Windows Phone 7 Developer Guidance Map v2.0 - J.D. Meier's Blog - Site Home

This is an updated Windows Phone 7 Developer Guidance Map. I’ve updated it to include a map of some of the key resources available from the App Hub Content Catalog. The App Hub Content Catalog includes several articles, code samples, tutorials, and tools. For the purposes of this map, I didn’t include the articles. I kept the focus on code samples, How Tos, videos, and training (but I did add a tools section this round.)

Microsoft has an extensive collection of developer guidance available in the form of Code Samples, How Tos, Videos, and Training. The challenge is -- how do you find all of the various content collections? … and part of that challenge is knowing *exactly* where to look. This is where the map comes in. It helps you find your way around the online jungle and gives you short-cuts to the treasure troves of available content.

The Windows Phone Developer Guidance Map helps you kill a few birds with one stone:

It show you the key sources of Windows Phone content and where to look (“teach you how to fish”)
It gives you an index of the main content collections (Code Samples, How Tos, Videos, and Training)
You can also use the map as a model for creating your own map of developer guidance.

Download the Windows Phone Developer Guidance Map

Download the Windows Phone Developer Guidance Map v2.0 (PDF)

Contents at a Glance

Introduction
Sources of Windows Phone Developer Guidance
Windows Phone Architecture
Topics and Features Map (a “Lens” for Finding Windows Phone Content)
How The Map is Organized (Organizing the “Content Collections”)
Getting Started
Architecture and Design
Code Samples
How Tos
Videos
Training

Mental Model of the Map
The map is a simple collection of content types from multiple sources, organized by common tasks, common topics, and Windows Phone features:

App Hub Content Catalog
I’ve included a list of the key resources you’ll find in the App Hub Content Catalog below to give you a quick sense of what to expect, and so you can easily see the additions to the Windows Phone Developer Guidance Map v2.0. (Note - I included the articles list from the App Hub Content Catalog, but these are not in the Windows Phone Developer Guidance Map.)

Articles

2D Asset Types - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/article/asset_types_2d
3D Asset Types - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/article/asset_types_3d
Avatar Usage Guidelines - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/article/avatar_use
Avoiding the Windows Phone Watchdog - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/article/watchdog
Best Practices for Windows Phone 7 Games - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/article/best_practices_wp7_games
Code Samples for Windows Phone - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/article/wp7_code_samples
Data Structures - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/article/data_structures
Dynamic Audio - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/article/dynamic_audio
Educational Catalog Content Under Development - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/article/wp7_under_development
Games for WP7 - Talks at PDC - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/article/pdc_games_wp7_talks
Gestures - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/article/gestures
Inside Windows Phone - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/article/inside_windows_phone
Intro to C# from Objective-C and Java - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/article/intro_to_c_sharp
Intro to Game Loop - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/article/intro_to_game_loop
Performance Considerations for Windows Phone 7 Games - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/article/performance_wp7_games
Recipe: Non-Linear Navigation Services for Windows Phone 7 - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/article/nln-serv-wp7
Shader Series: coordinate Spaces - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/article/shader_coord
Shader Series: Introduction - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/article/shader_primer
Tombstoning for Windows Phone 7 Games - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/article/tombstoning_wp7_games
Windows Phone 7 Developer Training Kit - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/article/wp7_training_kit
Windows Phone 7 Jump Start - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/article/wp7_jump_start
Windows Phone Silverlight Applicatoin Life cycle for Applicatoin Launch, Activate, and Deactivate Events - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/article/silverlight_application_life_cycle
Xbox 360 Performance Best Practices - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/article/xbox360_performance_best_practices
XNA Game Studio or Silverlight: Which Product is Right for Me? - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/article/which_product_for_windows_phone

