October 26th is right around the corner!

Time is ticking away and the time to act is now! Microsoft Developer Evangelist Brian Hitney and I want to help you get your app in the store in time for the October 26 Windows 8 launch. Come join us on Tuesday, September 25, at 9:00 AM in the Microsoft RTP offices to learn how simple it can be to construct a world class Windows 8 application. Don't think you can be ready to join the Windows 8 launch? Come anyway. You might be surprised. Don't have any idea what kind of app to build? Come anyway. They're are plenty of places to look for inspiration. Either way you can learn what it takes to create or tune an app for Windows 8 and publish it in the Windows App Store.
(Registration opens at 8:30 AM.)

Windows 8 Overview and the Windows Store

Haven't seen Windows 8 or know what it takes to get an app in the Windows Store? We'll cover that here. Drink your coffee because this first session will dive quickly into Windows 8, the platform, the changes, and the Windows Store, allowing you to monetize applications in a number of ways from in app purchases to subscriptions to trials.

Cookbook I: Design Templates and Style

In this session, we'll talk about the design principles for Windows Store applications – controls, color, typography, and general guidelines to follow to deliver the best user experiences. We'll also dive into the development choices and tooling support available. We'll begin with the built in templates and show how we can quickly scaffold a data-driven application called the Contoso Cookbook.

Cookbook II: Data, Contracts, and Settings

You've seen the Cookbook. But, how do we leverage data? How do we expose our data to allow users to search and share from the app? We'll explore these options in this session, from storing data, retrieving data via a web service using an in app purchase, to implementing search and sharing contracts, we'll look at the code that makes this possible. We'll also show how to store data locally, as well as roam preferences that can follow a user automatically as they log in to different devices.

Cookbook III: Application Bar, Tiles and Notifications

We've got the Cookbook well under way; now it's time to add some polish. We'll look at using the app bar for common tasks, and spend time talking about leveraging "live tiles" to create an up-to-date, engaging tile for your application. We'll also look at using Notifications, and how applications can run either background agents for various tasks, or be notified from a remote service using the Windows Notification Service.

Hands On: [Your App Here]

Now it's your time. Fire up your laptop with Windows 8 Release Preview (or RTM) and VS Express 2012 loaded on it and get ready to code!

Download Windows 8 and VS Express 2012.

We'll work in breakouts and 1:1 as necessary to get the tools and environment set up and provide guidance for building out your app. Have an app already underway? We can test, review and provide feedback against store certification requirements. As time permits, we'll cover additional features, and talk further about the certification process. And if your app isn't quite ready yet, that's fine! We're here to give you the kickstart to building your app, and we'll be here to make sure it's done by October 26th.

Host Presenters:

Brian Hitney [blog]
Microsoft Developer Evangelist for the Carolina's

Jim Duffy [blog]
TakeNote Technologies
Microsoft Regional Director
Microsoft MVP