One of our partners, IT-Visions, invited me to speak at their VS2013/Win8.1 "What's New" event in Munich today. Of course I am happy to participate. During the session I will demo new features from VS2013, Windows Store app development, and Windows Azure Mobile Services. During the session I will do nearly 100% live coding. You can check out the sample code and download it at http://www.software-architects.com/devblog/2013/11/04/Whats-New-For-Devs-in-Win81

1. IT-Visions Infotag
Windows
8.1
Rainer Stropek
software architects gmbh
Mail rainer@timecockpit.com
Web http://www.timecockpit.com
Twitter @rstropek
News for Users and Devs
Saves the day.

2. Introduction
Time
Cockpit
http://www.timecockpit.com
Cloud
Cockpit Framework
Consulting
Projects
Custom Development
Training
Conference Sessions
Trainings and
Coaching
Articles and Books
Bilder © software architects gmbh

3. Windows 8.1
 Enhancements
for users
 New
and enhanced controls
 New
and enhanced APIs
 Tools
 Bing
Services

4. Start Button
Finally…
Customize start menu
behavior
Make Windows 8 look more like
7

5. Lock Screen
Improvements
Play slide show
Launch camera or Skype
from lock screen

6. Apps
Updates, new apps from Microsoft

7. Start Menu
Improvements
All Apps view
Option: Put desktop apps first
Different sort orders (by name,
by most used, etc.)

8. Tiles
Improvements
New tile sizes
Small (70x70)
Medium (150x150)
Large (310x310)
Wide (310x150)

9. Tiles
Improvements
Tile configuration
App manifest
Code Sample
Dev Center App tiles and
badges sample

10. Windowing
Free window sizing
Things to remember for developers
No fixed-width view states anymore
Handle any size down to width of 500
pixels (opt-in for 320px)
More than two apps on the screen
Multiple windows for a single app are
possible
Code Sample
Dev Center Multiple Views Sample

11. Search
Has moved
Search behavior has
changed
Can now be part of the app
Optionally implement
search contract

12. Search Contract
Code Sample
Dev Center Search contract
sample

13. <SearchBox
SuggestionsRequested="onSuggestionsRequested"/>
SearchBox

14. <TextBox Header="Last name" />
Header-Property
ComboBox, DatePicker,
TimePicker, Slider, and
Edit-Controls

15. <TextBox Header="First name"
PlaceholderText="optional" />
Placeholder
Watermark
<ComboBox PlaceholderText="Bitte auswählen!">
<x:String>Item 1</x:String>
<x:String>Item 2</x:String>
<x:String>Item 3</x:String>
</ComboBox>
ComboBox,
PasswordBox,
RichEditBox,
SearchBox, TextBox

16. <TimePicker ClockIdentifier="24HourClock"
Header="24 hour clock" …/>
Date/TimePicker
Customizable
CalendarIdentifier,
Day/Month/YearFormat,
MinuteIncrement, etc.
Respects language
settings
Code Sample
Dev Center XAML DatePicker
and TimePicker controls
sample

17. <MediaElement
Source="demo.mp4"
AreTransportControlsEnabled="True"
IsFullWindow="true" />
MediaElement
Transport controls now
integrated
New video processing
capabilities
Capturing updates
Photo sequence mode
Flash mode
White balance
Etc.

18. // The media object for controlling and playing audio.
MediaElement mediaElement = this.media;
// The object for controlling the speech-synthesis
// engine (voice).
var synth =
new Windows.Media.SpeechSynthesis.SpeechSynthesizer();
// Generate the audio stream from plain text.
SpeechSynthesisStream stream =
await synth.SynthesizeTextToStreamAsync("Hello World");
// Send the stream to the media object.
mediaElement.SetSource(stream, stream.ContentType);
mediaElement.Play();
Demo
Speech Synthesis and Media Element

19. <Page.BottomAppBar>
<CommandBar>
<AppBarButton Icon="Save" Label="Save" />
<AppBarButton Icon="Delete" Label="Delete" />
</CommandBar>
</Page.BottomAppBar>
CommandBar
Derives from AppBar
Simpler to follow UX
guidelines
AppBarButton,
AppBarToggleButton,
AppBarSeparator
Code Sample
Dev Center XAML AppBar
control sample

20. <Button Content="Delete">
<Button.Flyout>
<Flyout>
<StackPanel ...>
<TextBlock Text="Really?" />
<Button .../>
</StackPanel>
</Flyout>
</Button.Flyout>
</Button>
<TextBlock Text="..."
Tapped="TextBlock_Tapped" FontSize="18">
<FlyoutBase.AttachedFlyout>
<Flyout>
<TextBox x:Name="MyTextBox" Text="Tap it…"/>
</Flyout>
</FlyoutBase.AttachedFlyout>
</TextBlock>
private void TextBlock_Tapped(object sender, TappedRoutedEventArgs e)
{
FrameworkElement element = sender as FrameworkElement;
if (element != null)
{
FlyoutBase.ShowAttachedFlyout(element);
}
}
Flyout
Popup in context with
current operation
Attached to a Button
Attached to any
FrameworkElement

21. <Hub Header="News">
<HubSection MinWidth="600" Header="Latest">
<DataTemplate>
<Grid>
<TextBlock Text="The most recent news will be here."
Style="{ThemeResource BodyTextBlockStyle}" />
</Grid>
</DataTemplate>
</HubSection>
<HubSection Header="Tech" IsHeaderInteractive="True"
Background="#222222" MinWidth="250">
<DataTemplate>
<StackPanel>
<TextBlock Text="Tech news goes here."
Style="{ThemeResource BodyTextBlockStyle}" />
<TextBlock Text="Click the header to go to the Tech page."
Style="{ThemeResource BodyTextBlockStyle}" />
</StackPanel>
</DataTemplate>
</HubSection>
<HubSection Header="Sports" IsHeaderInteractive="True"
Background="#444444" MinWidth="250">
<DataTemplate>
<StackPanel>
<TextBlock Text="Sports news goes here."
Style="{ThemeResource BodyTextBlockStyle}" />
<TextBlock Text="Click the header to go to the Sports page."
Style="{ThemeResource BodyTextBlockStyle}" />
</StackPanel>
</DataTemplate>
</HubSection>
</Hub>
Hub
Hub navigation pattern

22. HttpClient
 New:
Windows.Web.Http.HttpClient
 Many
extensions:
Caching
Filter Pipeline (e.g. for Logging, Try/Retry, Metered Connections)
IProgress

23. StorageAPI

FilePicker not only in full screen mode
Split-screen apps

Folder management

GetParentAsync() if allowed

IsEqual() to find out if two storage items represent the same file

TryGetItemAsync()

New KnownFolders CameraRoll and PlayList

24. Security
 Fingerprint Authentication
 Smartcard
Reader
 Password
and account management
Credential Locker
App Account Settings

25. Devices
 HID
Support
For hardware partners
App can be prerequisite for using the hardware
 Point
of Service Device Support
Barcodescanner
Magnetic stripe readers
 USB
devices
For details see Windows 8.1 documentation

26. Geofence
 Define
a geofence
Position and radius
 Alert
the app when the device enters or exits the area
 BackgroundTask
LocationTrigger

27. Bing Services
 http://www.bing.com/dev
Search
Maps
Speech
OCR
Translator
Ads
Synonyms

28. Download

29. Resources
 Windows
8.1 Feature Guide
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/windows/apps/bg182410

30. IT-Visions Infotag
Rainer Stropek
software architects gmbh
Q&A
Mail
Web
Twitter
rainer@timecockpit.com
http://www.timecockpit.com
@rstropek
Thank You For Coming.
Saves the day.