The document discusses the new features of Windows Phone 8, including compatibility with Windows Phone 7 apps, support for multiple screen resolutions, a shared kernel with Windows 8, precompilation of apps in the cloud for faster startup times, globalization and localization improvements, new contact stores, tile and lock screen updates, Bluetooth and NFC support, text to speech and voice commands. Key changes include allowing existing Windows Phone 7 apps to continue running through "quirks mode" and requiring recompilation to use new Windows Phone 8 APIs, as well as the ability to run native C++ code through WinRT components.

1. What's new in WP8
Andrea Boschin – Most Valuable Professional (XAML)
Windows Phone 8 overview

2.  meet new aspects of Windows Phone
8
 be in touch with changes from 7.x
 explore new features
Talk goals

3.  what about old apps?
 the 120000 apps in the store still works!
 "quirks mode" ensure 100% compatibility
 do i need to recompile?
 existing apps works without any action
 conversion requires to re-compile
 after conversion "quirk mode" is not available anymore
 be careful of breaking changes
 http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-
us/library/windowsphone/develop/jj206947(v=vs.105).aspx
 pay attention to multi-core environments when moving
from 7 to 8
 wp7 does not requires attention but wp8 does.
legacy apps compatibility

4.  business apps means:
 publish to a private set of users
 full control over deployment
 protect intellectual property
 Windows Phone 7.x
 business scenario is almost impossible
 Windows Phone 8.0
 business scenario is fully supported!
business scenario

5.  how to?
 register a Microsoft account (company-only)
 buy a Symantec certificate (299$ approx)
 generate an Application Token (.aetx)
 distribute token to devices
 sign the apps with the token
 then
 only token-enabled devices run the signed apps
 side-loading is enabled without MS Company Store
 also
 create your own company-hub to manage content and apps from a single point.
business scenario

6.  windows phone 7.x
 based on windows ce kernel
 completely distinct platform from desktop
o.s.
 windows phone 8
 based on common windows 8 architecture
 shares a common kernel with pcs and
tablets
architecture

7.  what's does it mean?
 low level functions & driver model
 shared between win8 and wp8
 shared api
 about 2800 member over 11000 in w8
 600 additional members for wp8
shared kernel

8.  what's the problem?
 precompilation takes long time
 on mobile these waiting are awful
 recap: wp7 application startup is really slow
 JIT: how do it works?
 members are compiled before the use
 when application is closed precompilation is discarted
 how can we do?
 NGEN assemblies before download?
 precompilation when download happens, is too slow
 what wp8 does?
 compile in the cloud!
 assemblies are pre-compiled before the download
 a mdil file is prepared
 MDIL = machine dependent intermediale language
 it is something like a template with holes to fill
 after download, mdil is converted to ngen
 holes are filled. now it runs natively!
compilation model

9.  why coding native?
 reusability
 use of existing code you don't want to write again
 portability
 use code in different platforms
 skills
 use existing skills in C++
 performances
 the last of the problems... often not a good reason
native C++ code

10.  how-to
 create a WinRT component
 All your code is wrapped into the component
 write code using specific conventions
 classes must be "ref" and "sealed"
 use compatible WinRT types
 reference component by a C# project
 fully native apps does not exists!
 use the classes in the component from C#
 all the magic is made by the WinRT projection layer
native C++ code

11.  Windows Phone 7.x
 only 480 x 800 resolution allowed
 Windows Phone 8.0
 supports different sizes and resolutions
 virtually you work always with 480x800 (or 853)
multiple screen resolutions
WVGA 720p WXGA
true resolution 480x800 720x1280 768x1280
virtual resolution 480x800 480x853 480x800
aspect ratio 15:9 16:9 15:9
platform Windows
Phone 7.x/8.0
Windows Phone
8.0
Windows Phone
8.0
scale 100 150 160
var width = Application.Current.Host.Content.ActualWidth;
var height = Application.Current.Host.Content.ActualHeight;

12. multiple screen resolutions
 multiple sizes = much more attention
 always pretend screen = 480 x 800
 draw apps without size constraints
 avoid absolute positioning
 prefer "vector" to "raster"
 provide large images or different scales
 large images are scaled gracefully
 with different scales: choose the better size
 you can also:
 disable specific resolution in manifest
 this means to forget a particular segment of the market

13.  Windows Phone 7.x
 G&L is made by tricks
 Windows Phone 8.0
 easy & effective
 project automatically prepared for G&L
 localization works by Binding to resx
 support for multiple languages
 problems
 ApplicationBar still doesn't support Binding 
 AppTitle localization requires Win32 resources
globalization & localization

