C# 24-Hour Trainer, 2nd Edition

Lesson 31

Windows Store Apps

This lesson explains how you can build Windows Store–style applications. Note that you don't actually need to upload these applications to the Windows Store. You can build and run them locally on your computer if you like. Here “Windows Store apps” simply means they have a style similar to those available in the Windows Store.

Navigation Style

Windows Store and Phone apps differ from desktop applications in several ways. One big difference is the way they handle device real estate. Desktop applications typically share the desktop with other applications that you can minimize, maximize, resize, rearrange, and close. Store and Phone apps typically cover the entire device. You can switch between different apps, but you can't resize and rearrange the apps to view more than one on the screen at the same time.

Because Store and Phone apps don't display multiple windows at the same time, they typically use a different navigation model than the one used by desktop applications. A desktop application might display several dialogs and other windows that you can navigate between as needed.

In contrast, Store and Phone apps display a single window. To display other information, the app replaces that window with a new one. Often you can tap a back button to move to the previous window, much as a web browser lets you navigate back through your browsing history.

NOTE

Windows Store and Phone apps are targeted at tablets and phones. Those devices have touch-sensitive ...