Using the web server built into every Windows 10 device #UWPLunch

All this month, I'm taking some time each day to explore (and document) things that are related to UWP development that I haven't fully investigated or used before. While doing it over lunch each day I'm calling it #UWPLunch.

Just a few weeks ago I was thinking to myself - If Windows 10 has a built-in web server for hosting the remotely accessible device portal, can I also use it for my own functionality?
I was curious about the possibility of using any Windows10 device as my own web server.
While that's not possible, something related was announced last week and that's the Windows Device Portal Wrapper project.

This works if you enable the portal after enabling developer settings.

The idea is that it makes it an easy way for you to write an app that can interrogate the status of the device or perform some actions. The most interesting actions are probably installing or uninstalling other apps. It might provide an interesting tool for managing a small number of devices where more formal MDM solutions are too expensive or overly complex.

I'd originally wondered if this might be a route to eventually adding additional functionality to the portal but upon reflection, that's unnecessary and not the best way of doing things.

Originally I was thinking about the portal as a way to make any device a web server. But not every device needs to be a web server. If you do need a web server then forcing an arbitrary device to act as one is unlikely to lead to you getting the best results. Use tools/devices appropriate to the task.

I also wondered if the portal could become a generic way of accessing extension functionality for an installed app. I was thinking about this as a way for doing things like extracting log files from an app on a remote device. Now I'm wondering if that's too niche a task. For apps where this is appropriate, this could, I think, be achieved with a remote messaging of connected apps. (Which is something I hope to look at later this week.)

Maybe more will become possible with the portal (and the wrapper project) in the future but right now I don't see it being a part of my app dev plans.

When UWP apps targeting old or temporary SDKs can't be loaded #UWPLunch

All this month, I'm taking some time each day to explore (and document) things that are related to UWP development that I haven't fully investigated or used before. While doing it over lunch each day I'm calling it #UWPLunch.

In reviewing some UWP functionality I tried to open an old test project from earlier this year. It was a project to test some of the functionality announced at build this year. The functionality was made available at the time via a special SDK (version 14295) that wasn't an official/formal release.

When trying to open that project on my recently rebuilt PC, solution explorer shows that an update is required to load the project. Trying to download the update presents a dialog like this.

There's a problem with the install link though. It doesn't go to an SDK to download as there isn't one.
The solution was to manually modify the csproj file.

Above you can see that I've changed the TargetPlatformVersion to be the latest (AU) version and now the project can be loaded.

Ok, so this isn't something everyone will need but if you ever find yourself with an old project you can't open or get something someone has shared online and it won't open then this may help you out.

Get feedback for your app via the Feedback Hub app #UWPLunch

All this month, I'm taking some time each day to explore (and document) things that are related to UWP development that I haven't fully investigated or used before. While doing it over lunch each day I'm calling it #UWPLunch.

Apps that don't make it easy to provide feedback can be very frustrating for the people using them.
Windows 10 includes the Feedback Hub as a way of providing feedback and information about the OS and the apps that come with it. Additionally, you can also use it to capture feedback about your app.

I looked at this when it was first announced but it's changed since then. (Most notably the 'Feedback' class is now called 'Engagement'.) Here's how to do it now.

Firstly you need to install the Microsoft Store Services SDK.
This will let you add the appropriate reference to your project.

It's recommended that you use the standard icon to indicate the ability for you to send feedback. There's a glyph for this in the MDL2 Assets font file.
Here's how to use it in a TextBlock, but you could put it in a button too.

  <TextBlock Text="&#xE939;" FontFamily="Segoe MDL2 Assets" />

The Feedback Hub doesn't run on as many devices as your UWP app could so you should really test fro support before trying to use it

Fortunately, there's a static method which will tell you.

Microsoft.Services.Store.Engagement.StoreServicesFeedbackLauncher.IsSupported()

To launch the feedback hub it's a simple call:

    var feedback = StoreServicesFeedbackLauncher.GetDefault();
    await feedback.LaunchAsync();

or if you want to send some information with ti, that's possible too.

    var optionalFeedbackInfo = new Dictionary<string, string>();
    optionalFeedbackInfo.Add("key", "value");

    await feedback.LaunchAsync(optionalFeedbackInfo);

This will launch the app

And you'll see the feedback in the store.
Simples.

If you want more details on setting this up see the instructions at https://msdn.microsoft.com/windows/uwp/monetize/launch-feedback-hub-from-your-app

TechRewards is closing but don't ignore it yet!

Many years ago, well about 4, Nokia (remember them?) launched a program called DVLUP which offered incentives for developing and enhancing Windows Phone apps.

After the Microsoft acquisition, it was renamed as TechRewards and extended to also offer rewards for other areas (Azure) too.

But now it's time is done.
All the challenges have ended and you have until January to use any points balance to claim rewards.

Interest in the program had waned in recent months and the rewards that were available aren't as great as they used to be, but don't turn away just yet.

If you have an account that still has points don't ignore it.

You can donate your points to charity!

You can make charitable donations from just 45pts. Don't waste your points - let others benefit from your past app development activities.

Is Windows Mobile (Phone) still relevant?

All this month, I'm taking some time each day to explore (and document) things that are related to UWP development that I haven't fully investigated or used before. While doing it over lunch each day I'm calling it #UWPLunch.

With Microsoft doing less and less in terms of manufacturing and promoting phones running Windows 10 Mobile, many have been asking if it's a dead platform.

Obviously, it's something I think about.

Today I was at Microsoft's Transform conference. Satya Nadella (Microsoft CEO) gave the closing talk. During this he described Windows 10 as an operating system for a person across all the devices they use.

Phones are the most used and most personal devices people interact with. For Windows10 to not be a part of that would be ridiculous and I still believe that Microsoft can't abandon phones entirely.
No, they'll never be the market leader.
Yes, your mobile (phone) app strategy will need to consider building for Android and iOS. (Xamarin is, of course, a great way to do this.)
No, I don't know anything about any upcoming announcements. (And if I did I couldn't tell you.)

If you've developed for UWP or Windows Phone in the past, much of what you've learnt is hopefully still relevant regardless of the platform you're building for and UWP apps still run on desktop, Xbox, IoT, SurfaceHub, and HoloLens too.

Just keep doing as my new T-shirt says: