Among the many enhancements that Windows 7 brings to the table is the evolution of graphical user interfaces and natural user interfaces as far as Windows clients are concerned. One of the key aspects of this evolution is the Ribbon/Fluent graphical user interface. Microsoft introduced the Ribbon GUI for the first time with the advent of the Office 2007 System. With the release of Windows 7, the Redmond company is looking to make Ribbon pervasive throughout the operating system. To aid this precise scope, Microsoft has made available for download Windows Ribbon: Samples.

“Demonstrates the markup and code (written in C++) required to implement a very simple Win32 application with a Ribbon, with options to output various Ribbon Framework callbacks to a console window,” the company explained. There are no less than six ZIP packages with Windows 7 Ribbon samples available as free downloads for developers looking to seamlessly integrate their programs into the latest iteration of Windows. In order to leverage the sample devs will need the Windows 7 RTM Software Development Kit (SDK) and Visual Studio 2008 or later.

Early adopters and testers already familiar with Windows 7 from the development process with such releases as Beta Build 7000 or Release Candidate (RC) Build 7100 already know that a few default components of the operating system feature overhauled UIs. Applications such as WordPad and Paint have been redesigned in order to embrace the new Ribbon/Fluent GUI. Users will also notice that Ribbon is much better suited to the new multitouch capabilities of Windows 7 compared to the old menu style characteristic of Windows apps.

“The Windows Ribbon (Ribbon) framework is a rich command presentation system that provides a modern alternative to the layered menus, toolbars, and task panes of traditional Windows applications. Similar in functionality and appearance to the Microsoft Office 2007 Fluent user interface, the Ribbon framework is composed of a ribbon command bar that exposes the major features of an application through a series of tabs at the top of an application window, and a context menu system,” Microsoft noted.


Microsoft Windows SDK for Windows 7 and .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 and Microsoft Windows SDK for Windows 7 and .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 (ISO) are available for download here.