5 Things To Consider While Developing An App For Windows 8

By Author: Brooke M. Perry
Total Articles: 84
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If you are planning to develop an app for Windows 8 or Windows phone, then it is quite obvious that you might feel lost with how to start with, especially if you are a beginner in this field. If taken in a right way, then app development is not very challenging provided you put your complete dedication, and use right resources and tools. However, from outside, it always appears to be a rocket science.

If you're interested in getting into app development, then you must keep five important things under your consideration. For detailed information read below:

Download Visual Studio

To start developing your own Windows 8 apps, first and foremost, you need to get the right tools. First of all, you have to download thelatest preview of Visual Studio 2012. This is available for free. Visual Studios are available for beginners as well as for professionals. So as per your requirement you can choose the version you want. But the free version is the Express version, and it is capable of doing almost everything if you are just a beginner.

Just download the Visual Studio and get it installed. It won’t take much ...
... time to get installed as it is less than 400MB. Once done with the installation, explore it and check out its setting options available. Do this after taking some time in hand.

Note that Visual Studio Express 2012 for Windows 8 works on PCs, but if you want to develop your app using your Windows phone then you need to download Visual Studio Express 2012 for Windows Phone.

Choosing an approach

Next step is to choose an approach for your app. Before starting the coding for an app for Windows 8 using the installed templates, it is recommended that you design and draft your approach first.

By choosing an approach, you should precisely define your skills as a developer, your situation and your goals. Only after knowing the answers to these questions, you will be able to use your time more effectively and develop your app with best results. You can be a new developer, experienced Windows Phone developer or you can be an experienced Windows app developer. Depending on your experience and skills your approach will vary. You should pick tools based on your skill-set.

Pick a language

Now, if you have your tools and you have a clear idea of what you have to create, it’s time to choose a programming language for your app. For this, you have to rely on your past experience. If you have the experience of working with web development languages such as HTML, CSS or JavaScript, then developing Metro apps won’t be a very challenging task for you. You can use the HTML5 and CSS3 combination to design the user interface (UI) of the app, while you can use the JavaScript to program the logic of the app.

However, if you are not much experienced in using the web development languages, then you can still go with the app development by using the conventional programming languages, such as C++, C# or Visual Basic. If you have never done programming before, then it is recommended that you start with C# and then move on other similar languages like Java. After learning Java, you can eventually learn C++ as well. Although, programming looks daunting at the very beginning but there are so many resources to make the process easy.

Resources

Resources are very helpful, whether you are a seasoned developer or a new programmer. These resources help you in getting accustomed to a new language. You can get good online resources for free or you can also choose to buy a programming book. There are different popular and well written language specific programming books. You should always refer language specific books to learn it in the most appropriate way. But if you are planning to use online resources, then you can visit website like C# Station. Then, there is Microsoft Developer Network, which includes many tutorials to help out the new as well as seasoned programmers. You can also choose to read different developers’ blogs.

In the present Internet era, there is actually no dearth of good and also free tutorials and resources. But it is very important that you refer to these resources consistently, to understand the inside and outside of your programming language.

Sign up for a developer account

Once you complete the designing of your app, you need to publish it in Windows App Store, and for this you need to create a developer account. With Windows Store, you can create two types of developer accounts, either the individual accounts or the company accounts. Moreover, these Developer accounts are based on countries and regions.

Wrap-up

So this is the basic framework of how a Windows 8 app development process works out and the things you need to take care of while developing an app for Windows 8. You must refer to reliable and appropriate resources. Books are always the most trusted one, however these days good online tutorials are also available. Doing the right homework by putting time into approach selection is also important to get the best results out of your efforts.

About the Author: He is a Technology writer working with Qresolve as a Technical Support Engineer. Brook M. Perry has been offering online tech support to global customers for issues related to laptops, desktops, Mac and devices including iPods, tablets, iPhones. online pc support She caters to the segment of core technology and provides viable solutions to any issues related to technology and software. Her expertise and skills in handling key technology issues is immaculate and quick result bearing.