For those of you who are new to such developer roadmaps, it’s simply a compilation of lots of Windows Phone 8.1 developer resources represented in hyperlinks with some checkpoints that should help you getting started with the platform (Learning, Porting, Designing, Building, Testing, Publishing, and Monetizing your app)

You can download the roadmap from here.

Kindly share with your developers and community.

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Mohamed Yamama,
@m_yamama

[Please read the DISCLAIMER for this blog here.]

How to consume WCF service / add service reference to Windows Phone 8.1:

Scenario 1: Building Windows Phone 8.1 Silverlight

Just right click on reference and click ‘Add Service reference’ and proceed with the way you are used to.

Scenario 2: Building Windows Phone 8.1 Runtime app / Universal app

For this one, a direct way doesn’t seem to be available in the time being, a workaround exists though that I thought I should share. To sum it up, you need to add a REST endpoint to your WCF service and then make REST calls from your Windows Phone app.

Here’s a quick tutorial from scratch

2.1 Creating a Windows Phone 8.1 Runtime app and a WCF Service Application:

1. In my SUPER SIMPLE example I created a blank app (Windows Phone) called “Consume WCF from WP8.1 Sample” and added a WCF Service Application to my solution and called it “REST WCF Service”

2. In the IService1.cs file, I only kept the below Operation Contract and removed the parameters for simplicity

[ServiceContract]

public interface IService1

{

    [OperationContract]

    string GetData();

    // TODO: Add your service operations here

}

3. In the Service1.svc.cs file, update the Service1 class that implements the new interface to be as below:

public class Service1 : IService1

{

    public string GetData()

    {

        return "WCF Service";

    }

}

2.2 In Just 2 Steps, Expose a REST interface of our ‘REST WCF Service’ to be able to call it from Windows Phone 8.1 Runtime:

Step1:

Add the WebGetAttribute and WebInvokeAttribute to your OperationContract as in Line 6 the below example:

   1: [ServiceContract]

   2: public interface IService1

   3: {

   4:  

   5:     [OperationContract]

   6:     [WebGet(UriTemplate = "GetData")]

   7:     string GetData();

   8:  

   9:     // TODO: Add your service operations here

  10: }

Step2:

It’s time to put the final touch to the WCF Service. To make it RESTful, we need to update the configuration ‘web.config’ file by adding endpoint behavior as in Lines 15-21  then Update the endpoint by changing the binding to webHttpBinding and finally point to the behavior created by adding the behviorConfiguration to the endpoint node as in Lines 2-15

   1: <system.serviceModel>

   2:   <!--UPDATE the ENDPOINT by Changing the binding to webHttpBinding-->

   3:   <!--POINT to the endpointBehavior Created below by ADDing behaviorConfiguration to the endpoint node-->

   4:   <services>

   5:     <service behaviorConfiguration="MyServiceBehavior" name="REST_WCF_Service.Service1">

   6:       <endpoint address="" binding="webHttpBinding" behaviorConfiguration="web" contract="REST_WCF_Service.IService1">

   7:         <identity>

   8:           <dns value="localhost"/>

   9:         </identity>

  10:       </endpoint>

  11:       <endpoint address="max" binding="mexHttpBinding" contract="IMetadataExchange"></endpoint>

  12:     </service>

  13:   </services>

  14:   <behaviors>

  15:     <!--BEGIN ADD ENDPOINT BEHAVIOR-->

  16:     <endpointBehaviors>

  17:       <behavior name ="web">

  18:         <webHttp />

  19:       </behavior>

  20:     </endpointBehaviors>

  21:     <!--END of ADD ENDPOINT BEHAVIOR-->

  22:     <serviceBehaviors>

  23:       <behavior name="MyServiceBehavior"> <!--ADDED MyServiceBehvior-->

  24:         <!-- To avoid disclosing metadata information, set the values below to false before deployment -->

  25:         <serviceMetadata httpGetEnabled="true" httpsGetEnabled="true"/>

  26:         <!-- To receive exception details in faults for debugging purposes, set the value below to true.  Set to false before deployment to avoid disclosing exception information -->

  27:         <serviceDebug includeExceptionDetailInFaults="false"/>

  28:       </behavior>

  29:     </serviceBehaviors>

  30:   </behaviors>

  31:   <protocolMapping>

  32:       <add binding="basicHttpsBinding" scheme="https" />

  33:   </protocolMapping>    

  34:   <serviceHostingEnvironment aspNetCompatibilityEnabled="true" multipleSiteBindingsEnabled="true" />

  35: </system.serviceModel>

--> Your WCF Service is now RESTful (i.e. can be called from Windows Phone 8.1 Runtime app)

2.3 Call RESTful WCF Service from Browser or Windows Phone 8.1 Runtime app

You can test your service from the browser or your Windows Phone 8.1 Runtime app to see the result.

