Level: Introductory to Intermediate
Ten years after the release of the .NET Framework, Microsoft is stirring the pot again with a new development platform that set to focus your talents on what everyone is betting is the next big thing, mobile devices; specifically in this case, tablets. The Windows runtime, or WinRT, is the foundation for the development of applications designed to target Windows 8-driven touch-enabled devices, but what does that mean for .NET developers and their existing skill sets? In a word, Metro. Metro is a new UI style bundled with touch navigation, flatter and simpler visual elements, and appearance and behavior characteristics that make it a very nice fit for a tablet platform. As of early 2012, it is still a little confusing as to Metro's position in the Microsoft stack in relation to its cousins WPF and Silverlight, but one thing is certain. Whether it is an addition to the Microsoft stack of an eventual replacement for something, it is here and in the context of touch-based development; you're going to need to learn it. So start here.
You will learn:
• Understanding the intent of Metro
• Comfort with XAML-based Metro programming
• Win 8 Tablet development