            - the file is parsed for syntax errors
            
            - the "themes.ini" file is added to the package being built (as a TEXT resource)

            - recognized properties from the [documentation] section are written to a 
              package string table

            - each color scheme name, display name, and tooltip string are written to 
              package string tables

            - each size name, display name, and tooltip string are written to package
              string tables

            - each specified classdata file is processed

    9. As each "classdata" file is processed:

            - the file is parsed for syntax errors

            - the classdata file is added to the package being built (as a TEXT resource)

            - any .bmp "ImageFile" references within the .ini file 
              are added to the package (as a resource)

            - any "NtlFile" references within the .ini file 
              are added to the package (as a resource)
              
            - any font specifications are written to a package string table 

    9. if no errors are encountered during the above steps, a DLL is produced (the base name
       will be the ending name of the directory; the extension will be ".mstheme").


Unpackaging Themes:
-------------------

Sometimes you will only have the .mstheme file and want to make an adjustment.  There is a 
"-u" switch for "packthem.exe" that will let you do this:

    packthem -u -a professional.mstheme

The above cmd will unpack all of the bitmaps and .ini files from professional.mstheme into the
current directory.  The "-a" tells packthem to write the text files as ANSI (default in UNICODE).