Browser:

I launched it in Internet Explorer and my URL was https://localhost:18362/Service1.svc. Now, I can point to my REST url by appending the method name that I specified in the UriTemplate attribute (GetData) to my .svc uri –> https://localhost:18362/Service1.svc/GetData

You should get the following:

Phone:

   1: private async void CallService()

   2: {

   3:     HttpClient httpClient = new System.Net.Http.HttpClient();

   4:     HttpRequestMessage request = new HttpRequestMessage(HttpMethod.Get, "https://localhost:18362/Service1.svc/GetData");

   5:     HttpResponseMessage response = await httpClient.SendAsync(request);

   6:     string data = await response.Content.ReadAsStringAsync();

   7:     var dialog = new MessageDialog(data);

   8:     await dialog.ShowAsync();

   9:  

  10: }

You should get the following:

You may download the full solution from here.

I hope this was helpful.

Kindly share with your developers and community.

Please feel free to subscribe to my blog or follow me on twitter for alerts on posts.

Mohamed Yamama,   
@m_yamama

[Please read the DISCLAIMER for this blog here.]

Sharing app identity means that:

• A customer who has purchased the app in either Store will be able to download the app from the other Store without paying for it again (even if the app prices are different).
• A customer who has bought a durable in-app purchase for the app on Windows will be able to use the same purchase without paying for it again on Windows Phone (and vice versa).
• The app can roam data across Windows and Windows Phone.
• The same WNS configuration settings for push notifications will apply (so that the app's notifications can appear on all devices).
• An icon will be displayed with your app's listing in the Windows Store and Windows Phone Store to let customers know that if they get your app in the Windows Store, they can also download it on compatible Windows Phones (and vice versa).

Fore more info, click here.

Case:

In my example here, I have an app entitled MEA Start Screen on Windows Phone and another one on Windows Store. Before the latest Store update, you could only reserve an app name on Windows Store so I need to associate my Windows Phone app (unreserved app name) to the Windows Store app (reserved app name)

Here’s how you can do it:

1. Go to https://dev.windowsphone.com/en-us, Sign in and select the app you want to link to Windows Store and click Update app

2. Go to App info, and click the drop down box to explore the available reserved app names Published in Windows Store, then select the app that you’d like to associate your phone app with.

3. Once you select it, you will get the below message in orange explaining the changes that will occur as a result of the app association. After reviewing the message, click Associate app button

4. This is the result you will get, the Package Identity Name and Windows publisher name

5. Scroll down. Click Save, then in the next page Press Review and Submit and you are done : ).

6. Check in a few hours, and you should find on the store a small icon   

Windows Phone Store	Windows Store

I hope this was helpful.

Kindly share with your developers and community.

Please feel free to subscribe to my blog or follow me on twitter for alerts on posts.

Mohamed Yamama,   
@m_yamama

[Please read the DISCLAIMER for this blog here.]

->Windows Phone 8.1 Code Samples https://code.msdn.microsoft.com/wpapps/site/search?f%5B0%5D.Type=Technology&f%5B0%5D.Value=Windows%20Phone%208.1

->Jumpstart sessions are great sessions that help get devs on the right track to get started developing for Windows Phone 8.1

If you already registered to Jump Start sessions by Andy Wigley and Matthias Shapiro,  you will be able to download these slides, if not no problem, You can Download JumpStart Slides from here.

->Thanks to Sherif El-Mahdi, MEA DPE Intern, for consolidating the below list of //Build/ Windows Phone Sessions if you missed any of them:

The New Windows Phone Application Model
https://channel9.msdn.com/Events/Build/2014/2-509

Windows Runtime for Windows Phone Developers
https://channel9.msdn.com/Events/Build/2014/2-550

Developing Apps using the Common XAML UI Framework
https://channel9.msdn.com/Events/Build/2014/2-507

What about XAML UI and Controls?
https://channel9.msdn.com/Events/Build/2014/2-516

Using Visual Studio to Build XAML Converged Apps
https://channel9.msdn.com/Events/Build/2014/3-591

