14 DAY TRIAL // The Metro style app development section of the new Windows Developer Center is an invaluable resource to all developers looking to build Windows 8 Metro applications, as the official label implies. The Metro style app reference is one part of the resources that the Redmond company is offering free of charge to devs, along with Windows 8 Developer Preview Build 8102 Milestone 3 (M3) and the numerous developer tools, including an early Build of Visual Studio 11.
There are three sections to the Metro style app reference, each one focused on a different type of resources.
“The Metro style app reference describes the programming interfaces, schemas, and languages for developing Metro style apps for Windows,” the software giant revealed.
As testers undoubtedly know by now, Windows 8 brings to the table the Metro platform, enabling developers to leverage existing C#, C++ and Visual Basic skills, but also technologies such as HTML5, JavaScript and CSS3 in order to build Windows projects.
Metro apps are completely immersive, pushing the Windows 8 chrome to the background completely and running full screen.
They can also be interconnected to one another as well as to a range of Cloud services including Windows Live offerings.
Metro apps will only be available through the Windows Store, once it goes live. The Windows Store is not available along with Windows 8 Developer Preview Build 8102 M3.
Still, the company is urging devs to start building Windows 8 metro apps and get ready for the advent of the operating system.
Here are some more details that the company shared about the Metro style app reference:
“- APIs for Metro style apps - This API reference describes the programming interfaces for developing Metro style apps for Windows.
- This section describes the programming languages available to you and any variations in the Windows Developer Preview implementation of those languages.
- This section describes the XML schemas used in Windows Developer Preview to create Metro style apps.”
Visual Studio 11 Developer Preview is available for download here. Windows 8 Developer Preview Build 8102 Milestone 3 (M3) is available for download here.