Resources for Android developers (Windows Store apps)
[This documentation is preliminary and is subject to change.]
Purpose
Are you an Android app developer? If so, you can use the info throughout this section to take your existing Android app development skills and start applying them to developing great apps for Windows 8. Why should you build apps for Windows 8? Here are just a few of the benefits:
- Targets millions more devices and users for your apps. You can code once and have a great app experience that scales across millions of devices from tablets to all-in-one PCs, from 10" to 27" screen sizes.
- Opportunity to make money. Not only does Windows 8 let you keep more money per download than Google Play with an 80% revenue for total sales over $25,000 USD, Windows 8 and the Windows Store also make it simple for millions of customers to find, try and buy your apps from practically anywhere in the world. The Windows Store makes it easy to distribute, update, and get paid for the apps that you develop.
- Choose from several supported programming languages, technologies, and standards.Windows 8 lets you build Windows Store apps using a variety of programming languages. You can program your apps using C#, C++, or Microsoft Visual Basic, while using Extensible Application Markup Language (XAML) to declaratively describe the user interface. Or you can build apps using web technologies like HTML5, Cascading Style Sheets, Level 3 (CSS3), and JavaScript. Developers looking for the best possible performance on Windows 8 can use Microsoft DirectX with C++.
For more great reasons to build apps for Windows 8, see Windows Store opportunity for Android developers.
In this section
| Topic | Description |
|---|---|
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Provides a series of short, hands-on walkthroughs interspersed with concepts for Android app developers to gain experience with using Microsoft Visual Studio Express 2013 Preview for Windows to start building simple Windows Store apps for Windows 8.1 Preview. | |
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This tutorial shows you how to create, build, and run your first Windows Store app with Visual Studio Express 2013 for Windows. Although all developers can benefit from this tutorial, this info is presented specifically from an Android developer's perspective. | |
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We provide an API mapping index to help you find Android API equivalents to the Windows Runtime APIs so that you can jumpstart your development projects for Windows 8. | |
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Use these resources to map selected Android development areas, API classes, and coding tasks to equivalents for Windows Store apps. | |
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Use these resources to learn about key similarities and differences between the Android and Windows 8 platforms, including key programming models and coding tasks. | |
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Links to articles and blog posts for Android app developers who also want to build great apps for Windows 8. |
Developer audience
The info throughout this section is intended for developers who are creating Android apps and who want to create similar Windows Store apps for Windows 8.
To successfully create a Windows Store app, you should become familiar with at least one of the supported programming languages: C#, C++, Visual Basic, or JavaScript. Depending on your choice of programming language, you there are some additional technologies that you may need to start learning, like XAML, the Windows Runtime, HTML5, and CSS3. At first, this may sound a bit overwhelming, but don't worry: we'll help make it easier for you. Just click one of the links below to start going through some hands-on app-building exercises and start learning from there as you go:
- Roadmap for Windows Store apps using C# or Visual Basic
- Roadmap for Windows Store apps using C++
- Roadmap for Windows Store apps using DirectX and C++
- Roadmap for Windows Store apps using JavaScript
Run-time requirements
To successfully start creating Windows Store apps, you'll need the following at a minimum:
- Windows 8.1 Preview and Visual Studio Express 2013 for Windows. To get them, go to the Windows 8.1 Preview for Developers page.
- A Windows Store developer account. To get one, go to the Windows Store Dashboard and follow the on-screen directions.
Related topics
- For everyone
- Meet Windows Store apps
- Windows Store app development: the basics
- Windows 8 Product Guide for Developers
- For developers
- Java versus C#: an introduction
- Windows Dev Camps
- Windows Store App Labs
- For designers and developers
- Download design assets for Windows Store apps
Build date: 6/24/2013
