Design apps for SharePoint

Because the Cloud App Model in SharePoint 2013 makes so many design options possible, apps for SharePoint can come in many shapes and sizes. This section contains helpful guidance for some of the most important decisions that you need to make as you are planning and designing the architecture and user experience of your app—including how you will host your app, how your app will efficiently and securely access data, and what the user experience will be.

For an overview of the design and architecture options that are available with apps for SharePoint, see Three ways to think about design options for apps for SharePoint. For an overview of what apps for SharePoint are, see Apps for SharePoint overview.

Apps for SharePoint support multiple hosting options. You can choose your own web stack, have Microsoft provision Windows Azure and SQL Azure, or have the app hosted on SharePoint. Table 1 contains resources that can help you choose the right hosting model for your app.

You must ensure that your app accesses data efficiently and securely. Various data access technologies are available for accessing SharePoint and working with data in your app. Table 2 provides resources to help you learn about your options and choose the one that is right for your app.

As you design your app, your real goal should be to create an experience that enables users to complete the scenarios that you intend for them to accomplish. In Table 3, discover the resources and design guidance that you need to build great apps that follow best practices for user experience design and have the familiar appearance and behavior of SharePoint 2013.

Someday you may want to produce an update of your app and upload it to the Office Store or an organization's app catalog. That task will be a lot easier if you think about how you would update the app while you are designing the first version. We recommend that you read the following articles early in the design phase: App for SharePoint update process and How to: Update apps for SharePoint. In particular, if you are producing an autohosted app that includes a Windows Azure SQL Database, we recommend that you read Record the database schema version in your database.

Have a solid design for your app? Get ready to build your app and publish it. The resources provided in Table 4 can help you get started.

• Reimagine SharePoint development

• Build apps for SharePoint

• Apps for SharePoint overview

• Get started developing apps for SharePoint

• Develop apps for SharePoint

• Blog for apps