14.  new concept of Contact Store
 every app has its own store
 can add and remove contacts silently
 can prevent deletion from the its store
 when uninstalled, contact store goes away
 Notes
 a contact store is an isolated sandbox
 similar contacts in different stores are merged
 Security
 guaranteed by Windows Store Certification
 if check fails, you can simply delete the app...
contact stores

15.  tiles
 3 formats available to developers
 small: 159x159
 medium: 336x336
 wide: 691x336
 small & medium are required!
 new Templates
 TemplateFlip
 front & rear predefined content
 TemplateCycle
 up to 9 rolling tiles
 TemplateIconic
 automatically reflects WP design guidelines
 also supported in 7.8
 manually via reflection
 with Mangopollo project on codeplex
http://mangopollo.codeplex.com/
tiles & lock screen

16.  Iconic template: 110x110 & 220x220
tiles & lock screen

17.  lock screen
 when enabled reflects content from
tile
 User must enable app to lock screen
 settings can be launched with a
protocol
 LockScreenManager
 allow request authorization directly
tiles & lock screen
private async void OpenLockScreenSettings(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
await Windows.System.Launcher.LaunchUriAsync(
new Uri("ms-settings-lock:"));
}

18.  protocol association
 a protocol is registered (ex: myapp://)
 if someone launch the protocol the app in called
 the app receives the full uri
 parameters are passed in the uri
 file type association
 a file extension is registered (ex: *.myapp)
 when a file type is opened the app is called
 the app receives a reference to the file
 modification the original file require a copy.
 other info
 system protocol and types cannot be overriden (es: mp3, etc...)
 multiple association are allowed. the choice is up to the user.
 a file type supports an icon (3 sizes)
 to launch an association
 LaunchUriAsync  Protocols
 LaunchFileAsync  File Types
protocol & file association

19.  near field communication
 limited to short range (3-5 cm)
 supports
 custom string or binary messages
 via publish-subscribe
 use of known protocols
 launch apps by id or protocol association
 launch an url in the browser
 initiator for launching sockets
 bluetooh or wi-fi (developer choice)
 read or write tags
 write is limited
 api allows to
 set capability and requirements for app
 check if NFC is supported/enabled
bluetooth & NFC

20.  bluetooth
 Windows Phone 7.x
 bluetooth is supported
 no developer APIs
 Windows Phone 8.0
 bluetooth is extended (no HID profile)
 developer APIs are provided
 scenarios
 Phone to Device
 socket based
 pick one of paired devices
 your app is client to the device
 Phone to Phone
 socket based
 search for another instance of your app to pair
 your app is client & server
 Windows 8 to Windows Phone 8 is allowed
bluetooth & NFC

21.  text to speech
 supports different language inflections
 supports SSML (Speech Synth Markup
Language)
 speech to text
 supported two modes
 SpeechRecognizerUI uses default UI
 SpeechRecognizer allow speech recognition without UI
 allowed to use preloaded grammar to improve
recognition
 result
speech
SpeechSynthesizer tts = new SpeechSynthesizer();
await tts.SpeakTextAsync("Please hold on!");

22.  predefined sequences that matches an
action
start music player and play latin songs
and play latin songs
 result
 app music player is started
 app get "PlaySongs" command with 'latin' argument
voice commands
starts the app
optional
command command
dynamic
discarted argument

23. voice commands
<VoiceCommands xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/voicecommands/1.0">
<CommandSet xml:lang="en-US" Name="DefaultCommandSetEnglish">
<CommandPrefix>Music Player</CommandPrefix>
<Example>play some songs</Example>
<Command Name="PlaySongs">
<Example>play random songs</Example>
<ListenFor>[and] play {genre} songs</ListenFor>
<ListenFor>[and] play [some] songs</ListenFor>
<ListenFor>[and] play {mode} songs</ListenFor>
<Feedback>Playing music...</Feedback>
<Navigate Target="MusicPlayer.xaml" />
</Command>
<PhraseList Label="genre">
<Item>rock</Item>
<Item>latin</Item>
<Item>classic</Item>
<Item>funky</Item>
<Item>jazz</Item>
</PhraseList>
<PhraseList Label="mode">
<Item>all</Item>
<Item>random</Item>
<Item>favorite</Item>
</PhraseList>
</CommandSet>
</VoiceCommands>

24. feedback
10
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• http://xedotnet.org/feedback
• codice feedback:
• email: andrea@boschin.it
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https://www.facebook.com/thelittlegrove
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feedback