Choosing an Application Framework for Windows Phone 7 Application Development
- Introducing the Application Frameworks
- Understanding Silverlight
- Understanding the XNA Framework
- Summary
- Q&A
- Workshop
- Exercise
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
The application framework you choose impacts not only the amount of work you must do to complete the application but also the inherent features available to you. Different application frameworks are more suited to different types of applications and determine the default look and feel of your application, instrumentation, and available resources. There are two application frameworks, Microsoft Silverlight and Microsoft XNA Framework, available, each offering different strengths and weaknesses. By the end of this hour, you will be introduced to both the Silverlight and XNA frameworks.
Introducing the Application Frameworks
Silverlight is primarily for text-based applications, whereas the XNA Framework is primarily used for games. Both of these frameworks are flexible and can be adapted so that your imagination is the only limit to what can be created.
Regardless of which framework you decide to work with, you will still have the benefits of the Windows Phone Application Platform. The toolset is free, a rich application programming interface (API) set is available across the entire platform, all applications are sandboxed, and finished products can utilize Marketplace distribution routes.