Windows 8 Application Development with HTML5 For Dummies

From Windows 8 Application Development with HTML5 For Dummies by Bill Sempf

Windows 8 is a new way of looking at development on the Microsoft platform. Building apps for the Windows Store with Visual Studio 2012 is different from what longtime Microsoft developers are used to. It's a different take on the mobile development that has taken the world by storm over the past few years. Here’s a great place to find a few tips on the new WinRT API:

The WinRT API

WinRT is the way to get to devices running Windows Store apps programmatically. It is an object-oriented, well-structured application programming interface (API) that gives Windows 8 developers access to everything the operating system has to offer from C++, C#, VB.NET and JavaScript.

Namespace	What It Does
Windows.ApplicationModel	Gives apps insight into their own existence. Package information and IDE information can be found here.
Windows.Data	No SQL Connections in Windows Store apps! Windows.Data gives you HTML, XML, and JSON parsing.
Windows.Devices	Camera, compass, speakers, GPS, accelerometer . . . you know, all the cool stuff.
Windows.Foundation	This is where the async stuff hides, as well as URI parsing and images.
Windows.Globalization	Everything you might need to make sure your app works everywhere in the known universe. Klingon, anyone?
Windows.Graphics	Handles how things that are not part of DirectX look on the screen. Printing is also handled here.
Windows.Management	Handles the management of the app itself. You can deal with the data behind the configuration of your app and deployment.
Windows.Media	Pictures, video, and sound parsing are here, as well as all of the various format libraries, and ways to handle new ones.
Windows.Networking	You don't have to worry about network sockets with Windows Store apps, but you still need to call Web Services.
Windows.Security	Authentication, authorization, encryption, and hashing, and logging into Facebook. (Not kidding.)
Windows.Storage	Handles not only file access, but also the picker contracts and searching, streaming, and compression. Everything about files.
Windows.System	Think "your" machine — threading, display, and profile. Stuff specific to this machine.
Windows.UI	The biggest namespace in WinRT. All of the touch-enabled UI controls are found here, along with XAML specifics and widgets like the Start screen.
Windows.Web	Handles all of the web stuff that Windows needs, like publishing to RSS and ATOM.

Accessing the Best of WinRT with WinJS

The best bits of WinRT can be accessed from JavaScript thanks to WinJS — a new library for Windows 8 programming from Microsoft. The WinJS library gives HTML5 programmers the ability to get to all of the cool stuff in WinRT that might otherwise go against the grain of JavaScript development, like async and data binding.

Namespace	What It Does
WinJS.Application	Gives easy access to the higher-level DOM objects like storage and app eventing.
WinJS.Binding	Data binding, HTML style.
WinJS.Class	JavaScript might not have classes, but WinRT does! Makes your JavaScript more class-driven.
WinJS.Namespace	If you have classes, you need namespaces to keep them in, right?
WinJS.Navigation	The navigational model of Windows Store apps is wide and deep. Get around with this set of classes.
WinJS.Resources	Core resources and localization can be found here.
WinJS.UI	This is the biggest bit. All of the HTML controls that have styles for touch are in here, along with animation and the page model.
WinJS.Utilities	Contains all of the helpers that smooth the transition from web development to Windows 8 development.

Links to Cool Windows 8 Application Development Stuff

In Windows 8, Links to Cool Stuff is a way of life. Here is where, at least at the time of writing, you can get what you need for Windows 8 application development.

Cool Stuff	What It Does	Link
Generation app	Get help from Microsoft to build your app idea in 30 days — for free. Can’t do better than that.	http://sempf.me/YourApp30Days
Developer downloads	Need the tools to get started writing Windows Store apps? Get them here.	http://sempf.me/VS2012Express
Windows Azure free trial	Need a place to keep your services? Who doesn’t? Give Microsoft Azure a try for free.	http://sempf.me/WinAzureTrial
Windows Phone app in 30 days	Thinking of taking your Windows 8 idea to the Windows Phone? Great idea. Microsoft gives you free help to get it on the store in 30 days.	http://sempf.me/GoWindowsPhone
Windows Academy	Need some more training? What you can't learn from For Dummies you can find at Windows Academy.	http://sempf.me/GetSomeTraining