C# – Windows RT and c#

cwindows 8windows-rtwindows-runtimewinrt-xaml

I need to develop Metro style application using C# and XAML which has to work on Windows RT devices and full Windows 8 OS. So I'm allowed to use only WinRT without any .net framework assemblies. I've read this question

Microsoft Surface Tablet: Writing Apps for Both Devices?

and this very usefull post: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/jasonz/archive/2012/06/12/what-you-need-to-know-about-developing-for-windows-on-arm-woa.aspx, but i stil have question:
When i even create a Blank Metro Style Application project I have .NET asseblies for metro style. Do I have remove them by myself or i do something wrong? And what i should do if need to use something like Prism fw ported to WinRT or mvvvm light? Are they allow me to develop application for WOA only on native WinRT? These moments are not clear for me.

Can you explain my what the difference between Windows RT and Windows on ARM
Do i need to use only WinRT (without .net) to develop for WindowsRT OS?

Hope you can help me.

Best Answer

Let me answer you in the most direct way I can. If you open a Blank XAML/C# Windows Store project. That project will run on Windows RT (ARM) and Windows 8 (x86/x64). That's because it is built to accomplish this. Just because you have what feels like the .Net Framework, don't worry - you are writing a cross-platform application.

Now, for the caveats. You made this answer easy because of C#. CPP developers don't have the same guarantee because there are coding things they can do to break this compatibility. Not so in C#. If the code you write compiles to "Any CPU" then what I am saying is correct.

If you introduce something (like the Bing Maps control) that requires your build to change from "Any CPU" to something else. The Windows Store will let you submit three versions of your app under the same name - one for each platform - and the user will never know there is more than one.

In that last example, you are still supporting every platform, you just have to specific three different builds to accomplish it – your code may not change at all! In most scenarios, you support them all out of the gate. If you introduce a third party library - like MVVMlite - you are still okay if you can build to any CPU. Most libraries are cool like that.

This is the style that Microsoft tends to use in their examples.

It appears that the guidance in this area may have changed, as StyleCop now enforces the use of the C# specific aliases.

Ny way to write a WinRt (Metro) app that will also work on Windows 7 and Vista

The best answer is that you do not want the same application to run on Windows 7 and Windows 8 Metro style. The UI that works best for mouse and keyboards (windows 7) will not work well for a touch-first presentation and visa versa. It is important to re-imagine the UI for the two different worlds.

That said, you have 2 options if you want to share a lot of the code: 1) Write it largely in JavaScript/HTML5. This will let you re-use many of the assets (especially the business logic parts). 2) Write it in (desktop) Silverlight. The Silverlight XAML is closest to Windows XAML. WPF is further away and will require more re-work later.

In either case, you should look at and follow the principles used when writing cross-platform code. Understand the platform dependencies and isolate them behind indirection boundaries. You want to localize all of the code that will have to change. For instance, you don't want calls to the .Net System.IO.File APIs which you know will have to change to Windows.System.Storage calls being scattered throughout your code. Instead, you want it localized in one function that can be modified later.

Best Answer

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This is the style that Microsoft tends to use in their examples.

Ny way to write a WinRt (Metro) app that will also work on Windows 7 and Vista

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