Programming Language, IDE, and WP7 Software Developer Kit (SDK):


In this class, for this quarter, we will use:

·         Programming Language:  C#, if you have not worked with C# before, no worries, it is essential the same as Java, and we will learn this together. Yeah, I don’t know C# either. If fact, you are probably ahead of me because, honestly, I don’t really know Java either.

·         Operating System Requirements and Configurations:

o   Windows 7 (x86 and x64) – all editions except Starter Edition

o   .Net Framework 4

o   To find out more information: http://www.microsoft.com/visualstudio/en-us/products/2010-editions/windows-phone-developer-tools/system-requirements

·         Software Development Kits (SDK) required (download and installation instructions to follow):

o   Visual Studio IDE: the free version, Visual Studio C# Express 2010, or any Visual Studio versions (e.g., Professional, Ultimate, etc.).

o   Windows Phone Developer Tools: Provides SDK, Visual Studio project templates, and Windows Phone 7 emulator.

o   Zune Software: serves as the communication harness between Visual Studio and the phone for loading/deploying your game.

o   Silverlight: Application framework support.

 

Download, installation, and registration instruction

·         Development support: http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?displaylang=en&id=27570

o   This is a packaged, integrated, download, and install that includes the IDE (Visual Studio C# Express 2010) and all the necessary APIs: Windows Phone Developer Tools, .net Framework 4, and Silverlight. Also included are API’s that will not be covered (e.g., XNA).

o   This installation properly supports pre-existing Visual Studio installations, i.e., even if you have Visual Studio already installed on your machine this installation should work properly.

o   We are working with 7.1, DO NOT download SDK7.0!!

·         Zune (for communicating to the phone): http://www.zune.net/en-US/products/software/download/default.htm

·         AppHub membership registration: as a UW student you can obtain free AppHub membership. Here are a couple of instructions from our fellow classmates (they are slightly different, study them and choose one you like to follow): from Jason Weaver, and/or from Adam Weyant.

 

For further information on individual APIs:

·         Windows Phone Developer Tools:

o   General information: http://create.msdn.com/en-us/home/getting_started

o   Documentation: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff402535%28v=VS.92%29.aspx

 

·         The Integrated Development Environment (IDE): You can use Visual Studio 2010 (VS2010), or Visual C# Express 2010 (VCE2010).  VCE2010 is a subset of VS2010, it is lighter weight. All examples provided and examples presented in class will be based on VCE2010. You can open VCE2010 projects with VS2010. You can choose which IDE you want to work with. To find out more information about VCE2010, go to:

o   http://www.microsoft.com/express/download#webInstall select C# Express and English to download/install.

 

·         You need Silverlight 4.0: You can find out more about Siliverlight here: http://www.silverlight.net/getstarted/

 

·         C#: Whenever you find yourself staring at C# code and wondering “what is” something, stop and come ask me!

o   Book: If you like to read “physical paper” books, any book out there on C# will do, I do not have a good recommendation because I do not refer to any of them.

o   Reference: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/kx37x362.aspx.