HTML5 APPLICATIONS DEVELOPMENT MANUAL (2016)

3 - Creating Apps

Creating an app requires several steps:

- Planning your project

- Designing the user interface (UI)

- Updating the app manifest

- Writing the code

- Building the app

- Debugging and testing the app

- Packaging the app

- Validating the app

- Deploying the app

1. Plan your project: Think about the type of app you want to create. After you decide on the main action of your app, create an outline of the general flow of the application from start to finish. Also, determine the type of user interactivity you want to include, such as a touch interface, whether you need to save data outside of the app, and whether the app should connect to other apps or services (such as an RSS feed).

2. Design UI: When designing the user interface, determine how you want the app to appear to users.

3. Update the app manifest: Every app requires a manifest file. The manifest file describes properties of the app and what the app needs to run.

4. Write code: During this phase, you compose the code for your application, which might include a combination of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

5. Build the app: Using an app development tool such as Visual Studio, convert your code and other resources into an actual application.

6. Debug and test: You must test your app thoroughly and fix any problems that appear. If the app uses a touch interface, it’s highly important to test the app on a touch device or use a touch emulator.

7. Package: Packaging an app creates a container that holds all the various files required by the app, such as JavaScript, images, and so on.

8. Validate: Validating your app means running it through a validation program to ensure nothing is missing.

9. Deploy: Upload your app to a marketplace such as the Windows Store