Developer Content from Microsoft - 31 May 2016

Ready to catch up on the content coming from the developers over at Microsoft?

This week I have a few different areas to cover including the 6th Dev Center Tip in that series, information about getting your current desktop programs over to Windows in a Universal Windows Platform (UWP) app plus new information about notifications and Fetch APIs for the web and some new tools to enhance your UWP apps.

First let's begin with the new Dev Center series tip - this one is about confidentiality and purchasing in your app.

Tip #6 of the series looks closer at your options for keeping your app confidential and private in the Windows Store. As the article points out, even if you hide your app in the Windows Store, there are still public pages that someone could find with your apps icons and possible screenshots.

Microsoft recommends considering sideloading or using the Windows Store for Business to make your app available to your users.

If you want to sell your app you can set it for public display or hidden (with users having a deep link to install the app).  I guess this scenario comes into play if you have developed an app that is not for the general public but you make it available for purchase through the Windows Store.

If it is just an app that you are selling then it only makes sense for it to be accessible to the broadest possible audience.

Sharing your local app data

This article focuses on coding your UWP app to store and share data on your local device between apps and users.

Using the Publisher Cache and Shared Local folders you can share common data between apps and users while saving on storage space.

How to prevent screen locks in your UWP apps

Ever use an app that you would like to keep active on the screen and not allow the Lock Screen to activate?

Well using a display request call in your apps code you can do just that however, be a good developer citizen and be sure to set your UWP app to release that display request. 

I have no doubt your users will appreciate that as will their battery life!

NotificationsExtensions for Windows 10 Anniversary Update

Toast and Tile notifications are getting a bit of an overhaul in the next major update to Windows 10 this July.

That update, known as the Windows 10 Anniversary Update, will bring the following new features to Toast and Tiles:

If you are a developer and running at least Windows 10 Build 14332 on your dev machine you can already start working with these new features in your UWP app.

Desktop to UWP

The last two items I want to mention this week are tied together because they both talk about bringing your current desktop software programs into a UWP app package.

The big benefit to these converted packages is that your desktop programs in a UWP package now has access to all of the UWP APIs like Live Tiles and notifications. As a desktop program they did not have that level of access.

So the first article you need to check out is Announcing the new Desktop to UWP Packaging Project for Visual Studio “15” and then for more information about the process check out Bringing your existing desktop apps to UWP.

That last article will give you information about using the Desktop Bridge, how to get started and then methods for testing, enhancing and extending your converted app on Windows 10.

Enjoy all the articles and keep an eye on this spot for further developer related information from Microsoft as we get closer to the Windows 10 Anniversary Update.

But, wait...there's probably more so be sure to follow me on Twitter and Google+.

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