UWA: the surprising new VFP Apps future

[mplaza]

Before 2015 ends, we'll be able to pack win32 ( vfp ) applications as AppX; that is, windows store applications.

Windows 10 erases the differences between pc/xbox/surface/phones; it will be the same environment for all
and will bring a virtual environment for win32 and .net applications to run as universal apps.

Project centennial is the key as one of the Universal Windows Platform Bridges (

https://dev.windows.com/en-us/uwp-bridges

),
that will, according to John Sheehan from MS on build 2015, (

http://channel9.msdn.com/Events/Build/2015/2-692

)
provide win32 apps the ability to run anywhere and do anything a Universal Windows App can do.

You will be able to use XAML as your UI for VFP apps, and run vfp apps on surface , xbox or windows phones
( proven your app needs no admin rights ).

MS even brought back threads and sockets to windows 10 ( again, there will be just one common windows 10 for all platforms )
to get win32 running "as is".

So instead of moving away, or try to replace VFP on one single step, the path MS is offering is more realistic:
replace at your pace old apps UI with XAML and use and learn the UWA model and services through a bridge from Win32.

Universal Windows Apps sits on the app container model, data contracts, app activations, view port awareness, new UI
you'll be able to use from VFP.

You'll be able to create vfp apps that provide or consume data from/to windows band or holo lens for example.

Some links I gathered and leave for you to get up to date:

from

http://blogs.windows.com/buildingapps/2015/04/30/a-deeper-dive-into-the-universal-windows-platform/

:

" Windows 10 "added over 2,500 new classes to the Universal Windows Platform API set for a total of over 8,600 new APIs,
a 60% increase from Windows 8.1. With Windows 10 we also increased the .NET API set by 26%
and the Win32 and COMs API set by 48%. !! " ( bolds mine )

"Introducing the Universal Windows Platform Bridges"
(

https://dev.windows.com/en-us/uwp-bridges

) :

”Project Centennial” will make it possible to package and publish
your current .NET and Win32-based Windows applications to the Windows Store,
providing a new way of distributing and monetizing your application on Windows PCs.

"Project Centennial": Enables developers to package and publish their existing .NET and Win32-based Windows
applications to the Windows Store. Developers can also use Centennial to call common UWP APIs and services."

In addition to packaging your application for Store distribution, ”Project Centennial”
will also enable you to take advantage of Universal Windows Platform capabilities and APIs.

More information about ”Project Centennial” will be made available in Summer 2015. "

you can sign up for previews of the bridge toolkits here:

https://projectipreviewsignup.windows.com/

 

[Olaf Doschke]

That's good news in general and offers lots of opportunities.

The first question coming up is how XAML controls will bind to VFP workareas. From what I see it'll mean the same as with any other UI, eg with HTML frontends you do with any of the many VFP Web Frameworks, like Web Connect, AFP, FoxWeb, ActiveVFP and more. So again and afain it pays programming with the N tier concept, then you're able to address DBFs and recycle your business logic, but the UI doesn't only need conversion from Winform controls, especially the VFP controls to XAML, you'll need to convert your data binding. For simple single value controls that'll be simple enough, but a XAML ListBox doesn't compare to a VFP ListBox and a GridView will need a .NET collection to bind to.

It'll not be as simple as converting EXE to APPX, as it seems.

Bye, Olaf.

 

[Olaf Doschke]

After just viewing ~10 minutes of the video[URL unfurl="true"]http://channel9.msdn.com/Events/Build/2015/2-692[/url] the perspective changes a bit.

MS offers a tool most probably based on App-V application virtualization. It requires you to do a setup for your app and run it while this tool monitors what your app does to the system. This even works for a product like Adobe Photohop, with one catch: If some hardware serial number is used eg for license checks, the generated AppX won't run on other systems. as they of course have other serial numbers.

So you can stay with the forms as is. It just raises questions about ActiveX controls, which may work on such license techniques and in general makes me wonder if this seamless works with automation of Office Applications, also there are may arise issues with performance. Nevertheless the perspecitive of what you can port 1:1 this way expands very much from what I first envisioned.

Bye, Olaf.

 

[mplaza]

Shehan mentioned that Activex will be supported ( he used the file picker control as example ), and the only exceptions are no admin rights and no access to "close to the metal" functions.

For those wanting to know about Windows Store apps, this free MS book covers and explains all you need to know ( for the html/js app path ):

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/microsoft_p...h-html-css-and-javascript-second-edition.aspx

 

[Olaf Doschke]

I don't doubt ActiveX in general working, they too are just Win32 code. I said licensing of controls, which also relies on serial numbers may fail as Adobe Photoshop did in the normal version. And yes, I also mentioned automation. Might work.

Anyway, a good perspective, as you can do many things native and this certainly expands your target platforms.

Bye, Olaf.

 

[mplaza]

Check out this more complete Build session on the subject:

http://channel9.msdn.com/Events/Build/2015/2-617

it better explains the new app ( UWA ) model for win32 apps on Windows 10.