Windows Runtime, or shortly WinRT, is a new runtime (siting on top of the Windows kernel) that allows developers to write Metro style applications for Windows 8, using a variety of languages including C/C++, C#, VB.NET or JavaScript/HTML5. Microsoft has started rolling out information about Windows 8 and the new runtime at BUILD.
WinRT is a native layer (written in C++ and being COM-based) that is intended as a replacement, or alternative, to Win32, and enables development of “immersive” applications, using the Metro style. Its API is object oriented and can be consumed both from native or managed languages, as well as JavaScript. At the same time the old Win32 applications will continue to run just as before and you can still (and most certainly will) develop Win32 applications.
Microsoft has created a new language called C++ Component Extension, or simply C++/CX. While the syntax is very similar to C++/CLI, the language is not managed, it’s still native. WinRT components built in C++/CX do not compile to managed code, but to 100% native code. A good news for C++ developers is that they can use XAML now to build the UI for immersive applications. However, this is not available for classical, Win32 applications.
You can get a glimpse of the new system and the tools by downloading and installing the Windows Developer Preview with tools, that includes the following:
- 64-bit Windows Developer Preview
- Windows SDK for Metro style apps
- Microsoft Visual Studio 11 Express for Windows Developer Preview
- Microsoft Expression Blend 5 Developer Preview
- 28 Metro style apps including the BUILD Conference app
Notice this is a pre-beta release and you might encounter various problems.
Before you start here are several additional articles that you might want to read:
- WinRT: An Object Orientated Replacement for Win32
- C++ Component Extensions: The New Face of COM
- C# and Visual Basic on the WinRT API
- Creating Windows Runtime Components in C++
- Tutorial: Creating and using extension SDKs
- Using the Windows Runtime from C++
There are also several new forums available on MSDN forums for developing Metro style applications, which you can use for addressing technical questions. Hopefully thee will be answers from Microsoft people working in this area.