14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft is currently cooking Windows Live Wave 3, and has reportedly moved the development process past Milestone 1 stage and into M2. Windows Live Messenger 9.0, the successor of version 8.5, is an integral part of Windows Live Wave 3, but the Redmond company is not saying a single word on the next iteration of its instant messaging client, past the discontinuation of the private Beta testing program at the end of June 2008. However, while the IM client continues to evolve, the company dropped Windows Live Messenger Library 2.0.
"We are happy to announce that Windows Live Messenger Library 2.0 (WLML 2.0) is available immediately. We encourage everyone to try it out. WLML 2.0 is backward compatible with WLML 1.0. In addition, the V1.0 API continues to be available with no changes," explained Keiji Kanazawa, Program Manager Windows Live Messenger Contacts and Messenger Platform.
Kanazawa also enumerated some of the modifications and enhancements that version 2.0 of WLML features. The library is essentially designed for developers to put together web-based programs which are capable of integrating Windows Live Messenger. Windows Live Messenger Library 2.0 will permit the creation of applications which take advantage of "sorted contact collections", "contact display picture links" and "customization for the Sign-In Control". As a consequence, WLML 2.0 now permits items in contact list to be sorted out via OnlineContacts and OfflineContacts collections. Additionally, the new version of the Windows Live Messenger Library plays nice with returning links to contact display images, and deliver color customization capabilities for the Sign-In control.
According to Kanazawa, additional improvements include, "Hosted static images for status icons and Messenger logos - we now host static images for applications to use for displaying user status. URL strings for Messenger resources - The library returns a set of market-specific URLs for applications to display links to required Microsoft pages such as the privacy statement. Sign-In Control returns extended authentication results - the Sign-in Control has been updated to return more detailed information about user authentication results".
Windows Live Messenger Library 2.0 is available here.