Getting Started with Windows 8 Apps

Chapter 3. Application Architecture

The Bing Image Search App

In order to have a fully functioning app and eventually publish it to the Windows Store, you will need to properly handle application state while also considering the user’s bandwidth, disk space, and other system resources. I’ve simplified this to what I would call being a developer good citizen of the platform. This means providing users with an optimal experience regardless of the device or the presence of network connectivity. Whether you value user experience or not, Microsoft has a set of guidelines that must be followed to pass certification for the Windows Store. These guidelines value user experience, and if you plan to release your app through the Windows Store, you should consider these guidelines from the beginning. For more information on what’s required by the Windows Store, see Chapter 5.

This chapter describes core components of a more complex application than the Bing Simple Search app we explored in the previous chapter. These concepts will be used throughout the book, and I will reference various aspects of the application through the use of these techniques. If you are familiar with previous XAML-based technologies, you will likely be familiar with these concepts. As a reminder, all the code for the book’s full application is available online at https://github.com/bendewey/GettingStartedWithMetroApps. I encourage you to download the code ahead of time so you can follow along.

Goals

Figure 3-1. Bing Image ...