Code Samples

2D Graphics - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/graphics_2d
3D Audio - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/3d_audio
3D Graphics - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/graphics_3d
Accelerometer - http://create.msdn.com/sample/accelerometer
Aiming - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/aiming
Avatar Animation Blending Sample - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/avatar_animation_blending
Avatar Multiple Animations Sample - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/avatar_multiple_animations
Avatar Shadows - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/avatar_shadows
Billboards - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/billboard
Bing Maps for Games - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/bing_maps
Bitmap Font Maker - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/utility/bitmap_font_maker
Bloom Postprocess - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/bloom
Bounce - http://create.msdn.com/sample/bounce
Camera Shake - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/camera_shake
Card Game Starter Kit: Blackjack - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/blackjack
Catapult Wards Extension Kit - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/trainingkit/catapult_wars
Chase and Evade - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/chase_evade
Chase Camera - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/chasecamera
Collision - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/collision
Collision Series 4: Collision with a Heightmap - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/collision_3d_heightmap
Collision Series 5: heightmap Collision with Normals - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/collision_3d_heightmap_normals
Color Replacement - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/color_replacement
Content Manifest Extensions - http://create.msdn.com/sample/contentmanifestextensions
CPU Skinning - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/cpu_skinning
Custom Model Class - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/custom_model_class
Custom Model Importer - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/custom_model_importer
Customer Avatar Animation Sample - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/custom_avatar_animation
Custom Indeterminate Progress Bar Sample - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/custom_indeterminate_progress_bar
Custom Model Effect - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/custom_model_effect
Distortion - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/distortion
Flocking - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/flocking
Fuzzy Logic - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/fuzzy_logic
Game State Management - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/game_state_management
Generated Geometry - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/generated_geometry
Geolocation - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/geolocation
HTTP Multiplayer: Tic Tac Toe - http://create.msdn.com/en-US/education/catalog/sample/tic_tac_toe
Input Sequence - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/input_sequence_sample
Instanced Model - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/mesh_instancing
Invites - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/invites
Lens Flare - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/lens_flare
Level Starter Kit - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/level_starter_kit
Loading Time Reduction for Windows Phone 7 Games - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/article/loading_time_reduction_WP7
Localization - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/localization
Microphone Echo - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/microphone_echo
Multi-Platform Game Training Kit - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/trainingkit/honeycomb_rush_tk
Network Architecture: Client/Server - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/network_cs
Network Architecture: Peer-to-Peer - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/network_p2p
Network Game State Management - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/network_game_state_management
Network Prediction - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/network_prediction
Network Rumble (4.0 Coming Soon) - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/net_rumble
Non-Realistic Rendering - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/nonrealistic_rendering
Normal Mapping - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/normal_mapping
Object Placement on Avatar Sample - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/object_placement_on_avatar
Orientation - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/orientation
Particles - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/particle
Particles 3D - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/particle_3d
Particles Pipeline - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/particles_pipeline
Path Drawing - http://create.msdn.com/en-US/education/catalog/sample/path_drawing
Pathfinding - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/pathfinding
Performance Measuring Sample - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/performance_sample
Picking - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/picking
Picking with Triangle Accuracy - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/picking_triangle
Platformer - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/platformer
Primatives - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/primitives
Primitives3D - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/primitives_3d
Push Notification - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/push_notifications
Reach Graphics Demo - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/reach_graphics_demo
Rim Lighting - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/rim_lighting
Role-Playing Game - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/roleplaying_game
Safe Area - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/safe_area
Saving Embedded Images - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/saving_embedded_images
Shader Series 1: Vertex Lighting - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/shader_series_1
Shader Series 2: Textures and Colors - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/shader_series_2
Shader Series 3: Per-Pixel Lighting - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/shader_series_3
Shadow Mapping - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/shadow_mapping_1
Shape Rendering - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/shape_rendering
Shatter - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/shatter
Silverlight Microsoft Sample - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/silverlight_microphone
Simple Animation - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/simple_animation
Skinned Model - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/skinned_model
Snow Shovel - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/snow_shovel
Soccer Pitch - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/soccer_pitch
Sound and Music - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/sound_and_music
Spacewar (4.0 Coming Soon) - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/spacewar
Split Screen - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/split_screen
Sprite Effects - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/sprite_effects
Sprite Sheet - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/sprite_sheet
Stock Effects - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/stock_effects
Tilt Perspective - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/tilt_perspective
Tombstoning Sample - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/tombstoning
Touch Gestures - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/gestures
Touch Thumsticks - http://create.msdn.com/sample/touchthumbsticks
Unit Converter Starter Kit - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/unit_converter
User Interface Controls - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/ui_controls
Waypoint Navigation - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/waypoints
WinForms Series 1: Graphics Device - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/winforms_series_1
WinForms Series 2: Content Loading - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/winforms_series_2

Tools

Avatar Animation Pack - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/utility/avatar_animation_pack
Avatar Animation Rig - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/utility/avatar_animation_rig
Curve Editor - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/utility/curve_editor
Graphics Profile Checker - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/utility/graphics_profile_checker
Input Reporter - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/utility/input_reporter
Network Lobby and Chat Icons - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/utility/lobby_chat_icons
Performance Utility - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/utility/performance_utility
SoundLab - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/utility/soundlab
Xbox 360 Controller Button Images - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/utility/controller_buttons
Xbox 360 Controller Images - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/utility/controller_images

Tutorial

Authoring Particle Systems Using XML and the Content Pipeline - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/tutorial/particle_xml
Best Practices for Indie Games 3.1 - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/article/bestpractices_31
Catapult Wars Lab - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/lab/catapult_wars
Collision Series 1: 2D Rectangle Collision - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/tutorial/collision_2d_rectangle
Collision Series 2: 2D Per-Pixel Collisions - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/tutorial/collision_2d_perpixel
Collision Series 3: 2D Collision with Transformed Objects - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/tutorial/collision_2d_perpixel_transformed
Honeycomb Rush Lab - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/lab/honeycomb_rush
Marble Maze - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/lab/marble_maze
Memory Madness Lab - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/lab/memory_madness
Skinned Model Extensions Tutorial - http://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/tutorial/skinned_model_extensions

Special Thanks …
Special thanks to Adam Grocholski, Allison Kent, Constanze Roman, Christopher Kilbourn, Dan Reagan, Dragos Manolescu, Georgia Pettigrove, Kevin Lam, Mark Chamberlain, Paul Enfield, Pete Brown, Srinivas Iragavarapu, Will Clevenger, and Yann Riche for helping me find and round up our various content collections.

Enjoy and share the map with a friend.

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