This document provides tips for porting existing apps to the Windows Phone platform. It notes that there is no automated tool to port code from other platforms like iOS or Android, and porting will require effort. It then lists 7 tips, including differentiating the app for Windows Phone by taking advantage of its features, embracing the Metro design language, using cloud services, leveraging third party controls, learning Silverlight/XNA, and marketing for Windows Phone. The document aims to provide guidance on porting existing apps to the new Windows Phone platform.

1. Mini-Lesson: Porting existing
apps to Windows Phone
Frédéric Harper
Developer Evangelist @ Microsoft Canada
@fharper | outofcomfortzone.net

2. Bad News: There is no silver bullet.
Porting your app to Windows Phone will require
effort on your part.
There is no code generator (at least today) that
can take iOS, Android or other platform code and
magically make it into a Windows Phone app.
But we do offer guidance: http://windowsphone.interoperabilitybridges.com

3. Interoperability Bridges: Your Friend
3

4. A Tour Around Interoperability Bridges

5. Tips in Porting to Windows Phone
Do not make your app behave
1 exactly the same as it does on
the original platform
5

6. Tips in Porting to Windows Phone
Take advantage of the Windows
2 Phone platform to differentiate your
app
6

7. Tips in Porting to Windows Phone
Embrace Metro. If you do, it will
3 make your app look like an
extension of the platform.
7

8. Tips in Porting to Windows Phone
Scale through services. Think
4 about using the Cloud as a way
to have your app consume
services.
8

9. Tips in Porting to Windows Phone
Get to know the third party
5 controls market for Windows
Phone. It’s a great place to start.
9

10. Tips in Porting to Windows Phone
If you’re new to Silverlight or XNA, the
6 App Hub (http://create.msdn.com) is
your new best friend.
10

11. Tips in Porting to Windows Phone
Learn how to market your app for
7 Windows Phone. This will be
discussed the last mini-lesson of the
day.
11

12. Questions
Frédéric Harper
Developer Evangelist @ Microsoft Canada
fredh@microsoft.com
@fharper
webnotwar.ca
outofcomfortzone.net
12

13. The information herein is for informational purposes only and represents the current view of
Microsoft Corporation as of the date of this presentation. Because Microsoft must respond to
changing market conditions, it should not be interpreted to be a commitment on the part of
Microsoft, and Microsoft cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information provided after the
date of this presentation.
MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO
THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION.
© 2011 Microsoft Corporation.
All rights reserved. Microsoft, Windows, Windows Vista and other product names are or may be registered trademarks and/or trademarks in the U.S. and/or other countries.