From 4 to 40 inches: Developing Windows Applications across Multiple Form Factors
https://channel9.msdn.com/Events/Build/2014/3-541

Animations in Windows Phone XAML Apps
https://channel9.msdn.com/Events/Build/2014/3-554

Navigation Model for Windows XAML Applications
https://channel9.msdn.com/Events/Build/2014/2-537

Live Tiles Enhancements
https://channel9.msdn.com/Events/Build/2014/2-523

Contracts and Pickers: Building Apps that Work Together on Windows
https://channel9.msdn.com/Events/Build/2014/2-520

Dealing with Data: Storage, Roaming, and Backup on Windows and Windows Phone
https://channel9.msdn.com/Events/Build/2014/2-522

User Data Management in Windows Phone
https://channel9.msdn.com/Events/Build/2014/2-566

Modern Camera and Imaging Apps in Windows and Windows Phone
https://channel9.msdn.com/Events/Build/2014/2-525

Integrating Your App into the Windows Phone Speech Experience
https://channel9.msdn.com/Events/Build/2014/2-530

Building Geo-Aware Apps with Maps and Geofencing
https://channel9.msdn.com/Events/Build/2014/2-526

Multitasking and Triggered Background Tasks for Windows Phone Apps
https://channel9.msdn.com/Events/Build/2014/2-518

Mobile Push Notifications to Any Client with Azure Notification Hubs
https://channel9.msdn.com/Events/Build/2014/2-616

Notification Platform Development on Windows
https://channel9.msdn.com/Events/Build/2014/2-521

What’s New with Windows Phone Silverlight Apps!
https://channel9.msdn.com/Events/Build/2014/2-517

Quality and Performance for XAML Apps
https://channel9.msdn.com/Events/Build/2014/3-545

Windows Phone and Windows: Store and Dev Center
https://channel9.msdn.com/Events/Build/2014/2-512

Tips and Tricks in Visual Studio 2013
https://channel9.msdn.com/Events/Build/2014/2-582

Kindly share with your developers and community.

Please feel free to subscribe to my blog or follow me on twitter for alerts on posts.

Mohamed Yamama,   
@m_yamama

[Please read the DISCLAIMER for this blog here.]

I compiled lots of Windows Phone 8 Developer resources in 1 Slide that should help you get started with the platform (Learning, Porting, Designing, Building, Testing, Publishing, and Monetizing your app)

So the Developer Roadmap is simply a compilation of hyperlinks to some developer resources with some checkpoints that should put you on Windows Phone 8 Development track.

You can download the roadmap from here.

Kindly share with your developers and community.

Please feel free to subscribe to my blog or follow me on twitter for alerts on posts.

Mohamed Yamama,
@m_yamama

[Please read the DISCLAIMER for this blog here.]

The sessions will be delivered via a Lync meeting and for each session, you can join via the URL provided below.

Event Details

Speaker: Mohamed Yamama – Technical Evangelist –Windows Phone

Language: English (Questions in Arabic are accepted during the session).

URL: Lync Meeting (find the link below)- Join Lync Meeting , you may download Lync client from here.

Date: Wednesdays

Time: 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM (GMT+2)

Description

-------------------------------------------------------

> Join Lync Meeting 

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Please feel free to subscribe to the feed on the sidebar or follow me on twitter for alerts on posts.

Mohamed Yamama,
@m_yamama

[Please read the DISCLAIMER for this blog here.]

Digging deeper into the subject, I believe that the definition of Quality is highly subjective. Giving a great User Experience is a key player in boosting your app quality levels.

I developed the below tool Windows Phone Quality Checklist that you can use as a reference and a guide whenever you are developing your Windows Phone app that could boost the UX of the app and eventually help get more downloads and higher star rating.

The tool is a simple excel sheet that contains 3 sections:

1. Required Features
2. Should Have features
3. Good to Have features

Here’s how you can use it:

1. Enter your App Name under App column,
2. Skip the next 4 columns
3. Give a value of 1 in the cell if you used the corresponding Feature as state in the column name
4. You need to get a minimum of 5 required features. 2 Should Have features, and 1 Good to Have feature. If you find your app needs more features, that are not included, don’t hesitate to make your own Checklist and add them .
5. Once you fill the cells with the numbers, you will get a final score as shown in the below snap shot. And Golden star will show up in Star/Top App column indicating that your app is a Quality app.

Just a note: this tool’s main use is for referral and guidance. You may use it to assess your developed apps or brainstorming the features you are planning to include in your app or build your own checklist with the help of this one.

