Tools for Developing Authoring Tools

[This is preliminary documentation and subject to change.]

Broadcast Architecture provides several tools to assist you in writing enhancement stream authoring tools.

• The stream compiler objects implement functionality you can use to create stream authoring tools. They wrap the elements of Enhancement Stream language to make it programmable and provide utilities such as syntax validation and time conversion. The stream compiler objects are Microsoft® ActiveX® objects and so can be used from any programming language, including the Microsoft® Visual Basic® development system, Java, C++, and HTML scripting languages. For more information, see Using the Stream Compiler Objects.
• The enhancement sender object transmits an enhancement stream to broadcast clients over a Microsoft Multicast Router. Like the enhancement stream objects, it is also an ActiveX object. For more information, see Broadcasting an Enhancement.
• The Enhancement Stream Editor, Enhancement Player, and QuizStr are working examples of authoring tools written using the stream compiler objects. These complete applications illustrate much of the authoring tool functionality described in the following topics. To locate these sample applications, see Broadcast Architecture Sample Applications.