Professional C# 2012 and .NET 4.5

Chapter 38

Windows Store Apps

WHAT’S IN THIS CHAPTER?

• How Windows 8 apps differ from Windows desktop apps
• Defining app bars
• Navigating between pages
• Reacting to layout changes
• Using storage and pickers
• Using sharing contracts
• Creating tiles

WROX.COM CODE DOWNLOADS FOR THIS CHAPTER

The wrox.com code downloads for this chapter are found at http://www.wrox.com/remtitle.cgi?isbn=1118314425 on the Download Code tab. The code for this chapter just contains one big sample that shows the various aspects of this chapter:

• Menu Card

OVERVIEW

If you read Chapter 31, then you are now familiar with the foundations of Windows 8 apps and how the Windows Runtime relates to .NET. Knowing the basics covered in Chapter 31 will enable you to begin writing Windows 8 apps. This chapter covers the design principles and special XAML features that are not available with WPF, and demonstrates several aspects of working with Windows 8 apps, such as reacting to layout changes, reading and writing files with the Windows Runtime storage API and file pickers, and using contracts to communicate with other applications.

In addition to Chapter 31, you should also be familiar with the basic information about XAML already covered in Chapters 29, 35, and 36. Only those features specific to Windows 8 apps are covered here.

WINDOWS 8 MODERN UI DESIGN

One of the first things you notice about Windows 8 apps is that they look different to desktop applications. There’s a big emphasis on the UI design, based on the belief ...