Quickly program interactive characters for your application or Web site with the MICROSOFT AGENT SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT KIT. This book-and-CD package provides complete documentation and tools to deploy animated tour guides avatars game opponents and assistants for dynamic new levels of user interaction and software usability. Work with the kit's sample code and toolset to:

• Extend and enhance the user interface of your Microsoft Windows®-based applications or Web pages using any programming language compatible with ActiveX®
• Design character interaction to support keyboard mouse or even spoken input
• Build conversational interfaces that respond with synthesized speech recorded speech or just text in a word balloon
• Understand how to blend character interaction with conventional interface components such as windows menus and controls
• Create interactive scenarios with one or multiple characters
• Deploy one of the ready-made Microsoft characters or compile your own