Introduction to Windows Runtime (WinRT) Raffaele Rialdi @raffaeler [email protected] http://www.iamraf.net Tailored User Experience full screen different resolutions Immersive Multiple live tiles form factors Engaging secure, and Alive trustable Inspiring Confidence Metro Connected Multitasking use live data Touch-first fast and fluid small devices Current problems • No marketplace: how can you trust an application? • Admin privilege is required to install most Apps • Interoperability is difficult (PInvoke / COM) –Memory and Performance costs are high –Accessing OS API can be tough • Mixing native and managed language is hard • "C" APIs lifecycle is error-prone (CreateFile … CloseHandle) • I/Os are blocking (network, storage, …) • No standards for App to App communication • Search, Tweets, Facebook posts, … Windows Runtime Architecture Metro apps Desktop apps Win MFC XAML DirectX HTML WPF SL HTML form DX Language Projections .NET / Js / C++ .NET / Js / C++ Filtered access BCL / libraries to WinRT Windows Runtime APIs and Services UI Controls Storage Media Win32 Win32 Windows Metadata XAML Pickers Network … Runtime Broker Windows Runtime Core Windows Kernel Services What is the Windows Runtime? • It's the evolution of the Component Object Model (COM) • The infrastructure reuse old concepts like apartments, IUnknown and addref/release • IDispatch is gone, IInspectable is the new base interface • New support for Events (no connection points) and static types • Totally different Type System (no Variants, no BSTRs, …) • WinRT use ECMA-335 (.net Framework) metadata • WinRT and CLR talks the same "language" • No marshalling gotchas It's not a replacement for the CLR • CLR is required for managed languages infrastructure WinRT Type System • Basic types - bool, integers, floats, enum, guid, type, object • Strings - binary compatibile with .NET (string) and C++ STL (wstring) - are immutable - are value-types (non-nullable) • There are Reference Types - All types that implement WinRT interfaces • There are Value Types - All the others … for example arrays and structures - Structures can't declare reference (deep/shallow copy problem) • "Complex" types - Vector (collection) and Map (dictionary) - Vector<T> implements IObservableVector<T> that is mapped to INotifyCollectionChanged Language Projections Projections map WinRT types to the projected language • Different casing standards - Javascript (camelCase), C++ and .NET (PascalCase) • Developers need to understand edge-cases - Javascript standard only support IEEE-754 (floats). This means the max integer is 53 bit maximum • Few types are defined both in WinRT and .NET - They are treated as 'special' and seen as equivalent - INotifyPropertyChanged, INotifyCollectionChanged, … • Some .NET types cannot be mapped transparently - Streams, Buffers, Tasks are mapped via extension methods • I expect third party projections too - Java?, Python?, D language?, Delphi?, … Contracts : «XXI century's clipboard» • A standard way to "talk" to other Apps or OS services • A sort of publisher / subscriber pattern • Main Contracts available: • Search, Share, Protocol, PlayTo, App to App picking • WinRT activate Apps that expose Contracts • Running Apps is done via Launch Contract • Tiles are NOT shortcuts! • Apps use the Manifest to opt-in for Contracts • They receive parameters in the activation method Application Activation Explorer.exe Activate Activation RPCSS System Application.exe DCOM Class Launch Catalog Asynchronous by design Problem: Apps should never block UI thread Solution: API that may take more than 50ms are only async Special objects wraps Asynchronous Operations • In WinRT they implement IAsyncOperation<T> • AsTask extension method is used to convert it to a Task<T> • In .NET these objects are Task<T> • AsAsyncOperation extension method to obtain an IAsyncOperation<T> Tomorrow C# 5.0 have new async/await keywords Hall 4 - 10:45 Javascript and C++ can use "promises" pattern The sandbox Application Package Application code Manifest Marketplace Security Broker Proxy WinRT Libraries Win32 White-listed Windows Kernel Services Developing with WinRT • XAML UI for .NET and C++ • XAML / DirectX can share surfaces • DirectX inside a XAML control • Large virtual DirectX surface in conjunction with XAML • High Performance DirectX drawing, XAML overlapped • Custom WinRT components are easy to write • i.e. exposing C# or C++ code to Javascript or vice-versa • Custom components are private to the App (no RegSvr32) • Cross language calls are cheap • No more P-Invokes! • As fast as a vtable call • Desktop Apps can use a WinRT APIs subset • CLR have an additional weapon: "Portable Class Library" • A DLL with code that run on Metro, desktop, SL, … • As it's IL code, it runs as 32 or 64 bits as well Metro profile for .NET development Metro profile was a good opportunity to clean BCL • Removed: Xml DOM, WebClient, Threads, … • Moved Reflection in System.Reflection • GetTypeInfo extension method to access reflection classes Metro Fx 4.5 WP7 # assemblies 15 120 22 # namespaces 60 400 88 # types ~1'000 ~14'000 ~2'000 # members ~10'000 ~110'000 ~14'000 What else is not in the Metro profile? • APIs that are already in WinRT (Storage, Sockets, Network, etc.) • Server libraries like WCF, Asp.net, … • APIs that could bypass the sandbox • System.Data, Remoting, AppDomain, Private Reflection, … Developer thoughts • No need to elevate (UAC) a Metro App • Admin Apps will run in the old desktop • Storage • Apps can access only locations specified by manifest • Users can pick (via UI) a file that is stored elsewhere • No local db APIs at the moment • Media and Sensors • Easy access to cameras, accelerometer, … • Require user consent (requested via manifest) • Network • Great library to ease oAuth authentication • Flexible HttpClient replace WebClient • Websockets support • Dig into the APIs and discover it by yourself! Takeaways • WinRT is a great step in Windows evolution • Exposes native OS services in a pure OOP way • Closes the gap between managed and native languages • Developers can use their current knowledge to create Apps from small devices to classic PCs • Marketplace is an opportunity for developers and a sweet experience for end-users • Think about performance/battery issues • It's Framework.NET best friend Windows 8 Cheat Sheet C Charms Bar O Locks device orientation H Share charm Tiles to the left / right (.) K Connect charm Split left/right I Settings charm Temporarily peek at the desktop Cycle apps / Q Search pane F File Search Cycle input language & keyboard W Settings Search Narrator Z V Cycles through toasts Application Bar Tools for WinRT WinRT.codeplex.com (more to come …) Don’t forget to submit your feedback and win a great Nokia smartphone and Kindle e-reader! .