Developing apps for Windows Phone 8

Article
05/20/2016

[ This article is for Windows Phone 8 developers. If you’re developing for Windows 10, see the latest documentation. ]

This topic provides a checklist of some of the most important tasks in developing a Windows Phone app. It also identifies some of the most popular and most powerful features in the Windows Phone platform. Explore this topic and the other topics in this section to learn how to create Windows Phone apps.

This topic contains the following sections.

Before you begin

Before you begin developing your app for Windows Phone, read the following topics.

Task	More info
Get started.	Getting started with developing for Windows Phone 8
Write your first app.	How to create your first app for Windows Phone 8
Register your phone.	How to register your phone for development for Windows Phone 8

Become familiar with Windows Phone SDK tools

The following topics describe how to become familiar with Windows Phone SDK tools.

Task	More info
Create a new app.	How to create a new app project from a template for Windows Phone 8
Run your app.	How to deploy and run an app for Windows Phone 8
Check the list of features that you can test in the emulator.	Windows Phone Emulator for Windows Phone 8
Explore files and folders used by your app.	How to use the Isolated Storage Explorer tool for Windows Phone 8
Become familiar with the testing tools.	Testing apps for Windows Phone 8

Design and build your app’s user interface

The following topics describe how to design and build your app’s user interface.

Task	More info
Study the design guidelines.	Design library for Windows Phone
Get started with XAML.	Quickstart: Creating a user interface with XAML for Windows Phone 8
Use built-in controls to create an app with multiple pages.	Panorama control for Windows Phone 8 Pivot control for Windows Phone 8
Add a menu by using the app bar.	App bar for Windows Phone
Give visual feedback when users press a control.	Control tilt effect for Windows Phone 8

Navigate to other pages and manage your app’s lifecycle

The following topics describe how to manage navigation in your app and also how to manage your app’s lifecycle

Task	More info
Navigate to another page.	How to perform page navigation on Windows Phone 8
Navigate back.	How to navigate using the back stack for Windows Phone 8
Manage state when your app is deactivated.	App activation and deactivation for Windows Phone 8
Do something in the background.	Multitasking for Windows Phone 8
Launch another app by using a file or Uri association.	Auto-launching apps using file and URI associations for Windows Phone 8

Add commonly used features

The following topics describe how to add features that are common to most apps.

Task	More info
Display the best on-screen keyboard for the task.	On-screen keyboard input scope index for Windows Phone 8
Handle touch input.	Quickstart: Touch input for Windows Phone 8
Load and save files.	Quickstart: Working with files and folders in Windows Phone 8
Save settings.	Quickstart: Working with settings for Windows Phone 8
Store data in a local database.	Local database for Windows Phone 8

Integrate powerful features from the Windows Phone platform

The following topics describe how to integrate powerful features from the Windows Phone platform.

Task	More info
Make the most of your app’s Live Tile on the Start screen.	Tiles for Windows Phone 8
Create notifications, alarms, and reminders.	Notifications for Windows Phone 8
Call built-in apps to do common tasks by using launchers and choosers.	Launchers and Choosers for Windows Phone 8
Capture photos and videos.	Camera and photos for Windows Phone 8
Get your location and display maps.	Location for Windows Phone 8 Maps and navigation for Windows Phone 8
Play music and videos.	Media for Windows Phone

Build special types of apps

The following topics describe how to build special types of Windows Phone apps and components.

Task	More info
Write a game.	Games for Windows Phone 8
Develop in C++.	Direct3D app development for Windows Phone 8
Reuse code with a Windows Store app.	Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8 app development
Write a task that runs in the background.	Background agents for Windows Phone 8
Track location in the background.	Running location-tracking apps in the background for Windows Phone 8

What’s next?

After you develop your app, you’re ready to test it. submit it to the Windows Phone Store. You can also review the ways to make money from your app.

Task	More info
Test your app.	Testing apps for Windows Phone 8
Make money from your app.	Monetizing apps for Windows Phone 8