Hello Friends
To develop a desktop app for Microsoft windows 8 and 8.1 you require a software developer kit which is called "VISUAL STUDIO". This kit is easily available to download from Microsoft's Official Dev website.
Link to download Visual Studio for Windows Desktop:
http://www.visualstudio.com/en-us/downloads/download-visual-studio-vs.aspx
Visual Studio has two versions VS - 2012 and VS - 2013. Visual Studio 2012 was used with windows 8 and it's apps' development but Visual Studio 2013 is more advance and used for development of Windows 8.1 applications.
A visual studio is a kit which makes coding very easy, simple and comfortable for a developer.
A windows application can be developed using two main ways:
1. using JAVA script and HTML 5 (plus CSS)
2. using C++/C#
So, you have to decide which suits you the best for development of an app.
For developing an App, first think about the need or requirement of the app then based on that need decide the concept or category over which you are going to make app, that is decide what you want to develop.
For example: I developed a media player (Audio & Video player).
In the same way you can finalize your category, categories like: Blog App, Health App, Informational App, Education, Media, eBook etc.
After finalizing your category, decide your coding language i.e. whether you want to code your app using C# or JAVA and HTML.
In my case I chose JAVA Script and HTML 5 and now you can decide yours'.
After Downloading Visual Studio, register it using your Microsoft User ID, if you don't have any then Please SignUp at live.com or outlook and use that account.
Now you are ready to start with the Coding and Design Work.
Role of Design in Windows 8 and 8.1 Application:
1. As you know that you are going to develop an app which should meet the Standard and Quality of microsoft so you must make sure to keep the Design As simple as possible and Attractive.
2. Simple Design attracts every person.
3. Dimensions of Text and images should be appropriate.
4. Use Inbuilt win-controls in Visual Studio.
Coding (HTML 5 and JAVA) :
To start,
1. Open
"Visual Studio"
2. Click on
"New Project"
3. Click on the
"Blank Application" option
4. There you go, A page will open up with a default code written inside it.
5. Goto To the sidebar on the Right Side and double click on
"default.html".
6. "default.html" will open up with a pre-written code.
7. Start writing your html code after the pre-written code in
"default.html".
8. To edit the JAVA SCRIPT you can ADD java Script in HTML Default File only.
9. Further you can make extra new html page ( Go to FILE>New File>.html) for inserting a number of pages in your app, so that a user can navigate from one page to another page for different content.
10. You Can also make changes to app manifest package to make it useful according to it's features and needs (Go to Right Sidebar>package.appmanifest), this option is used to name your Application and Describe it and configure it to appear in the Start search of your computer.
11. save your project (press ctrl+s).
NOTE: The Default Location of your Saved Project is (C: > User > Documents > Visual Studio > Projects >
(App1 or YourProjectName) > (App1.js or YourProjectName.js))
To Design your application go to your project
folder in the Default Location and Open the “images" folder and edit each image according to logo of your application, use MS Paint to edit each image and save it there only.
Go to Start> Now your Application will be appearing somewhere in All Apps, click on it to Run it !
Congratulations ! You are done with Coding And Design Work ! Your Application has been Developed Successfully.
In the next post we will tell you about publishing your Application to the Microsoft Windows 8 and 8.1 App Store
Till then, good Bye, Happy Coding and Designing.
Good Luck
Regards
