Additional resources for iOS developers
[This article is for Windows 8.x and Windows Phone 8.x developers writing Windows Runtime apps. If you’re developing for Windows 10, see the latest documentation]
Links to articles and videos for iOS app developers who also want to build great apps for Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone 8.1.
Articles
Use ANGLE to run OpenGL ES on Windows
An intermediate step to porting your OpenGL ES 2.0 project is to use ANGLE for Windows Store. ANGLE allows you to run OpenGL ES content on Windows by translating OpenGL ES API calls to DirectX 11 API calls.
Port from OpenGL ES 2.0 to Microsoft Direct3D 11.1
Maps concepts and infrastructure from OpenGL ES 2.0 to Direct3D 11.1, including a direct comparison of API sets, moving from Embedded-System Graphics Library (EGL) to Microsoft DirectX Graphics Infrastructure (DXGI), handling assets and resources, and mapping uniforms and attributes. Provides a walkthrough of porting a simple OpenGL ES 2.0 renderer to Direct3D 11.1, including porting the EGL to DXGI, porting vertex buffers, uniforms, and attributes, and porting OpenGL Shading Language (GLSL). Also includes an API mapping reference for moving from OpenGL ES 2.0 to Direct3D 11.1.
Videos
Parallels: Using Visual Studio on OSX
This 7-minute video shows you how to use Parallels Desktop to run Windows and Microsoft Visual Studio on a Mac. Parallels Desktop is especially useful for running Visual Studio and Xcode side-by-side, and this video introduces some general strategies for sharing your code between these two development environments. For more info, see Using Parallels Desktop to install Windows and the dev tools on your Mac.
Top tips for iOS devs building Windows Store apps
This one-hour video introduces iOS developers to building Windows Store apps for the first time, presented from an iOS developers' perspective. Topics covered include an overview of the business opportunity, how iOS APIs map to the Windows Runtime APIs, general Windows 8 UI and app design principles, and demonstrates writing simple code with Visual Studio. This video is presented by Big Nerd Ranch, who are well-known experts in teaching iOS developers from around the world.
Windows Store App Development for iOS Developers
This 14-part video collection features over 11 hours of in-depth info about how to build Windows Store apps, presented from an iOS developers' perspective. These videos introduce you to business opportunities for iOS developers, the Windows 8 UI and app design principles, and supporting app-development tools like Visual Studio and Blend for Microsoft Visual Studio 2013, followed by increasingly deeper dives into code. This video series also features content from Big Nerd Ranch.
Online learning
Building Windows Store Apps for iOS Developers Jump Start
Follow this series of modules to teach yourself Windows development, and get your first app on the Windows Store sooner than you imagined.