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Write Windows Phone Apps, No Code Required

Posted by timothy on from the gestures-and-grunts-will-suffice dept.

jfruh writes "One of the biggest challenges Microsoft has faced with its Windows Phone platform is that it's far behind in the apps race against iOS and Android. One way to close the gap is to lower the barrier to entry for new app devs, and Microsoft has done so with Windows Phone App Studio, a hosted service that lets you build applications without actually writing any code. The description of how App Studio works may leave you wondering how useful or exciting the apps created will be, but a surge of developer interest during the current beta program has surprised even Microsoft with its scope."

7 of 210 comments (clear)

  1. Windows 8 woohoo! by hawkinspeter · · Score: 5, Funny

    So, it has come to this.

    --
    You're a temporary arrangement of matter sliding towards oblivion in a cold, uncaring universe
    1. Re:Windows 8 woohoo! by cristiroma · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Writing "apps" like this is like making websites in MS Word

    2. Re:Windows 8 woohoo! by MightyMartian · · Score: 5, Funny

      Fart apps! Now three times as easy!

      --
      The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
    3. Re:Windows 8 woohoo! by AndyAndyAndyAndy · · Score: 5, Funny

      I still have a hard time believing people sit down and code those.

      --
      It's always confirmation bias!
    4. Re:Windows 8 woohoo! by serviscope_minor · · Score: 5, Informative

      While in an entirely different class, LabVIEW is a graphical programming language which is quite powerful (true language / direct compiler).

      Oh fuck no.

      LabVIEW makes it moderately OK to control some stuff provided your control and logging and whatever system can be somewhat easily represented by a circuit diagram like construction.

      In other words, it makes the easy bit of controlling stuff almost trivial to the user.

      The trouble is that then the usre wants to do something a bit more complex and the simple, easy to use circuit diagram like thing turns into a mega evil rats nest of doom.

      All projects lasting more than about a week end up tending towards a rats nest of doom.

      What astonishes me is the amazing quantity of effort people will put in to *not* learning how to simply code it.

      --
      SJW n. One who posts facts.
  2. Puruse the forums of any ios/android app engines by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    If you check the unity3d forums, you will see a few hundred people that have a great idea for a game and it always reads sort of like this:
    It's like, so basically... it's Skyrim for iOS/Android. So who wants to code this for me? Obviously since I am the idea man I will keep the MILLJIONS of dollars it will make, because writing code is easy, I just don't have time to learn because I am too important or have ADD. I did find some great free models on turbosquid though, just need someone to make them move.. what's it called, rigging? Oh and texture too. Since I did the hard part of finding these models, that last part should be really simple, but I'll pay you out of the HUGE profits of my game.

    Well Microsoft, I applaud you. You have given these idea men, these mental giants, a fertile ground of milk and honey! We lowly coders and artists will sorely miss them in our forums, but wish them bon voyage on this, their great and noble endeavor!

  3. Quantity instead of quality by Begemot · · Score: 5, Insightful

    check the top free apps - none could be made without code
    it looks like MS wants quantity instead of quality - no wonder the only informative thing TFA has is the number of users and projects.