We all have been hearing rumors about how ‘Microsoft’ is trying to get Android and iOS apps running for ‘Windows Phone’, luckily for Microsoft fans that day has arrived. It is well known that ‘Microsoft’ app stores are pretty behind the competition when it comes to breadth and quality, but today at ‘Build 2015’, Microsoft has announced how it is going to fight back.
Since the very beginning ‘Microsoft’ has always been focused on making developers lives easier and today, they are making it simpler for Android and iOS developers to move to Windows with the announcement of four new SDKs.
The new SDKs are targeted for: Websites; .NET and Win32, for Android Java/C++, and for iOS Objective C Code. With help of these new tools, you can take existing apps and bring them to Windows10 with minimal work.
Android and iOS developers will be able to port their apps and games directly to Windows universal apps, and Microsoft is enabling this with two new software development kits. On the Android side, Microsoft is enabling developers to use Java and C++ code on Windows 10, and for iOS developers they’ll be able to take advantage of their existing Objective C code. In fact, Microsoft has already ported Candy Crush Saga to Windows Phone using these new tools. The company says that there were only a few code modifications needed after conversion and the app currently has a 4.5 star rating.
Microsoft’s Terry Myerson says, “We want to enable developers to leverage their current code and current skills to start building those Windows applications in the Store, and to be able to extend those applications.”
Microsoft is also introducing ways for websites and Windows desktop apps to make their way over to Windows universal apps. Microsoft has created a way for websites to run inside a Windows universal app, and use system services like notifications and in-app purchases. This should allow website owners to easily create web apps without much effort, and list those apps in the Windows Store. It’s not the best alternative to a native app for a lot of scenarios, but for simple websites it offers up a new way to create an app without its developers having to learn new code languages. Microsoft is also looking toward existing Windows desktop app developers with Windows 10. Developers will be able to leverage their .NET and Win32 work and bring this to Windows universal apps.
Microsoft’s Terry Myerson further states, “Sixteen million .NET and Win32 apps are still being used every month on Windows 7 and Windows 8,”
It is still unclear since they didn’t give too many details on the skeleton of it, it sounds more like code running in a sandbox and display was pretty simple, perhaps a more complex app may not work as seamlessly or without added work. We will find out once developers start porting apps.
