Christmas is a great time to spend with friends and family while enjoy a cup of hot tea (or cold “soda” )… but what happens when you get that urge to crank some code? well how about you Build an App for Christmas?

First, in order to build a Windows 8 store app here’s what you will probably need:

THE BASICS:

• Windows 8
• Trial version of Windows 8 (or download from MSDN if you have a subscription)
• Free Visual Studio Express 2012 (there is also a free trial of VS Ultimate)
• Download Windows 8 SDK
• 300 MB of code samples
• Design assets in Photoshop format
• Latest Visual Studio Extensions for the Windows Library for JavaScript
• Get the Ads SDK for Windows 8 if you want to monetize your app with our Ads platform

THE GOODIES:

• Free ebook from Microsoft Press: Programming Windows 8 Apps with HTML, CSS and JavaScript
• Enable LINQ in your JavaScript project using either the Reactive Extensions for JavaScript (RxJS) which covers not only queries but many other aspects (including compatible libraries for WinJS) or a simpler, more straightforward LINQ focused library called linqjs (yes, both work with Windows 8 apps too)
• Enable refactoring, type support and better IntelliSense in JavaScript using TypeScript. (it does help a lot, especially with maintaining several lines of code)
• Writing XAML? Get Tim Heuer’s Callisto library with many additional controls and helpers.

THE RULES:

• Understand the public store’s certification requirements

THE DATA

1. Learn how to use SQLite in your app
2. Azure Data Marketplace
3. HTML Data Parcing
   1. Screen Scraping Utility
   2. CSV-PArser for WinRT
   3. Screen Scraping Utility Kit
4. Free Azure Trial

THE EXPERT GUIDANCE

1. Join 30 TO LAUNCH! for Windows 8. Part of GenerationApp total access to design, implementation advise free of charge.
2. Join 30 TO LAUNCH! for Windows Phone. Part of GenerationApp total access to design, implementation advise free of charge.

WANT TO PORT?

Some important reading:

• Migrating a web app
• Migrating a website
• Migrating a Windows Phone 7 app
• Migrating iOS apps

FURTHER READING FOR THE JEDI MASTERS:

• User experience integration testing for Windows 8 apps
• Designing a simple and secure app package - APPX
• Protecting your Windows 8 apps from piracy
• Building a custom control using the Windows Library for JavaScript (WinJS)
• Creating a great printing experience in Windows 8
• Automating the testing of Windows 8 apps

• Free Trial Azure
• Download Visual Studio Express 2012
• Download Developer Center VS 2012/Win8
• Signup 30-To-Launch Win8
• Download Windows Phone SDK
• Signup 30-To-Launch Phone

For more great information from Joel Reyes (@joelcitizen) check out the his blog at – http://blogs.msdn.com/b/joelcitizen/