Features new to Windows 7: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 06:12, 25 April 2023

Revision as of 19:57, 25 April 2023

Line 49:

Windows Explorer also supports federating search to external data sources, such as custom databases or web services, that are exposed over the web and described via an [[OpenSearch]] definition. The federated ___location description (called a ''Search Connector'') is provided as an <code>.osdx</code> file. Once installed, the data source becomes queryable directly from Windows Explorer. Windows Explorer features, such as previews and thumbnails, work with the results of a federated search as well.

====Miscellaneous shellShell enhancements====

Windows Explorer has received numerous minor enhancements that improve its overall functionality. The Explorer'saddress search boxbar and thesearch address barbox can be resized. Folders suchThe asCommand thoseBar onfeatures the desktop or user profile folders can be hidden in the navigation pane to reduce clutter. A new ''ContentNew Folder'' view is added, which shows thumbnailscommand and metadataa together.visible A newinterface buttonoption to toggleenable the Preview Pane has(both beenwere addedpreviously toin the toolbar.''Organize'' Theoption buttonin toWindows createVista). aA new folder''Content'' hasicon beenview movedmode fromis theadded, ''Organize''which menushows metadata and onto the toolbarthumbnails. The ''List'' icon view mode provides more space between items than in Windows Vista. Finally,Storage storagecapacity space consumption bars that were only presentindicators for hard disks introduced in Windows Vista are now also shown for removable storage devices. File types for which new [[iFilter]]s or Property Handlers are installed are reindexed by Windows Search by default.

Other areas of the shell have also received similar fine-tunings: Progress bars and overlay icons may now appear on an application's button on the taskbar to better alert the user of the status of the application or the work in progress. File types for which property handlers or [[iFilter]]s are installed are re-indexed by default. Previously, adding submenus to shell context menus or customizing the context menu's behavior for a certain folder was only possible by installing a form of [[plug-in (computing)|plug-in]] known as [[shell extension]]s. In Windows 7 however, computer-savvy users can do so by editing [[Windows Registry]] and/or ''desktop.ini'' files.<ref>{{cite web|title=Creating Shortcut Menu Handlers|url=http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc144171%28VS.85%29.aspx#static_cascading|work=[[MSDN]]|publisher=Microsoft Corporation|access-date=18 February 2012|___location=Creating Static Cascading Menus|date=9 July 2011|archive-date=28 December 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111228123243/http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc144171(VS.85).aspx#static_cascading|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=How to Implement Custom Verbs for Folders through Desktop.ini|url=http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh127441%28v=vs.85%29.aspx|work=[[MSDN]]|publisher=[[Microsoft]]|access-date=18 February 2012|date=9 July 2011|archive-date=23 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023083458/http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh127441(v=vs.85).aspx|url-status=live}}</ref> Additionally, a new shell [[API]] was introduced designed to simplify the writing of [[context menu]] [[Shell extension#Extensibility|shell extensions]] by software developers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blogs.msdn.com/b/oldnewthing/archive/2010/03/12/9977246.aspx|title=Simplifying context menu extensions with IExecuteCommand|work=The Old New Thing|first=Raymond|last=Chen|date=12 March 2010|access-date=16 February 2012|archive-date=6 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121006233434/http://blogs.msdn.com/b/oldnewthing/archive/2010/03/12/9977246.aspx|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/dd378382(v=vs.85).aspx|title=IExecuteCommand interface|work=[[MSDN]]|access-date=2012-02-27|archive-date=2011-11-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111127234120/http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/dd378382(v=vs.85).aspx|url-status=live}}</ref>

Other areas of the shell have also received similar fine-tunings: Progress bars and overlay icons may now appear on an application's button on the taskbar to better alert the user of the status of the application or the work in progress. File types for which property handlers or [[iFilter]]s are installed are re-indexed by default. Previously, adding submenus to shellShell context menus or customizing the context menu's behavior for a certain folder was only possible by installing a form of [[plug-in (computing)|plug-in]] known as [[shellShell extension]]s. In Windows 7, however, computer-savvy users can doedit so by editingthe [[Windows Registry]] and/or ''desktop.ini''configuration files.<ref>{{cite web|title=Creating Shortcut Menu Handlers|url=http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc144171%28VS.85%29.aspx#static_cascading|work=[[MSDN]]|publisher=Microsoft Corporation|access-date=18 February 2012|___location=Creating Static Cascading Menus|date=9 July 2011|archive-date=28 December 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111228123243/http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc144171(VS.85).aspx#static_cascading|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=How to Implement Custom Verbs for Folders through Desktop.ini|url=http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh127441%28v=vs.85%29.aspx|work=[[MSDN]]|publisher=[[Microsoft]]|access-date=18 February 2012|date=9 July 2011|archive-date=23 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023083458/http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh127441(v=vs.85).aspx|url-status=live}}</ref> Additionally, a new shellShell [[API]] was introduced designed to simplify the writing of [[context menu]] [[Shell extension#Extensibility|shell extensions]] by software developers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blogs.msdn.com/b/oldnewthing/archive/2010/03/12/9977246.aspx|title=Simplifying context menu extensions with IExecuteCommand|work=The Old New Thing|first=Raymond|last=Chen|date=12 March 2010|access-date=16 February 2012|archive-date=6 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121006233434/http://blogs.msdn.com/b/oldnewthing/archive/2010/03/12/9977246.aspx|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/dd378382(v=vs.85).aspx|title=IExecuteCommand interface|work=[[MSDN]]|access-date=2012-02-27|archive-date=2011-11-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111127234120/http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/dd378382(v=vs.85).aspx|url-status=live}}</ref>

Windows 7 includes native support for burning [[Optical disc image|ISO files]]. The functionality is available when a user selects the ''Burn disc image'' option within the context menu of an ISO file. Support for disc image verification is also included. In previous versions of Windows, users were required to install third-party software to burn ISO images.<ref name="BurnISOImages">{{cite web |url=http://www.windowsteamblog.com/blogs/windowsexperience/archive/2009/04/13/burn-iso-images-natively-in-windows-7.aspx |title=Burn ISO Images Natively in Windows 7 |last=LeBlanc |first=Brandon |date=April 13, 2009 |publisher=[[Microsoft]] |work=Windows Experience Blog |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090415170148/http://windowsteamblog.com/blogs/windowsexperience/archive/2009/04/13/burn-iso-images-natively-in-windows-7.aspx |archive-date=April 15, 2009 |access-date=June 26, 2015}}</ref>

Windows 7 includes native support for burning [[Optical disc image|ISO files]]. The functionality is available when a user selects the ''Burn disc image'' option within the context menu of an ISO file. Support(support for disc image verification is also included). In previous versions of Windows, users were required to install third-party software to burn ISO images.<ref name="BurnISOImages">{{cite web |url=http://www.windowsteamblog.com/blogs/windowsexperience/archive/2009/04/13/burn-iso-images-natively-in-windows-7.aspx |title=Burn ISO Images Natively in Windows 7 |last=LeBlanc |first=Brandon |date=April 13, 2009 |publisher=[[Microsoft]] |work=Windows Experience Blog |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090415170148/http://windowsteamblog.com/blogs/windowsexperience/archive/2009/04/13/burn-iso-images-natively-in-windows-7.aspx |archive-date=April 15, 2009 |access-date=June 26, 2015}}</ref>

===Start menu===