The Windows App Certification Kit (ACK) available in the Windows SDK helps developers test their apps before submitting them to the Windows Store. Developers who want to test their apps on Windows RT can use the Windows App Certification Kit for Windows RT.
To find more information about the Windows ACK and its use in the various app certification programs for Windows operating systems, download and read the white paper here.
I did a quick test on an app based on a default project template. It took several minutes to complete the test. The app passed the test in all categories except for the following two areas:
1) it used the default image and
2) it was based on debug configuration.
To fix the two issues, use your own image or logo, and build it with the Release option. Below is a sample test report.
Windows App Certification Kit - Test Results
Overall result: FAILED
Crashes and hangs test
App launch tests
Crashes and hangs
App manifest compliance test
App manifest
Windows security features test
Binary analyzer
Private Code Signing
Supported API test
Supported APIs
Performance test
Bytecode generation
Optimized Binding References
Performance launch
Performance suspend
App manifest resources test
App resources validation
Branding validation
Error Found: The branding validation test encountered the following errors:
Impact if not fixed: Windows Store apps are expected to be complete and fully functional. Apps using the default images e.g. from templates or SDK samples present a poor user experience and cannot be easily identified in the store catalog.
How to fix: Replace default images with something more distinct and representative of your app.
Debug configuration test
Debug configuration
Error Found: The debug configuration test detected the following errors:
Impact if not fixed: Windows Store doesn’t allow a debug version of an app.
How to fix: Please make sure the app isn’t linking to any debug versions of a framework, and it is built with release configuration. If this is a managed app please make sure you have installed the correct version of .NET framework.
File encoding
UTF-8 file encoding
Direct3D feature level support
App Capabilities test
Special Use Capabilities
Windows Runtime metadata validation
ExclusiveTo attribute test
Type location test
Type name case-sensitivity test
Type name correctness test
General metadata correctness test
Properties test