Microsoft Details Windows 10 Universal App Platform Ahead of Build 2015

Microsoft has revealed more details about its Windows universal apps and has also talked about how the Windows 10 universal app platform will work. Additionally, the company has announced its upcoming Build conference will be held from April 29 to May 1. Further universal app platform technical details will be announced at the Build Conference in San Francisco.

Microsoft's Kevin Gallo, technical lead for Windows universal apps, in a blog post titled "A first look at the Windows 10 universal app platform" gave some insights of the universal app platform.

Explaining the need of consumer's needs, Gallo stressed that "mobile experiences" have evolved. "Until now, mobile experiences have largely meant app and web experiences built for mobile devices - most often defined by the phone you carry with you," he adds. Gallo goes on to suggest that the new "world of mobile experiences" requires support of number of screen sizes alongside flexibility in interaction. He gave an example of a user who works across various devices supporting touch gestures (in case of mobiles and tablets) to keyboard and mouse (on desktop), and to bridge such a gap devices such as 2-in-1 are launched.

"As we built the universal app platform, we set out to ensure that all Windows developers would equally benefit from this one core. The platform enables a new class of Windows universal apps - apps that are truly written once, with one set of business logic and one UI. Apps that are delivered to one Store within one package. Apps that are able to reach every Windows 10 device the developer wants to reach. Apps that feels consistent and familiar to the customer on all devices, while also contextually appropriate to each device's input model and screen size. The new universal app platform completes our developer platform convergence by providing you with the ability to finally create one app that can run on mobile, desktop, console, holographic, and even IoT devices," blog notes.

Gallo further explained "adaptive user experience" that will allow app UI to "fluidly adapt at runtime based on how the customer is interacting with your app." Microsoft also stressed that Windows 10 will make it easy for developers to "incorporate natural user inputs into your app."

"Because Windows handles all of these inputs, we free you from needing to worry about how to parse the input for meaning - you only need to worry about which inputs are appropriate for your app and we'll determine if they are present and parse the intent for you," he adds.

In the blog, the company confirmed that Windows 10 has been designed to support existing Windows and desktop apps. Microsoft goes on to suggest that the same design frame will maintained through devices including the HoloLens, Surface Hub, and IoT devices like the Raspberry Pi 2. The company confirmed more details will be shared at the Build conference in April.

The company announced Universal Windows apps, a move that claimed to bring a new common Windows runtime to PCs, phones, and tablets (and the Xbox One) at last year's Build conference. With the launch of Windows 10 in September, Microsoft came closer to its vision of universal apps that will allow apps to work across a variety of devices (from phones to tablet to gaming consoles).