Developer Interview: Chris Field

This week nosotros're joined by Chris Field, developer of the Mehdoh Twitter client, for some insightful advice and feel building apps on the Windows Phone platform. Check out the interview after the break.

Tell usa about yourselves and how yous got into software development.

Well, I'm 34 now, but when I was almost 8, or 9, my parents (sorry I mean Father Christmas!), bought me a Sinclair ZX Spectrum 48k. It came with a rather thick, band bound, instruction manual and at the back of the manual was the source code to some programs. I was hooked immediately! Sorry to say I subjected my friends (and parents!) to reading out lines of code while I typed them in... "100 DATA 200,x,200,54,20,75,19" etc... Nothing ever worked though! :D In that location were e'er either mistakes in my typing or in the printed code itself. That was just a precursor to the real coding, and I probably started developing software properly when I was well-nigh xiii or 14. At that fourth dimension QBasic, and QBasic Pro, was the thing.

I soon out grew that though as PC games such as Wolfenstein started to emerge and the "demo scene" inspired me into wanting to code graphical demos of my own, so I made the shift onto C and x86 assembler. I remember obsessing near clock cycles and re-writing whole sections of C code in assembler simply to make things quicker. Heck, I fifty-fifty rewrote the Borland C/C++ four.0 bootstrap in assembler just for fun! I obviously had far besides much spare fourth dimension dorsum then (I was about 19 I gauge) only when the real world, and a real job, beckoned I was bought down to earth with a bump - Visual Basic three. Since and so I've pretty much followed the Microsoft development evolution path right up to where we are now with ASP.Net MVC, and of course, Windows Phone development.

What practice you recall of Microsoft'southward platform (from a user perspective) and how do you compare it to competitors?

I think it's a joy to utilize. It feels every bit the modernistic operating organization. I'd personally still similar to run into improvements in the notifications side of things - glimmer and you lot'll miss a toast notification, merely I get the feeling Microsoft would rather developers utilise alive tiles for that purpose which I can empathise as that'south kind of a unique selling point of Windows Phone. Compared to others though (and I have had an iPhone and an Android phone before) I remember the whole experience is just more fun and engaging. iOS has plain been around for some fourth dimension at present, but I think that's starting to take its cost visually. Static icons simply don't cutting information technology any more! Don't go me started on folders either....

What's the number one feature you love the most in Mango?

My get-go instinct was to say background audio, or fifty-fifty the fast switching (both are fantastic)... but afterward a bit of thought I'd say information technology's quite only the "people hub". Information technology's such an integrated part of the phone and I employ many times every day without fifty-fifty thinking. I take my "favourite" people pinned to the starting time screen, in a group, and I'one thousand immediately notified if they've emailed or text me, and I can phone them upwardly really hands - It's great.

What path(southward) led you to develop for Windows Phone?

I originally picked up an HTC HD7 on the 24-hour interval of the United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland launch and I was ready to develop! Unfortunately it wasn't to be as the phone kept on locking upward on me and I ended up returning information technology, and I went dorsum to using an HTC Desire (Android). Fast forrad to July this year and I had the take chances to pick upwardly a sim costless LG E900 relatively cheap (~£150). Information technology was almost the time that the public releases of Mango were actualization so I gave information technology another go. At first it was to but play around with, and perhaps practice some development, only information technology soon ousted the Desire as my phone of selection, and before I knew it, I was full time with WP7.v! I presently realised I needed ii Mango'ised apps... a Twitter client, and a podcast client (I was, and I guess even so am, a Large Big fan of DoggCatcher on Android). I actually started with a podcast client at first, but I came to the determination that I could live with BringCast (looking forward to their mango release!), however I did actually demand a mango twitter client, and one with as many bells and whistles as the clients have on other platforms, and so that became my project.

What's your accept on the Windows Telephone evolution process?

I think there are a few things that need ironing out... more so with the administration side of things than the development itself but otherwise getting up and running with Windows Phone development is ridiculously easy. Theres an absolute wealth of information out at that place to aid you and the development customs is really friendly and welcoming to beginners and experts alike. I'm probably biased as I've been developing with Visual Studio for some years, but I think it really is top of the class when it comes to evolution environments.

Have you developed for other platforms and if so how does the evolution process compare?

Like a lot of people I tried to jump onto the iOS bandwagon, and I remember it'southward off-white to say that my experiments in that location were a complete failure. Although if I'k honest the apps I developed were zilch more than cynical attempts at making money :)

Development wise though, given my background, I found iOS development was a totally different beast to things I had washed before. Certainly a very steep learning bend for me, and coming from Visual Studio I didn't particularly like XCode. I institute it rather bones. Of course, things could have moved on since so as it's been over a twelvemonth since I last touched it! I gave up on the iOS development in the end as it was detracting from my day chore (which is all .Net development).

Mehdoh is a fairly popular app, tell united states of america near the development?

Upwardly until now information technology's been quite relentless. I started it back in July when I got my phone, and since so have been putting in anything between 2-v hours an evening, then as much as I can fit in (without totally neglecting my family) of a weekend. I also practice actually use the app a lot during the day while I'thou out and about... then I estimate you could telephone call that my field testing! My goal was to get it onto the market in fourth dimension for the Mango scroll out, and I think I just about managed that.

Development didn't end there though and still continues at a similar step (although the influx of new video games at this time of yr hasn't helped!). Lots of features that I all the same want to add and things that need to be fine-tuned. The feedback from users has been astounding though, and they're ever providing great new ideas to implement.

What other Windows Phone projects are y'all working on?

I just started to do some investigation into writing an app for some friends of mine who run a video games website. I don't want to say likewise much on that at the moment in example it doesn't come to fruition but it'southward looking like it might exist a fun app. Mehdoh takes up most of the fourth dimension I get for development though.

What advice would you give to other aspiring developers?

Grab the WP7 SDK and go for it! In that location's a wealth of information and tutorials out there, too as actually helpful people on the MS forums and twitter (search for the #wp7dev hashtag). I would also say that even if at that place's an app out at that place already that does what you wanted to develop, then practice information technology whatsoever anyway. You may find a better way of doing it and you'll have some fun developing the app along the way. You never know, y'all may even learn something :-) Don't be put off by what others have washed.

Thank you for your time. Whatsoever closing words about WP7'south future?

Cheers for having me! This is just the kickoff for WP7. I think it's very exciting times and I'm personally excited past Microsoft wanting to make Windows Phone "the all-time camera". Also nosotros have Nokia going great guns with their marketing campaign, and I promise they maintain that momentum into the New Yr and through to the launch of Windows 8 when things will get REALLY interesting!

Y'all can follow Chris on Twitter, check out the Mehdoh website, and download Mehdoh from the Marketplace.

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Source: https://www.windowscentral.com/developer-interview-chris-field

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