14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft is offering developers free guidance on how to migrate Windows Phone applications, in particular Windows Phone 7 apps, to Windows 8.
The software giant set up a webpage on the new Windows Dev Center, dedicated specially to “Migrating a Windows Phone 7 app.”
Of course, for the time being, developers will need to use the Windows 8 Developer Preview Build 8102 Milestone 3 (M3) for their projects.
According to the Redmond company, the section offers guidance on the porting of Silverlight Windows Phone 7 apps to Windows 8. On their way to the next major iteration of Windows, applications can become Metro apps using either C++, C#, or Visual Basic or JavaScript.
“Typically, you develop an application for Windows Phone 7 by using Microsoft Silverlight and one of the managed programming languages—usually C#,” Microsoft reveals.
“There are two main Metro style app development approaches that you can use when migrating your Windows Phone 7 app: XAML, and JavaScript with HTML5. You develop Metro style apps using C++, C#, or Visual Basic by using one of those languages with XAML, whereas you develop Metro style apps using JavaScript with JavaScript, CSS, and HTML5 along with the Windows Library for JavaScript.”
Microsoft stresses that the best way to port a Windows Phone 7 app to Windows 8 is to create a Metro application leveraging XAML, namely, technologies such as C++, C#, or Visual Basic.
“If you are familiar with Silverlight, you can port to a Metro style app using XAML by using familiar languages like C# or Visual Basic, and a similar set of UI elements and APIs,” the company stated.
It’s of course, also possible, although less recommended to port WP7 apps to Metro apps using JS. “A Metro style app using JavaScript is another model for Windows Phone 7 ports, and may be better suited for simple UI-based apps or to full-screen web apps or clients,” the software giant notes.
Visual Studio 11 Developer Preview is available for download here. Windows 8 Developer Preview Build 8102 Milestone 3 (M3) is available for download here.