Jeremy Likness - Building Windows 8 Apps with C# and XAML

Jeremy Likness

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ISBN-13: 978-0-321-82216-1
ISBN-10: 0-321-82216-1

Text printed in the United States on recycled paper at RR Donnelley and Sons, Crawfordsville, Indiana.

First printing, October 2012

To Ma: Your support and encouragement have always been a blessing to me. I will miss not being able to share that I finished this book with you.

The life of the software developer isnt an easy one. Every ten years or so, he has to throw away everything he knows and start all over again. Times change, and technologies change even faster. A decade ago, developers had to retool their skill sets for the move from Win32 to .NET and C#. Today, theres a new platform in town. Its called Windows 8, and with it comes a profound shift in the way Windows apps are conceived and executed.

Windows 8 is like no Windows the world has seen before. The new Windows programming model favors simplicity, security, and battery efficiency above all else. Modern Windows apps run full-screen, single-instance, and one at a time. Their UIs can be built in XAML, HTML, or DirectX. They run in a sandbox that stops malicious code in its tracks, and theyre inspected before theyre published in the Windows Store to make sure they dont violate the sandbox. They prefer touch screens but play equally well with mice and other input devices. Moreover, they install with a single click and uninstall without leaving a trace.

Underneath the new user interface is a new API: The Windows Runtime API, better known as WinRT. WinRT represents a rethinking of what the Windows API would look like if it were redesigned from the ground up. The old Windows API is outdated, overly complex, and tied to a specific language. The WinRT API, by contrast, is thoroughly modern and can be called from a variety of languages. Indeed, one of the most remarkable aspects of Windows 8 is that for the first time in history, a developer versed in HTML and JavaScript enjoys the same ability to write Windows apps as developers who speak XAML and C#.

What it means for the developer isyou guessed ittime to start over again. WinRT is the Windows API now, and the new UI layer, formerly known as Metro, is the new face of Windows apps. Be bold or be left behind.

Becoming a Windows 8 developer means learning WinRT. It means getting comfortable with asynchronous programming. It means understanding that a Windows app that isnt visible to the user is suspended and that an app thats suspended can be unceremoniously terminated by the operating system at any time. It means learning about contracts, which allow apps to integrate with the charms that slide out from the right side of the screen. It means learning about live tiles, push notifications, and other features that make an app a first-class citizen in the Windows 8 environment. It means understanding the Windows 8 design philosophy and how to use XAML to craft compelling, fluid, and responsive Windows UIs.

When youre in the wilderness, it helps to have a guide who has been there before. I cant think of anyone more qualified to lead you on the journey to Windows 8 enlightenment than Jeremy Likness. Jeremy is the only person I know who works 32 hours a day. (He sleeps the other four.) I used to say that I might work with people a lot smarter than me, but none of them can work more hours than me. Ive had to reconsider that with Jeremy. Shoot him an e-mail at 3:00 a.m., and youll have a reply by 3:02. Thats why hes a Principal Consultant at Wintellect and why we turn to him to architect and implement Windows 8 solutions for our customers. A teacher can be only so effective if he isnt out there working in the trenches. Jeremy builds real apps for real customers. Thats why I can heartily recommend this book and why Im excited to see how its received by the community.

Windows 8 is a bold move on Microsofts partperhaps the boldest move the company has made since the introduction of Windows itself. But its the right move at the right time. The action in software development for the next ten years wont revolve around traditional PCs. Itll be in writing apps for tablets, phones, and other mobile devices. Companies will be built and millionaires will be made from apps for devices with portable form factors, including Microsofts new Surface tablet. To ignore WinRT is to ignore the part of the Microsoft stack that lets you write for these devices.

Learn WinRT. Go out and write some great apps. Help make this platform a success. And keep this book handy. When you run into problems, its the next best thing to an instant response to a 3:00 a.m. e-mail. From Jeremys perspective, its even better.

Jeff Prosise, Co-Founder, Wintellect

The first whispers about windows 8 surfaced in early 2011. Widespread speculation swept the Internet as developers began to question what the new platform would look like. The rumors included a new platform that wouldnt support the .NET Framework, was based solely on C++ or HTML5 and JavaScript, and wouldnt run any existing software. Early builds and screenshots leaked over Twitter but this only fueled speculation. Finally Steven Sinofsky, President of the Windows Division at Microsoft, took the stage on September 13, 2011 and released an early build of Windows 8 to the world.