White papers for Windows Store apps

[ 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 ]

In this section

Topic Description

Create a universal Windows app to access SAP data by using SAP Gateway for Microsoft

Learn how to build a Universal Windows app that can access SAP data by using SAP Gateway for Microsoft.

Using network loopback in side-loaded Windows Store apps

This paper provides information about the use of network loopback for side-loaded Windows Store apps in Windows 8.1 Update.

Brokered Windows Runtime Components for side-loaded Windows Store apps

This paper discusses an enterprise-targeted feature for the Windows 8.1 Update and above, which allows touch-friendly .NET apps to use the existing code responsible for key business-critical operations.

Developing connected applications

This paper provides a set of network considerations that every connected Windows Store app should know about.

Developing secure apps

Learn how to keep your app secure when it accesses content from the web.

Developing a Human Interface Device (HID) app

This article describes how to create a Windows 8.1 app that monitors a motion sensor and triggers a brief video-capture when motion is detected. The app uses the new HumanInterfaceDevice (HID) API to monitor the sensor and the MediaCapture API to create the video. It assumes that the reader is familiar with store apps, the HID protocol, and media capture.

Windows Store apps using JavaScript versus traditional web apps

This topic provides information about the differences in coding styles used in existing Web apps written in JavaScript and Windows Store apps using JavaScript. It provides guidelines for Web developers to understand how code that is optimized for Windows relates to apps that are meant to be migrated among platforms with ease. It assumes that the reader is familiar with JavaScript programming and World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) standards.

The touch keyboard

This paper provides information about the invocation and dismissal behaviors of the touch keyboard for Windows operating systems. It provides guidelines for developers to understand how the touch keyboard shows and hides itself.

Managed desktop apps and Windows Runtime

Visual Studio has made it extremely easy to write managed Windows Store apps that consume Windows Runtime APIs. However, if you’re writing a managed desktop app, there are a few things you’ll need to do manually in order to consume the Windows Runtime APIs. This paper provides information about what you need to do so that your desktop app can consume the Windows Runtime APIs. It assumes that the reader is familiar with writing managed desktop apps. This information applies to Windows 8.

Supporting Encrypted Media Extensions with Microsoft PlayReady DRM in web browsers

The W3C Encrypted Media Extensions (EME) to HTML5 introduce the ability for websites to play Digital Rights Management (DRM) protected content without the use of plug-ins. Internet Explorer 11 on Windows 8.1 supports EME in combination with Microsoft PlayReady DRM. This guide describes how other browsers can similarly enable Microsoft PlayReady DRM playback on Windows 8.1.

 

Downloadable white papers

White paper Description

High DPI Win32 Applications

Learn what's new in Windows 8.1 for writing DPI-aware applications.

Using the Windows App Certification Kit

This paper provides information about the Windows App Certification Kit (ACK) and its use in the various app certification programs for Windows. It provides guidelines for developers for usage of the kit and the associated certification processes.

Introduction to Background Tasks

This paper describes the programming model to create background tasks, resource management policies for background tasks, and built-in user controls that allow the user to control per-app background task activity by using lock screen personalization.

Background Networking

This paper provides information about an app lifecycle management model for apps that require real-time connectivity between the client and server. To address the lifecycle limitations for real-time connected apps, Windows 8 introduces a new set of APIs that enable users to build always-reachable apps.

Application developer guidelines for using mobile broadband SMS platform

This paper provides guidelines for mobile broadband network operators and general application developers to use Windows to send and read short message service (SMS) from a background event using a mobile broadband network adapter.

Developing a new experience enabled Desktop Browser

In Windows 8.1, the browser that the user sets as the default for handling web pages and associated protocols may be designed to access both the new experience as well as the traditional desktop experience. This type of browser is called a "New experience enabled desktop browser." This white paper describes how to build such a browser.

Windows 8 and Windows Server 8 Compatibility Cookbook

This paper provides information about changes to and new features of the Windows 8 client and server operating systems. It provides guidelines for developers to verify the compatibility of their existing and planned programs with the new operating systems. It assumes that the reader is familiar with previous versions of Windows.

CLR and the Windows Runtime

This paper examines the encodings in Windows Runtime metadata (WinMD) files and explains how the common language runtime (CLR) and the Windows Runtime work under the covers to provide a natural programming experience for managed developers.

Packaging and assembly binding in the .NET Framework for Windows Store apps

This paper discusses how .NET Framework developers can take advantage of the friction-free deployment options available to Windows Store apps, and how the process for finding and loading assemblies for Windows Store apps differs from the process for traditional desktop apps.

Windows Store app development for Windows RT PCs

This paper addresses various aspects of developing Windows Store apps for Windows RT. The bulk of Windows Store app development practices are the same for both Windows 8 and Windows RT, but in a few scenarios Windows RT and the hardware particular to these PCs may require special consideration. Scenarios covered by this documentation include general development practices for Windows Store apps that run on Windows RT, remote debugging, installing the Windows App Certification Kit, installing app packages, and sensor API development.

CLR Profilers and Windows Store apps

This paper provides information about what you need to think about when writing diagnostic tools that analyze managed code running inside a Windows Store app.

Audio playback in a Windows Store app

This paper provides information about how to properly configure your audio app for Windows operating systems. It provides guidelines for developers to ensure a consistent user experience around audio, including how to allow apps to play audio in the background, how to register for SoundLevel events, and how to choose a proper audio category for a given media stream.

How to Build and Use Microphone Arrays for Windows Vista (Updated for Windows 8)

Under imperfect conditions, a single microphone that is embedded in a laptop or monitor does a poor job of capturing sound. An array of microphones can do a much better job of isolating a sound source and rejecting ambient noise and reverberation. This paper provides guidelines for manufactures and developers to create integrated or external microphone arrays for Windows Vista systems.

How to Write a WIC-Enabled CODEC

This white paper explains how to write a Windows Imaging Component (WIC)–enabled image CODEC. When users install a WIC–enabled CODEC in WIC–, they automatically receive full platform support for the image format, including viewing thumbnails in Photo Gallery and Windows Explorer and displaying images in Windows Image Viewer. In both WIC– and Windows XP, applications built on WIC can use a WIC–enabled CODEC to decode and display images in your image format and to add or edit metadata (and encode the images if you choose to support encoding).

XML Paper Specification (XPS) Format: How to Write a WIC-Enabled CODEC

WIC Codec Guidelines for RAW Image Formats

The WIC provides an extensible framework for working with images and image metadata. WIC makes it possible for software and hardware vendors to develop codecs so that their own image formats can obtain the same platform support as native image formats such as Tagged Image File Format (TIFF), JPEGJoint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG), or Windows Media Photo.

This paper provides guidelines to help RAW format manufacturers in their development of WIC codecs.

XPS Format: WIC Codec Guidelines for RAW Image Formats