Microsoft plots to restore Windows start button

Computer store news: US technology information website ZDNet columnist Mary · Joe · Mary Jo Foley wrote today that Microsoft has been instilling a concept into developers recently, that is, "Metro is yours." future. & rdquo; ("Metro” is the design concept of the Windows 8 start screen, using a large number of rectangles "dynamic tile" instead of desktop icons, and adopt a flat visual style.) But the latest rumors that Windows Blue will be re-enabled " Start & rdquo; button, while introducing the "boot into the desktop" option, rumors, if true, Microsoft's move may cause controversy in the developer community.

The Windows 8 start screen uses the Metro design concept, using a large number of dynamic tiles and flat designs.

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Violation of the original promise

Last week, I revealed in a blog post that Microsoft is considering re-using the "Start" button in the new operating system Windows Blue, and introducing "Starting directly into the desktop" ; (boot-directly-to-desktop) option. These days, I heard that many developers are wondering what opportunities and challenges Microsoft will bring to the latest Windows program.

According to people familiar with the matter, one of the goals of Microsoft's launch of Win8 is to try to convince the developer community that they are still worth developing for the Windows operating system "killer app". But if Windows Blue (Windows 8.1) allows users to go directly to the desktop environment, try to circumvent the Metro Start Screen. Isn't this the opposite of what Microsoft has portrayed to developers? Is there any reason for Windows developers to place all bets on Win8/WinRT? Microsoft has been instilling a concept into developers, that is, "Metro is your future." & rdquo;

At the moment, we don't get a definitive answer to many questions, such as whether the Start button returns to Windows Blue, when it returns to Windows Blue, and how it works. There are rumors that it just lets the user enter the Metro start screen, not open the start menu, access frequently used programs and files.

If the rumors are true, the "Start" button acts more than just a familiar "anchor" anchor to alleviate user concerns about the new Windows 8 interface. In addition, the user clicks on this new start button and enters the Metro start screen instead of the traditional desktop environment, so that means that Microsoft does not violate the original commitment to developers.

<;Application Platform>

So far, the industry has not sent any information about "Visual Studio Blue", but it is said to be launched this year. According to news from people I know, Visual Studio Blue will help Microsoft deeply integrate the application platform into Windows Phone and Windows 8.

The so-called "application platform" refers to a set of application programming interface (API) frameworks and control libraries, including the WinRT API, the Windows Phone API, and the .Net Framework. It also covers layout engines and rendering engines such as HTML, XAML, DirectX, etc. They can be used to design user interfaces for different versions of Windows, supporting various development languages ​​such as C++, C# and JavaScript.

Currently, Windows RT supports languages ​​such as C#, VB.Net, JavaScript, and C++, which are mainly used for game development; Windows Phone supports languages ​​such as C#, VB.Net, and C++, and is also used for game development. . In terms of layout engine and rendering engine, Windows RT supports XAML, HTML and Direct X; Windows Phone supports XAML and DirectX.

Windows RT and Windows Phone control libraries are unique, meaning they cannot be shared between the two platforms. On the API side, Windows RT supports WinRT and a small set of Win32/COM subsets that can only be accessed from C++ applications; Windows Phone supports a set of .Net APIs; WinPhoneRT (a subset of WinRT) and some new APIs, which are Windows Phone's unique controls; some Win32 and COM APIs can be used to access certain low-level file system and network features.

Windows Application Development

The development of Windows RT and Windows Phone applications can be done in the Visual Studio environment. Windows Store/Metro apps are available for Windows Store in Windows, while Windows Phone apps are available for Windows Phone Store.

With the release of Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8, Microsoft continues to take steps to deeply integrate these two different application platforms. Developers can write Windows 8/Windows Phone 8 applications, and many development code is available for them to share. Developers can eventually develop applications that cannot be ported between the two platforms.

An example of a person familiar with the matter, if a developer uses XAML and the .Net API to develop an application, and if the application is to work with Windows 8, it needs to be rewritten. In addition, developers still need to submit app reviews to two different app stores, and the app review process and principles are different.

Platform Deep Integration

Perhaps, with the release of Windows Blue, Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 will be further integrated, which means that Metro will become a major selling point for Microsoft. To achieve this goal, Microsoft must let the developer community reuse as much code as possible. In other words, Microsoft must further enhance the integration of language support, layout/rendering engines, and control libraries, as well as integration of different developer tools and publishing platforms.

People familiar with the matter said: "The key to success or failure is to motivate Visual Studio to develop an application in any language that supports both platforms, while UI and functionality also apply to the look and feel of Windows devices. Features, and a single click to submit to a unified app store review. ”

However, if you want to create a near-perfect "Windows ecosystem", Microsoft still has a long way to go. One of the goals of Microsoft's release of Windows Blue and Windows Phone Blue is to remove the more visible "seams" between two different platforms, giving developers a more engaging and unified message.