New Tools Target Windows 8 Application Development

The new Windows 8 user interface (formerly called Metro), a substantial departure from Windows user interfaces of the past, brings new challenges to application developers. Visual Studio (VS) 2012 (released to manufacturing in Aug. 2012 and generally available in Oct. 2012) includes new tools and features to help developers create Windows 8 applications and publish them to the new online Windows Store. Many developer skills can be carried forward to work with the new OS, but existing applications will require at least some rewriting, so the updates in VS 2012 will be critical to the Windows development community.

VS Additions Ease Windows 8 App Development

VS 2012 is required for Windows 8 (and Windows RT, the version of Windows 8 for devices that use ARM-based hardware) application development in most cases. The new integrated development environment (IDE), which is itself refreshed with a new look that aligns with the Windows 8 style (although it runs in Desktop mode, not in the new Windows 8 user interface), brings several tools that focus on Windows 8. The tools, which become available within VS when it is installed on Windows 8, include the following: