It’s difficult to create a site that looks great across browsers. The weaker web developers simply give up – supporting only a piece of the market, squandering opportunity for themselves or their customers.   But, now the ante is raised with responsive web design. Leveraging CSS media queries, developers...

You create a Settings flyout for your app so users can configure their experience. Sometimes, your settings are based on a ENUM that you use throughout your app. But how do you bind to an ENUM in XAML? Our sample ENUM The first thing you should know is that you cannot really bind to a ENUM, but with...

Here we go again, down the fun road with XAML. This time, since it’s Christmastime, I’ll throw together a Christmas-themed demo for you! Of what fun it is to code in XAML and Expression Blend, hey! So in the video below I will use some awesome features of XAML. Here’s the list if you want to do a little...

There are four supported orientations in Windows 8. There is Full View, Snap View, Fill View and Portrait View. Each is important in the overall strategy of Windows 8. In order to get your app into the Windows Store, you must support the Full, Snap and Fill view. And to support them, XAML uses ViewStates...

Abstract: Jerry Nixon welcomes Eric Battalio, Ayman Shoukry and Raman Sharma from the Visual C++ team as they discuss how you can develop Windows 8 apps using C++. Tune in as they provide best practices and reasons why you would want to use this language. Next Steps: Step #1 – Download the Tools for...

This is a combined post of part 1, 2, and three especially united for my readers. in this episode I have a lot of fun with Buck Woody who has forgotten more about Data Modeling that most of us. Listen in and take a course with the professor. Abstract: Jerry Nixon welcomes Sr. Technology Specialist from...

Looking for a great set of C++ resources out there? There is an increasing focus on native programming on our client stack, especially with gaming and high fidelity graphics being super important. If you look at the number of sessions dedicated to DirectX and C++ in the recently concluded //build, it...

First and most importantly, this morning (November 7th) we uploaded WCF Data Services 5.1 to NuGet. "5.1" is a deceptive version number - this release of WCF Data Services is arguably one of the most important releases as it contains the new JSON (formerly JSON Light) format. We expect this...

Protocol activation, what is it? Well, when you run “http:{something}” you expect a browser to launch, right? When you type “mailto:{something}” you expect a mail client to launch, right? What if you could create “custom:{something}” that launched your app? That’s custom protocol activation! MSDN : Windows...

Often when I talk to developers the examples I provide them or the walkthroughs I give them don’t match their version of Visual Studio. And why? Because they are using Express. Expression is the free version of Visual Studio and for what it is, it’s awesome. But VS Ultimate is the freakin’ bomb! Here...

Windows 8 apps don’t have a ribbon. Windows 8 apps don’t have a top menu. Instead, Windows 8 apps have AppBars. An AppBar on the bottom of your app is where you place command buttons. An AppBar on the top of your app is where you place navigation elements. Read the whole article here

The Microsoft Translator is a powerful service that developers can leverage in their Windows 8 apps. It’s core functions are to detect the language of some text. To translate text from one language to another. And, to read text to you – that’s right! The API is hosted on Azure’s Data Marketplace. It...

What is HealthVault? HealthVault is the single repository of your entire medical life – across doctors, clinics, and years. HealthVault is a secure repository for you and your family’s medical and fitness data. It can be, at your control, shared with health providers or anyone you trust – but only if...

New browsers introduce new ways of thinking. IE10 is no different. There are compatibility concerns to make your site look awesome everywhere. So where do you start to learn about this stuff? How about right here! Compat Inspector Compat Inspector is a JavaScript-based testing tool that analyzes your...

Model View View Model or MVVM is, without question, one of the best things to ever come out of XAML development. MVVM separates the logic necessary to interact with the data from the logic necessary to interact with the UI. Where together it makes a muddled mess, separate it makes an elegant approach...

Abstract: In today’s episode Jerry Nixon shows us how to use OData as a data source inside our Windows 8 application . Next Steps: Step #1 – Download the Tools for Windows 8 App Development @ http://aka.ms/w8download   Step #2 – Download Visual Studio Express for Windows 8 @ http://aka.ms/w8tools...

Windows is the premiere development platform in the world. With Windows 8, developers can leverage their existing skills and code assets to create applications. Step into these virtual labs and learn how to build, share and sell interesting and easy-to-use applications that will make your customers happy...

This is a nice trick that has been introduced in RTM. Why do you want to identify a device? Because you might be syndicating content or data from your services to a device or devices and you want to partition based on what is already present (sort of like TFS workspaces) or you want to save bandwidth...

For decades, thousands of enterprises have run their business on custom, line-of-business systems. These can be Windows Forms, WPF, Silverlight, and even web-based Windows apps. These often include a desktop tier, some service tier, and a backend database. Millions, literally millions, of dollars have...

If you are not aware of Expression Design, you are missing a powerful tool in your toolbox. Expression Design allows designers and developers to create original vector assets or edit existing, including those created in other tools (like those from Adobe). An update to Expression Design 4 was recently...

One of the coolest parts of the XAML designer in Visual Studio 2012 is that it is the same code base as the designer in Expression Blend for XAML. That’s right. Blend’s designer used to be better, but now Visual Studio developers are first class, too. Visual Studio inherited quite a windfall! Here’s...

Windows 8 Metro development leverages WinRT; and, in WinRT, there are new namespaces – and namespace constriction in the .Net Framework. What you think you know, you may not. MSDN : In some cases, a type that you used in a .NET Framework desktop app doesn't exist within the .NET APIs for Metro style...

Metro developers building applications for Windows 8 have choices to make. A few weeks ago, I put together my top ten reasons to choose XAML. That really got me thinking. There are so many more than 10 good reasons why I prefer XAML. I thought I would continue the list. First, let’s reflect on the first...

LocalDB is created specifically for developers. It is very easy to install and requires no management, yet it offers the same T-SQL language, programming surface and client-side providers as the regular SQL Server Express. In effect the developers that target SQL Server no longer have to install and...

C++ is an uncontested tool for delivering innovation outside the box (augmented reality, natural user interfaces, compelling games, and more). But how to reconnect with C++ using our C# background as starting point? This is a somewhat short guide to the important things to know if you are a C# programmer...