TouchDevelop: create apps ON iPad, iPhone, Android in addition to PC, Mac, Windows Phone

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One month ago we released the Web App Preview of TouchDevelop, the mobile programming environment. Thanks to the feedback you’ve been sending us since then, we were able to greatly expand the list of supported platforms. As of today, the TouchDevelop Web App Preview at touchdevelop.com/app runs on

  • PCs with Internet Explorer 10 or the latest versions of Chrome or Firefox
  • Microsoft Surface and other devices running Windows RT
  • iPad 2 or later (including the mini)
  • iPhone 4 or later
  • various Android phones and tablets with Chrome
  • Macs with the latest versions of Safari, Chrome or Firefox

For Windows Phone 7/8 you can get the fully featured app in the Windows Phone Store that can access even more sensors and data.

create apps ON smartphones, tablets, PCs

We have quite some fun testing the latest TouchDevelop releases on many different devices…

devices

TouchDevelop is a modern programming environment

imageTouchDevelop lets you create and run apps on pretty much any modern computing device you might own – from smartphones to tablets and even PCs. TouchDevelop features a predictive on-screen code keyboard and a touch-optimized programming language.

Having been designed for mobile devices from the ground up, TouchDevelop is an excellent option for programming on touchscreen devices without keyboards. You can also use it with a traditional keyboard and mouse if your device supports them.

imageAfter you have designed your fun game or a useful tool, you can share it with other people with a single tap or mouse click, so that they can run it or tweak it. More than 12,000 scripts have already been shared with over 40,000 users who have signed in to the TouchDevelop experience.

imageTouchDevelop is also an excellent option for learning programming. The high-level programming languages makes it super easy to create simple apps. But TouchDevelop is not just for beginners – for more complicated tasks only sky is the limit, thanks to the underlying powerful language and extensive library support.

Finally, if running your creations in the TouchDevelop environment is not enough, you can export true apps and submit them to the Windows Store or the Windows Phone Store to start earning money!

try it now!

Start coding with the Web App in your browser at touchdevelop.com/appor get the Windows Phone app.

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Comments

  • Anonymous
    November 29, 2012
    I just wanted to ask: Whether we can create Windows8 app from TouchDevelop, or we need that Windows8 SDK?

  • Anonymous
    November 30, 2012
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    November 30, 2012
    Which version of Visual Studio do you need for your comment at 30 Nov 2012 10:39 AM?

  • Anonymous
    November 30, 2012
    You need Visual Studio Express 2012 for Windows 8. Get it here: www.microsoft.com/.../visual-studio-express-for-windows-8

  • Anonymous
    December 06, 2012
    I have just tried to load web app on ipad 2 - got the message: Loading... 0000.116: updating local storage, '(undef)' to '8' Any thoughts?

  • Anonymous
    December 06, 2012
    Regarding the problem with "updating local storage": We could reproduce the problem, and it has now been resolved. Please try again!

  • Anonymous
    December 14, 2012
    I was about get inti design and app development, do I need both web app and Visual Studio with win8? Please suggest, as I am trying to design and develop in my Surface RT tablet. Thanks

  • Anonymous
    December 19, 2012
    Any chance TouchDevelop in the future will get native apps inorder to expose the full api on all devices, like phonegap?

  • Anonymous
    December 31, 2012
    @Suren: While you can do most of the app development with the Web App on any device, there is one final step to produce a Windows 8 app for which you will need to have access to Visual Studio 2012 Express (free!) to create the signed package for the store.

  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2013
    Thanks for the response.   Now I have downloaded the same, now where I can find the steps of how I can download my script from Touch Develop website from my account, so I can use that in Visual Studio to package. Please suggest

  • Anonymous
    January 02, 2013
    @Suren: After you go to touchdevelop.com/app, click on the "create apps" buttons to learn more.

  • Anonymous
    January 04, 2013
    Thanks for the response. I don't see Create Apps Button, are you referring to Create Scripts? Also I just wanted to mention I don't have window's phone rather using Surface RT as noted above along with acer netbook for using visual studio, Please suggest the link if I am missing something. - Thanks

  • Anonymous
    January 04, 2013
    @Suren: Sorry for the confusion; we recently renamed that button to "Export to Store [Windows Logo] Windows". You don't need a Windows Phone for this step. However, you will need access to a computer that can run Visual Studio 2012 Express, and you can't use the Surface RT for that.

  • Anonymous
    January 04, 2013
    NP, I have acer netbook with all software you suggested above, Please suggest where I will find export to store button. I am using RT just to test while developing for touch capabailities

  • Anonymous
    January 04, 2013
    @Suren: Go to touchdevelop.com/app, and in the main hub look out for a button that I would describe as "Export to Store [Windows Logo] Windows". It will give you more information on how to create a Windows Store app.

  • Anonymous
    January 05, 2013
    Thanks! I see that. One more question, what is the latest touchdevelop version? Is that compatible with acer netbook, as I see senses cannot be used  as it says not available in current version touhdevelop. Please suggest

  • Anonymous
    January 06, 2013
    @Suren: You can find the list of supported browsers here: www.touchdevelop.com/.../current.browsers   You might have to update/install a supported browser to run TouchDevelop on your netbook.

  • Anonymous
    January 06, 2013
    I do have IE 10 windows 8 on this netbook, it runs ok. But certain functions like senses can not be used neither on this netbook with windows 8 nor on my Surface windows RT. Are these or some functions are specifically made for windows phone? Please clarify

  • Anonymous
    January 07, 2013
    @Suren: You are right that many sensor/data APIs do not work in the web app, but do work in the Windows Phone app which was first. Some APIs that are not available in the web app are however available in a generated Windows Store app. Go to the script properties and tap on 'settings' to select your target platform for which you want to see warning in the code while using the code editor.

  • Anonymous
    January 08, 2013
    Oh Even Data APIs ? Ok do you think this would work on IPhone 5? or very specific to windows please let me know. Other question will this be made available in future? Do you mean I can still code for it if set the setting as Windows 8 and use Visual Express to generate and later test? Sorry little confused.