---- Original Message ------
From: Jamal Mazrui <[log in to unmask]
Subject: Announcing GotNET
Date sent: Fri, 28 May 2010 09:02:23 -0400 (EDT)

1The .NET Framework is a strong choice for software application 
developers.
It has a comprehensive, consistent, and generally well-documented 
class
library that is free to use in any project.  Depending on 
personal
preferences, one can code in C#, Visual Basic, JScript, F#, 
IronPython,
IronRuby, or other languages.  Programs may be built with either
integrated development environments, or with text editors and 
command-line
compilers.

The .NET Framework integrates two major accessibility APIs:  the 
older,
Microsoft Active Accessibility (MSAA), and the newer, User 
Interface
Automation (UIA).  While Gaps remain, there is much accessibility 
support
for both developers and users of this platform.  People with 
disabilities
can thereby be involved in both the development and use of 
NET-based
applications.

The Microsoft accessibility development center is at
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/bb735024.aspx

Some open source, .NET accessibility tools may be found there, as 
well as
with a Google search like
site:codeplex.com accessibility

One potential obstacle is that clients may not have the version 
of the
.NET Framework already installed that an application needs.  I 
found a
good solution for this problem with Version 2.0 of the .NET 
Framework,
using the Microsoft Component Installer Software Development Kit,
available at
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=2A5E4EBC
-651C-40AA-9525-1810AF47C317&displaylang=en

However, I could not find a free, sufficiently automated solution 
for
later versions of the Framework.  GotNET is a free, open source 
program I
have developed in attempt to address this need.  It can check 
whether the
most common versions of the .NET Framework are installed, and do 
so for
one or more of them via the Internet if not found:  version 2.0, 
3.5, or
4.0 (released last month).

An executable installer for GotNET is available at
http://EmpowermentZone.com/netsetup.exe

Alternatively, a zip archive for manual installation is available 
at
http://EmpowermentZone.com/netsetup.zip

End users may run the GotNET installer to ensure they have .NET 
available
for any applications that may need it.  More importantly, the 
GotNET.exe
utility in the distribution is available for .NET developers to 
bundle
with their applications, thereby ensuring that necessary 
prerequisites are
installed.

Jamal


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