Below are questions from the Q&A session in SilverlightShow webinar '10 Things Silverlight Developers Should Know About Windows 8' delivered on 7/3/2012 by Silverlight MVP Michael Crump. The recording of this webinar is available here.
Jump to a question:
Nishant Thakkar: How to work with xml files ?
Michael: You can use the same XDocument/XElement Class that you used in SL/WPF. See this sample created specifically for WinRT.
Julio Garcia: How about simulation touch?
Michael: VS2012 RC contains an option to debug your application in the Windows Simulator. See my post here for a detailed explanation on how to use it. You can simulate all sorts of different gestures (pinch and zoom, etc).
Nishant Thakkar: Why does everything use "Async " ? Is it good to call methods async ?
Michael: Yes, it is absolutely good to call methods with Async/Await. With Windows 8 – Think “Fast and Fluid”. Your application should always be responsive to the end user and this is accomplished by using asynchronous operations. A synchronous operation will prevent your end-user from doing anything else while waiting for the request to complete or time out.
Shantanu Chandra: How to connect/link Kinect sdk and widows 8 metro UI?
Michael: Download the Kinect for Windows SDK version 1.5 and install it. Plug in your Kinect device and everything should be good to go.
Chetan Sachdev: What are the machine requirements for running VS2012? Do I need to install Metro to create apps for it?
Michael: All the machine requirements for VS2012 can be found on this page. You will need to install Windows 8 in order to create applications for it. (For example, you can’t install VS2012 RC on a Windows 7 machine and see the new Metro templates.)
Maksud Modan: Is there a similar way to use WCF service in WinRT same like we are using in SL5 in normal window?
Michael: Yes, you may use WCF Services in WinRT. Check out the official documentation found here.
Maksud Modan: Can I use CSLA.net in WinRT for Silverlight applications?
Michael: I not certain that I completely understand this question. You may certainly use CSLA in WinRT or a Silverlight Application. He has binaries released for both already on this page.
Simon Jackson: Are there any restrictions for deploying desktop apps in Wn8?
Michael: Desktop apps *can* be deployed by the Windows Store, but they don’t have to be. You still have the freedom to deliver your desktop application any way you want.
Simon Jackson: Is serialization and deserialization for XML still available?
Michael: Absolutely! Check out my first answer.
Simon Jackson: Are there any special requirements for writing components or shared libraries for Windows 8?
Michael: You can create Windows Runtime Components that can be used anywhere, regardless of what language the metro app was written in. See the blog post for a great sample.