Windows 8 Xaml in Action—Metro Applications and the Windows Runtime

Summary

Windows Store App Development introduces C# developers to working with Windows Store apps. It provides full coverage of XAML, and addresses both app design and development. Following numerous carefully crafted examples, you'll learn about new Windows 8 features, the WinRT API, and .NET 4.5. Along the way, you'll pick up tips for deploying apps, including sale through the Windows Store. And, of course, you'll find the same deep and unique insights Pete provides in his Silverlight books.

About the Technology

The Windows Store provides an amazing array of productivity tools, games, and other apps directly to the millions of customers already using Windows 8.x or Surface. Windows Store apps boast new features like touch and pen input, standardized app-to-app communication, and tight integration with the web. And, you can build Windows Store apps using the tools you already know: C# and XAML.

About this Book

Windows Store App Development introduces the Windows 8.x app model to readers familiar with traditional desktop development. You'll explore dozens of carefully crafted examples as you master Windows features, the Windows Runtime, and the best practices of app design. Along the way, you'll pick up tips for deploying apps, including selling through the Windows Store.

This book requires some knowledge of C#. No experience with Windows 8 is needed.

What's Inside

• Designing, creating, and selling Windows Store apps
• Developing touch and sensor-centric apps
• Working C# examples, from feature-level techniques to complete app design
• Making apps that talk to each other
• Mixing in C++ for even more features

About the Author

Pete Brown is a Developer Evangelist at Microsoft and author of Silverlight 4 in Action and Silverlight 5 in Action.

Purchase of the print book includes a free eBook in PDF, Kindle, and ePub formats from Manning Publications.

Table of Contents

1. Hello, Modern Windows
2. The Modern UI
3. The Windows Runtime and .NET
4. XAML
5. Layout
6. Panels
7. Brushes, graphics, styles, and resources
8. Displaying beautiful text
9. Controls, binding, and MVVM
10. View controls, Semantic Zoom, and navigation
11. The app bar
12. The splash screen, app tile, and notifications
13. View states
14. Contracts: playing nicely with others
15. Working with files
16. Asynchronous everywhere
17. Networking with SOAP and RESTful services
18. A chat app using sockets
19. A little UI work: user controls and Blend
20. Networking player location
21. Keyboards, mice, touch, accelerometers, and gamepads
22. App settings and suspend/resume
23. Deploying and selling your app

Pete Brown is the Windows 8 XAML Platform evangelist at Microsoft. Before joining Microsoft, Pete was a WPF MVP, a Silverlight MVP, and wrote real production code for a living. He's the author of Silverlight 4 in Action and Silverlight 5 in Action, and blogs at http://10rem.net.