Build 2014 is still on going and for those developers who did not get the approvals to go (like me) I would like to proffer my favorite developer features. This list is not exhaustive (all the sessions are not available for viewing) and only includes features that have an accessible API, developer frameworks or developer tools in the works.
Universal Apps (for Windows RT)
Start a single project in Visual Studio 2013 and that will in turn allow you to deploy to Windows Phone, PC, Tablet and … Xbox! The VS release candidate is available for download now! You can already find a bunch of Universal app samples here.
Visual Studio 2013 Update 2
The VS release candidate now enables developing WinRT-based apps for Windows Phone in C#/XAML, C++/XAML, C++/DirectX *and* JavaScript/HTML. Yes!!!
TypeScript 1.0
1.0 release of TypeScript! While TypeScript has been an open source project [more accurately source open project]on CodePlex for a year and a half, today they will officially be opening it up for contributions!
Cortana SDK
I must confess I am not that interested in a “Siri” like feature in general, talking to my phone conversationally has always struck me as weird, but I am fascinated by how developers could integrate their own apps with rich voice commands in a number of scenarios. [No links yet].
WinJS goes Open Source
This is a big deal, the source code of the Windows Library for JavaScript (WinJS) is being released under the Apache 2.0 license as an Open Source project by Microsoft Open Technologies (MS Open Tech). The source code is available here on GitHub. Check it out, contribute if you have the time and energy. This is inline with a recent MVP announcement from the Developer Division at Microsoft:
“The open source ecosystem around our tools and platforms has played a critical role in their development, and I have been excited to see the growth of this ecosystem in recent years. To continue to foster and recognize the great work being done in this community, we are updating our Microsoft MVP program guidelines to recognize open source activities with the same weight as other forms of community engagement.” – S.Somasegar
Nokia “Sensor Core” SDK
The Sensor Core API appears, at first glance, to be very similar to Core Motion API on iOS 7, you can create apps that integrate with a low power sensor and tracks your motion and location. It allows your device to act just like those trendy fitness bands. [No links yet].
New ASP.NET Templates
Visual Studio continues to integrate with open source technologies and now includes the following default templates:- JSON.NET, OWIN, jQuery, Modernizr and Bootstrap.
These are my favorite developer announcements. How about you? What new features are you eager to start using and coding against?
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