Developers- I Want to develop apps for WP and I need your help. thanks :-)

[Ashish Gupta888]

Hi Devs,
I am planning to develop apps for Windows Phone as I think I can use my skills in developing good apps for the platform. I have good experience on J2EE (mostly struts) and have some basic knowledge on VB and C# and J2ME. I was searching on the internet and found WP apps can be developed if someone who knows VB/C#. I want to know if its too complex to develop WP apps for a non-DotNet student (I have never worked with Visual Studio)? I am planning to sharpen my skills on .NET platform before indulging into app development. I need some piece of advice from developers community who can guide me to some good internet reading source/articles in relation to WP app development.

Thanks.

 

[jontyfernz]

Hi Devs,
I am planning to develop apps for Windows Phone as I think I can use my skills in developing good apps for the platform. I have good experience on J2EE (mostly struts) and have some basic knowledge on VB and C# and J2ME. I was searching on the internet and found WP apps can be developed if someone who knows VB/C#. I want to know if its too complex to develop WP apps for a non-DotNet student (I have never worked with Visual Studio)? I am planning to sharpen my skills on .NET platform before indulging into app development. I need some piece of advice from developers community who can guide me to some good internet reading source/articles in relation to WP app development.

Thanks.

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/window

 

[Ashish Gupta888]

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/window

Hey, thanks for the link but page does not show any content though. Could you verify again?

 

[jontyfernz]

Hey, thanks for the link but page does not show any content though. Could you verify again?

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/ff402526%28v=vs.105%29.aspx

 

[DecaTec_de]

Well, coming from Java, C# itself wouldn't be a real problem. Also using Visual Studio should be straightforward, especially if you had to work with IBM RAD or Eclipse before. I really don't like RAD/Eclipse and I'm always glad if I can switch back to VS.

I have developed desktop applications for a few years now with C# and WPF before I started developing apps on Win mobile platform. I have to admit that there are many small differences in the APIs when you start developing apps. It isn't the 'heavy weight' .NET framework with WPF - many things just work the same way, but others don't because the APIs and interfaces were changed. Due to this, developing my first app took me longer than expected.

If you want to directly start app development, I would suggest that you just start with your first app. MSDN is always a good source with lots of tutorials/sample code, etc. If you want to get into development pretty fast, start with an app without lots of functionality - the 1000th flashlight app will do. Just go ahead and learn, you even don't have to put the app in the store. With the skills built up with this first app, you can then start your first 'real' app. Developing the second app will be much easier and you don't have to focus on the 'glue code' (navigation, code specific to the mobile platform) and can concentrate on the business logic itself.

And another hint: MS recommends to develop any app as universal app (i.e. one app for Windows and Windows Phone). In order to avoid copied code, I would suggest that you memorize the MVVM pattern (sorry, I can't post links yet) - that is to seperate the model (business logic), the view (XAML) and the view's logic (that what's you ususally do in the code behind). This way you can have lots of shared code for both platforms. There are some really good libraries out there supporting development with MVVM. I can recommend the MVVMlight toolkit (no link, sorry again, but Google will help you).

Anyway, have fun and stick to it even if some things seem complicated and you have to do lots of trial and error. It will be worth the trouble.

 

[Ashish Gupta888]

Well, coming from Java, C# itself wouldn't be a real problem. Also using Visual Studio should be straightforward, especially if you had to work with IBM RAD or Eclipse before. I really don't like RAD/Eclipse and I'm always glad if I can switch back to VS.

I have developed desktop applications for a few years now with C# and WPF before I started developing apps on Win mobile platform. I have to admit that there are many small differences in the APIs when you start developing apps. It isn't the 'heavy weight' .NET framework with WPF - many things just work the same way, but others don't because the APIs and interfaces were changed. Due to this, developing my first app took me longer than expected.

If you want to directly start app development, I would suggest that you just start with your first app. MSDN is always a good source with lots of tutorials/sample code, etc. If you want to get into development pretty fast, start with an app without lots of functionality - the 1000th flashlight app will do. Just go ahead and learn, you even don't have to put the app in the store. With the skills built up with this first app, you can then start your first 'real' app. Developing the second app will be much easier and you don't have to focus on the 'glue code' (navigation, code specific to the mobile platform) and can concentrate on the business logic itself.

And another hint: MS recommends to develop any app as universal app (i.e. one app for Windows and Windows Phone). In order to avoid copied code, I would suggest that you memorize the MVVM pattern (sorry, I can't post links yet) - that is to seperate the model (business logic), the view (XAML) and the view's logic (that what's you ususally do in the code behind). This way you can have lots of shared code for both platforms. There are some really good libraries out there supporting development with MVVM. I can recommend the MVVMlight toolkit (no link, sorry again, but Google will help you).

Anyway, have fun and stick to it even if some things seem complicated and you have to do lots of trial and error. It will be worth the trouble.

Thanks much for your valuable suggestion. I am learning few sample apps from tutorials shared by MS and will be developing few basic apps for myself before even pushing it to Store. I want to contribute to WP platform and will come up with good but effective apps once I get used to C# and VS. Lets see how it goes ;-)

 

[Mr G Reaper]

Im completly self taught via the internet, i come from an age where BASIC and EasyAMOS where the key to programming, and switched to java to make minecraft mods, learning object orientated thinking was (and still is at times) tricky (old dog new tricks), nearly everything i learnt in java has been useful in c#, it hardly feels like a change so comming into it with the knowledge you have should be easy.

my tips 1) look at **EDIT** cant post links arhhhhhh** ok google "windows dev centre benefits" they offer a scheme to new members where they will change your microsoft account to a developer account for free so long as you promise to release an app in 3 months.(once you submit an app the developer account is yours for life, very handy if your unsure if you want to commit to windows developing and are as fund deprived as myself or well...most people this day and age)
2) if your not on windows 8.1 pro and planning to make windows phone apps, get the windows 10 developer preview for windows (keep your physical phone at 8.1 though) this gives you access to the emulators, very useful as to support all phone resolutions you need to provide a screen shot in wxga(think its wxga....hmmm but you will see what i mean) and it will auto convert to all resolutions or an image from each resolution...this is not easy if your phone is not wxga.
3) download visual studio 2013 for windows and have a play about with it

i found **EDIT** another link was here but not alowed to post them as new grrrrr Google "channel9 windows phone 8 development for absolute begineers" the video serise on that first link is very helpful when i started out although i recommand going for the universal app approach rather then silverlight, allows you to support windows and windows phone

hope that helps!

 

[Threezool]

Just started out a few month ago learning C# .NET coming from PHP so i got the logic down its just the syntax and Framework i had to get used to and i just now launched my own app on the store. Its nothing special but it feel nice to be able to have something to show off onyl after a such a short time. =)

The hardest part for me was XAML but other than that it was quite straight forward.

 

[Eng Soon Cheah]

Hi all,
you may refer to Channel 9 , Microsoft MVA or refer your local Microsoft MVP.

 

[XboxRacer159]

I know this is an old thread, but I also found this blog to be helpful when starting out. I knew C#, but had never developed a native app (spent most of my time in the web world (Struts/Spring/Angular)).

https://comentsys.wordpress.com/2015/05/31/windows-10-universal-windows-platform-tutorials/