Integrating devices, printers, and sensors (XAML)

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

You can integrate devices, printers, and sensors in your Windows Store app to create a rich experience for your users. This section shows you how to support a number of devices in your app, like cameras, sensors, and removable storage.

Roadmap: How does this topic relate to others? See:

Here are some of the features that you can add to your app:

  • An enhanced print experience
  • The right motion and orientation sensor for your game
  • A light sensor that adjusts screen brightness
  • Detection of a user's geographic location

The following video gives you a brief overview of the sensors available to you when building Windows Store apps.

In this section

Topic Description

Enabling and disabling device capabilities

Enable your app to use cameras, microphones, location sensors, text messaging, removable storage and near-field proximity.

Enumerating devices

Use the Windows.Devices.Enumeration and Windows.Devices.Enumeration.Pnp namespaces to enumerate devices.

Communicating with peripheral devices

Scan content from a scanner, print to a 3D printer, or use device protocol APIs to communicate with USB, HID, Bluetooth GATT, and Bluetooth RFCOMM devices.

Printing

Provide the same high-quality print experience in your Windows Store app that users have come to expect in other Windows applications.

Choosing the right sensors to use

Explore the many varieties of motion, orientation, and light sensor available to Windows Store apps.

Sensor data and display orientation

Adjust your sensor data for rotation if your app supports automatic rotation.

Sensor calibration

Determine the right course of action to calibrate a device.

Responding to motion and orientation sensors

Create Windows Store apps that use sensors to detect and respond to a variety of user movements.

Responding to light sensors

Create Windows Store apps that use sensors to detect and respond to changes in ambient light.

Detect location

Create apps that detect the user's geographic location.

Battery and power

Learn how to get detailed battery information using APIs in the Windows.Devices.Power namespace.

Maps and directions

Learn how to display maps and provide driving directions.

Accessing content on removable storage

Create Windows Store apps that access content on media and storage devices by using the Windows Portable Devices (WPD) driver technology.

 

Roadmap for creating Windows Store apps using C#, C++, or Visual Basic