What is the meaning of metro-style applications?

Abhimanyu K Vatsa

What is the meaning of metro-style applications? It seems this is belongs to phone developments, isn't it? Is this tailored type application development tool or fully functional development tool? I'm confused with word "metro-style"?

Please clear this point for me.

Thanks
Abhimanyu

6 Replies

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Mahesh Chand15y ago
Accepted answer
Here is a must watch video:

http://www.c-sharpcorner.com/Blogs/7148/what-makes-an-app-a-metro-style-app.aspx
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Mamta M15y ago
Good question and equally good answers.
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Vulpes15y ago
I wonder what will turn out to the the 'language of choice' for developing Metro applications?

As you know, there will initially be three options:

1. A special dialect of C++ (known as C++/CX) together with WPF.

2. Javascript and HTML5

3. C# or VB using a subset of the .NET Framework and WPF.

I thought at first that Windows 8 might see a resurgence of interest in C++ which has recently been invigorated by a new standard. However, the special dialect of the language to be used is remarkably similar to the managed C++/CLI dialect, which has never been particularly popular, except that it's unmanaged and uses COM's reference counting rather than garbage collection. It certainly looks to be the most complicated of the three options.

I can't see many professional desktop developers being attracted to the Javascript plus HTML5 option. Because of the need to call into the Metro API it's not really Javascript 'as we know it' and you won't be able to develop Metro components with it like you can with the other languages. Also, when it comes to building user interfaces, HTML5 seems to be well behind the incredibly powerful WPF, for the time being at least.

That just leaves .NET which initially will have a choice of just two languages, C# or VB. It looks to me like programming Metro applications with these languages won't be a million miles away from Silverlight development. Also, given the emphasis on asynchronous operations, the new async/await keywords will be arriving at just the right time. As VB seems to have faded a bit lately, my money's on C# quickly establishing itself as the language of choice for Metro applications where it should have the right balance of power and ease of use that most developers look for.
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Mahesh Chand15y ago
Alright, I found the answer.

Metro style app was introduced as a part of Windows Phone 7 development and now Windows 8.

Metro is the name of the new design language created for the Windows Phone 7 interface. When given the chance for a fresh start, the Windows Phone design team drew from many sources of inspiration to determine the guiding principles for the next generation phone interface. Sources included Swiss influenced print and packaging with its emphasis on simplicity, way-finding graphics found in transportation hubs and other Microsoft software such as Zune, Office Labs and games with a strong focus on motion and content over chrome.

More details:
http://www.microsoft.com/design/toolbox/tutorials/windows-phone-7/metro/

For Microsoft developers, Metro is the future. Forget Silverlight and everything else.
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/microsoft/microsoft-to-developers-metro-is-your-future/10611

It also seems like Microsoft is building a different API for UI parts to build Windows 8 applications and code-name is called Jupiter and Mosh.
http://www.winsupersite.com/article/paul-thurrotts-wininfo/New-Tile-Based-Shell-App-Model-and-App-Store-Coming-in-Windows-8-
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Abhimanyu K Vatsa15y ago
Actually, I was watching a video (What's new in Visual Studio 2011) by Microsoft, where I heard this.
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Mahesh Chand15y ago
I was wondering the same after watching several videos. None of them explains what a metro-style application is.
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