Where to learn to make "dynamic" apps

[Oldmajor]

I feel comfortable making basic apps (calculators, word puzzles, info apps, etc). However, I want to be able to control content from the backend vs needing to update the app itself for new content. No C# or Windows Development books I own talk about this. Im looking for a scenario where I have a database of cars (just an example) and if Ford makes a new model I just add it to my back end database and the next time the user opens the app (with data connection) the new Ford would be under the all Ford vehicles page.

 

[Mr G Reaper]

in my app i save a character as an html file, when i come to display it since its on the sd card i cant simply display it i have to convert it to a string, then output the string into the webview .....a wierdity but may offer you some options:
you could have your app download a file from say your drop box then convert that to a string, and from there well what ever you want to do with it

private async void webControl(string fileName)
        {
            string fileContent;
            StorageFolder externalDevices = Windows.Storage.KnownFolders.RemovableDevices;
            StorageFolder sdcard = (await externalDevices.GetFoldersAsync()).FirstOrDefault();
            var dataFolder = await sdcard.GetFolderAsync("RpgApp");
            var file = await dataFolder.GetFileAsync(fileName);
            using (StreamReader reader = new StreamReader(await file.OpenStreamForReadAsync()))
            {
                fileContent = await reader.ReadToEndAsync();
            }
            if (fileContent.Equals("")) { fileContent = "ERROR: The file you loaded is empty or corrupt.<br> Suggest you delete " + file.Name + " from the RpgApp folder"; }
            web.NavigateToString(fileContent);
        }

is the method i wrote to turn a file into a string, though understand i am but a novice myself so they may (more then likely is) MUCH better ways of doing it.
but thats how i would go about it,
i would use have the ford file listing each car model in a comma seperated file and then split it the string at the commas, and add them to a list.

good luck, hope that helps.

 

[astondg]

You could look into Windows Azure Mobile Services. You can create a couple of services for free. It basically provides a REST API over a database that you can connect to from WP using the Mobile Services client (nuget package). You can extend this but by bit with find like authentication & offline access.