The Pen is Mightier with GDI+ and the Tablet PC Real-Time Stylus
Many programming interfaces are the result of a compromise between the polar ideals of simplicity and versatility. Some, however, break the interface in two and pursue both goals independently. They keep the simple programming interface for many common programming tasks, but also provide a versatile interface for more unusual needs.
Such a separation between the simple and versatile characterizes the application programming interface for the Tablet PC. Much of the Tablet PC API is remarkably easy. With just a few lines of code you can attach an InkOverlay object to any Windows Forms control and start doing some of the stuff Paul Yao demonstrated in his article "Add Support for Digital Ink to Your Windows Application" in the December 2004 issue of MSDN Magazine.
Yet, as a result of this simplicity, InkOverlay has some severe and inescapable limitations. If InkOverlay doesn't quite meet your needs, you may want to make the leap to the other Tablet PC programming interface—the far more versatile Real-Time Stylus. That's what this article is all about.
I enjoyed meeting Charles Petzold in New York and at DevConnections in Las Vegas because he has so much fun writing and talking about software. He told me this artical in MSDN Magazine was coming out so I was watching for it, reading it you can tell he's having fun with his Tablet PC.
