Developing
Windows Store
Apps - Intro
Level 250
Martin Esmann
Technical Evangelist
(Windows 8 & Windows Phone)
mesmann@microsoft.com
Who’s to
blame?
Me ;)
2
Microsoft Developer Achievements
• Developer Achievements! Your apps Our passion!
• Publish amazing apps => Earn Points => Convert Pints to Pearks!
• Get fame. Move to Vegas.
• Join on Facebook!
aka.ms/DK
Agenda
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Objectives

Understand the Windows 8 platform
 Understand the Windows 8 UI/UX
 Know how to build apps for Windows 8
 Understand the Windows Store requirements
 Understand the role of XAML
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If you know .NET
You already have the
skills to build Windows
8 apps with XAML + C#
and VB
Introduction to the
Windows 8 Platform
(overview)
Layout, UI/ UX and …

There are guides and directions to everyone!
 From iOS to Windows 8
 From Windows Phone to Windows 8
 Etc…
Touch First design
Slide to drag
Touch First - reasoning…
Screens

Minimum app resolution is 1024x768
 Recomended to design for 1366x768
 Use Visual Studio Simulator to test for different views and
scales
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Designing UX for apps
http://msdn.microsoft.com/enus/library/windows/apps/hh77
9072.aspx
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Let’s try some Windows
Store apps!
Introduction to the APIs,
Controls, Tools and
developer platform
Windows 8 Platform
Language projections
Windows Store application APIs
Development Patterns

Code-behind approaches
 Simpler apps
 Event-driven
 Coupling UI to logic
 Model-View-ViewModel (MVVM)
 Separation of concerns
 More easily testable (TDD)
 Binding-driven
 No Behavior support currently
Windows.UI.Xaml



Same XAML primitives
Optimized for touch experiences
New UI Controls, familiar XAML structure
 GridView/ListView
 SemanticZoom
 AppBar
 Animation Library
 ThemeAnimations and Transitions
 Extensibility
 Large 3rd party ecosystem still thriving
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Requirements + Tools & SDK’s

PC with Windows 8 RTM (required)

Visual Studio 2012 (express or higher)

Expression Blend (UX/Design)

Simulator (Screen sizes and screen shots)
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/apps/br229512.aspx
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Let’s build a simple app!
Hello Windows Store App
Break!
Application State
&
Life Cycle
Application State & Life Cycle

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How to handle application state and life cycle of the app
Navigation
Layout
Views
Navigation, Layout and Views

Pages and Navigation
 Controls & Layout
 Styles
 App Bar and menus
 Settings & Flyouts
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Adding Content to the
app
Adding Content to the app

Static data
 Privacy, menu text, app text etc. (non updated)
 Dynamic data
 Fetch data from an online source.
 Syndication feed
 web service
 rest service
 etc.
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What about games?!
Getting started with Games

Unity 3D supports both
Windows Store + Windows Phone 8 apps!
 http://unity3d.com/
 MSDN Doc:
 http://msdn.microsoft.com/enus/library/windows/apps/hh868271.aspx
 HTML/JS Games…
 http://jessefreeman.com/articles/building-html5-metrogames-for-windows-8/
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Let’s get in the Store!
Windows Store
Windows Store –Account

To submit apps to Windows Store you need a Developer
Account
 DreamSpark Members 0DKK (1st year)
 BizSpark Members 0DKK
 Selected MSDN Subscribers * 0DKK


Individuals approx. 260 DKK /pr. Year.
Companies approx. 530 DKK /pr. Year.
Validation is required and can take some time!
Sign-up Guide:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/hh868181.aspx
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Windows Store – Certification







Application Policies
 In short your app or game is required to work!
Content Policies
 Copyright, Hate, alcohol, weapons, adult content, violence
Application Submission Requirements
 Only use allowed API’s, Release build, capabilities, graphics/images/icons,
Language/localization.
Technical Certification Requirements
 Responsiveness, Launch Time, Back Button, Memory, Application content quality.
Additional Requirements for Specific Application Types
 Location (on/off), Notification (on/off), Locked Screen (on/off), Media playback.
Privacy Policy!
 All apps need to tell the user to what extend information is used and why!
Unique…
 The app needs to add unique value to the end user and may not simply be a wrapper
around a html site etc. Also multi publishing is not allowed…
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-US/library/windows/apps/hh694083
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Getting the app ready
for certification and
publishing to Windows
Store
Comon Errors & Tips





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Windows App Certification Kit
Content tests
 Privacy / Usage Text
 About / Title / Content
 Uniqueness/ relevens
Step 1: Read “Store App Certification Requirements”
 http://aka.ms/StoreReq
Step 2: Read “Resolving Certification Errors”
 http://aka.ms/StoreFix
Step 3: Escalate through CSS
 http://aka.ms/StoreSupport
Getting started
… Don’t panic it’s really easy!






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Hands-on labs - Windows 8 Camp in a Box
 http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=29854
Getting started
 http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/br229519.aspx
Traning
 Vod, books, events., online, etc… search and you will find!
Samples!
 http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/windowsapps
StoreFront Starter Kit’s
 https://bitbucket.org/martinesmann/storefront-starter-kit
 https://bitbucket.org/martinesmann/storefront-starter-kit-preview
Community!
 http://windowsdev.dk |
… Questions? :)
Hands-on lab
(workshop)
Steps! To get you started
…
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
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Register your personal Windows Store Dev Account
1. http://dev.windows.com
2. Important!!!! Use Dreamspark
Register for Developer Achievements (DA) on Facebook
1. http://aka.ms/DK
Download the Windows Store SDK and tools
1. http://dev.windows.com
Complete Track 1 or 2 (next slide!!!)
Create your own app from your own idea!
Publish the app
Receive Credit on DA!
HANDS-ON/WOWKSHOP
2 TRACKS/OPTIONS
TRACK#1 – Simple
Create your first Windows
Store app
 Link: http://msdn.microsoft.com/enus/library/windows/apps/hh974581.aspx

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Out come:
Blog Reader App
TRACK#2 – LABS
Complet the individual labs
 Link: http://msdn.microsoft.com/enus/windows/apps/jj674832.aspx

Out come:
Learning by sample/labs, no
final/nor complet app will be
created but deep
knowledge in specific
technologies.
Thanks!
Martin Esmann
mesmann@microsoft.com
twitter.com/martinesmann
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