You can download the tool from here.

Kindly share with your developers and community.

Please feel free to subscribe to the feed on the sidebar or follow me on twitter for alerts on posts.

Mohamed Yamama,
@m_yamama

[Please read the DISCLAIMER for this blog here.]

I found a solution that should ease the pain and help us overcome such a challenge to an extent. Nokia promotes Remote Device Access FREE of CHARGE for all Nokia Developer members.

Logging in and using the system

The Nokia Developer Remote Device Access (RDA) service is available to all Nokia Developer members (you can create an account for free). Members access the service by using their Nokia Developer logins and passwords. RDA usage is free of charge: Each user automatically receives a specific amount of device-usage time per day. The current limit is 8 hours/day.

NOTE:-> A Prerequisite that you should consider that could hinder the installation of the Remote Device Access Client on your machine is to have ‘Java for Windows’ installed on your PCs. Please download it from here.

->Here you are the Instructions for RDA usage.

More Resources

RDA User Guide

Remote Device Access at Nokia Developer Wiki ›
Remote Device Access in Twitter ›
Frequently Asked Questions

Windows Phone Latest Updates from the site:

Limitations

• RDA does not currently support audio.
• The service does not provide direct access to device-hardware features (such as removing or reattaching a battery and opening or closing a clamshell phone).
• No additional peripherals are available by default.
• Because RDA is a remote solution, user experience may vary based on factors such as distance from server, connection speed, network traffic, and local network policies (such as firewalls).
• Nokia Developer does not offer technical support for the service. In case of serious issues, please contact the system administrator.
• There is no guarantee that the devices will be accessible at a given time. There may be service breaks.

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Please feel free to subscribe to the feed on the sidebar or follow on twitter for alerts on posts.

Mohamed Yamama,
@m_yamama

[Please read the DISCLAIMER for this blog here.]

I’d like to announce that Microsoft released SharePoint 2013 SDK for Windows Phone 8.

Install the tools:

1. Prerequisite: Make sure you have the Windows Phone 8 Developer tools installed on your PC.

2. Download and install Microsoft SharePoint SDK for Windows Phone 8 MSI.

Develop Windows Phone 8 apps for SharePoint 2013:

· How to: Set up an environment for developing mobile apps for SharePoint

· Overview of Windows Phone SharePoint 2013 application templates in Visual Studio

· Architecture of the Windows Phone SharePoint List Application template

· How to: Create a Windows Phone SharePoint 2013 list app

· How to: Store and retrieve SharePoint list items on a Windows Phone

· How to: Implement business logic and data validation in SharePoint 2013 app for Windows Phone

· How to: Support and convert SharePoint 2013 field types for Windows Phone apps

· How to: Customize list item queries and filter data for Windows Phone apps

· How to: Customize the user interface of a SharePoint 2013 list app for Windows Phone

· How to: Use multiple SharePoint 2013 lists in a Windows Phone app

· How to: Configure and use push notifications in SharePoint 2013 apps for Windows Phone

· Integrating location and map functionality in SharePoint 2013

· How to: Create a mobile app in SharePoint 2013 that contains data from an external data source

· How to: Integrate maps with Windows Phone apps and SharePoint 2013 lists

· How to: Build search-driven mobile apps with the Navigation and Event Logging REST interfaces

Please feel free to subscribe to the feed on the sidebar or follow on twitter for alerts on posts.

Mohamed Yamama,
@m_yamama

[Please read the DISCLAIMER for this blog here.]

It’s a very useful tool that offers you all the documentation needed in one place whether it’s for Windows Phone development, Windows Store App Development, even Kinect for Windows SDK, and many others. Here you are a step-by-step tutorial on how make use of this amazing feature .

1. Open Visual Studio 2012

2. Go to Help -> Set Help Preference -> Launch in Help Viewer

3. In the 1^st time, Microsoft Help Viewer 2.0 should run automatically; if it didn’t, just press F1 or Ctrl+F1 to run it. Then you can press Add to download the MSDN documentation/resources for your preferred topic(s). Then Press Update to have them installed on your machine locally (Offline).

4. Once downloaded, they’ll appear in the Help Viewer left pane.

5. You can then browse or search the downloaded resources (OFFLINE) the way you like from the below tabsJ.

Please feel free to subscribe to the feed on the sidebar or follow on twitter for alerts on posts.

Mohamed Yamama,
@m_yamama

[Please read the DISCLAIMER for this blog here.]