Windows 8 is a responsive operating system – the OS, and the apps that can be downloaded from the Windows Store respond according to the available device viewport in the same way that your website does on a desktop or mobile phone browser. Because Windows 8.1 apps can be built using HTML, some websites can be easily packaged as native apps taking advantage of all available UI controls and APIs.
If you have a responsively designed website, this process can take as little as 4 hours depending on the nature of the content and your familiarity with the way the website is structured.
This invitation-only workshop will introduce you to the responsive nature of the operating system, explain some of the features that users of Windows 8 expect to see in apps, guide you round the development environment and the store submission process.
Using the Web Application Template under the guidance and support of Microsoft Technical Evangelists, you will learn how to ‘wrap’ your web content in a format suitable for the Windows Store, optimise your UI for touch and take advantage of native platform capabilities such as live tiles, app bars and integrated search.
This workshop is limited to 10 invitations. Taking place at Microsoft Ventures, Central Working, in Whitechapel, London on Tuesday 3rd June, starting at 9:30am and finishing by 5pm. Any questions you have before registering, ask @andspo on Twitter or by emailing Andrew dot Spooner at Microsoft dot com.
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Why convert a website to an app?
Store reach & revenue
Your app will be searchable on the Windows Store meaning increased reach for your products and services. Also, there is the potential to retain 100% of the sales you make through your app.
It’s a native app!
The output is a native Windows Store application built in HTML so you can extend the app with any of the functionality of the Windows platform using the web skills you already have.
A better experience on Windows tablet devices
Our fingers are imprecise input devices, by optimising the UI for touch, your website becomes more usable on Windows tablet devices.
How?
Agenda
- Windows 8.1 – a responsive Operating System
- What is a WAT?
- Example application run through
- App build
- Store submission process
Who should attend?
This workshop is for web developers. Anyone with frontend web development skills will be able to work through the workshop session.
Requirements
- A PC or Mac running Windows 8.1 (90 day evaluation version available)
- Visual Studio Express 2013 installed
- Permission to use the content that you plan to work with
An example from the store and the web
Here are some screenshots from the River Island website and their WAT app. You can see how some of the fiddly buttons from the website have been removed from the web canvas and replaced with commands in the bottom application bar. See also how the website’s navigation has been added into the Windows 8 Nav Bar (at the top of the screen).
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