Developer Interview: Chris Field

Developer Interview

This week we're joined by Chris Field, developer of the Mehdoh Twitter client, for some insightful communication and experience building apps on the Windows Phone platform. Cheque out the interview after the break.

Tell u.s.a. about yourselves and how you got into software development.

Well, I'1000 34 now, just when I was most viii, or 9, my parents (sad I mean Father Christmas!), bought me a Sinclair ZX Spectrum 48k. Information technology came with a rather thick, band bound, instruction manual and at the back of the transmission was the source lawmaking 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 200,10,200,54,20,75,19" etc... Nothing e'er 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 about thirteen or 14. At that time QBasic, and QBasic Pro, was the affair.

I soon out grew that though equally PC games such as Wolfenstein started to emerge and the "demo scene" inspired me into wanting to code graphical demos of my own, and so I made the shift onto C and x86 assembler. I remember obsessing nigh clock cycles and re-writing whole sections of C code in assembler just to make things quicker. Heck, I even rewrote the Borland C/C++ 4.0 bootstrap in assembler just for fun! I manifestly had far too much spare time back then (I was nigh 19 I guess) simply when the existent world, and a real task, beckoned I was bought downwardly to world with a bump - Visual Basic iii. Since then I've pretty much followed the Microsoft development evolution path right up to where nosotros are now with ASP.NET MVC, and of form, Windows Phone development.

What do you lot call up of Microsoft'southward platform (from a user perspective) and how exercise you compare it to competitors?

I think it'due south a joy to use. It feels every flake the modern operating system. I'd personally even so like to meet improvements in the notifications side of things - glimmer and you'll miss a toast notification, but I become the feeling Microsoft would rather developers utilise live tiles for that purpose which I can understand as that's kind of a unique selling point of Windows Phone. Compared to others though (and I have had an iPhone and an Android telephone before) I think the whole experience is just more fun and engaging. iOS has obviously been around for some time now, but I recollect that'southward starting to take its toll visually. Static icons just don't cutting it any more! Don't become me started on folders either....

What'southward the number one feature you love the virtually in Mango?

My first instinct was to say groundwork audio, or fifty-fifty the fast switching (both are fantastic)... just after a bit of thought I'd say it'south quite merely the "people hub". It's such an integrated part of the telephone and I use many times every 24-hour interval without even thinking. I have my "favourite" people pinned to the showtime screen, in a group, and I'm immediately notified if they've emailed or text me, and I can phone them upwardly really easily - It's great.

What path(s) led you to develop for Windows Telephone?

I originally picked up an HTC HD7 on the day of the UK launch and I was ready to develop! Unfortunately it wasn't to exist as the phone kept on locking up on me and I concluded up returning it, and I went back to using an HTC Desire (Android). Fast forwards to July this year and I had the chance to pick upwards a sim free LG E900 relatively cheap (~£150). It was about the fourth dimension that the public releases of Mango were appearing so I gave information technology some other go. At beginning it was to but play around with, and perchance exercise some development, but information technology soon ousted the Desire every bit my phone of selection, and before I knew it, I was full time with WP7.five! I soon realised I needed two Mango'ised apps... a Twitter customer, and a podcast client (I was, and I judge still am, a BIG Big fan of DoggCatcher on Android). I really started with a podcast client at first, just I came to the conclusion that I could live with BringCast (looking forward to their mango release!), however I did really need a mango twitter client, and ane with as many bells and whistles as the clients have on other platforms, and so that became my project.

What'due south your have on the Windows Phone development process?

I retrieve there are a few things that need ironing out... more than then with the administration side of things than the development itself just otherwise getting upwards and running with Windows Telephone development is ridiculously piece of cake. Theres an absolute wealth of data out there to assistance y'all and the development community is actually friendly and welcoming to beginners and experts alike. I'm probably biased equally I've been developing with Visual Studio for some years, but I recall it really is top of the class when it comes to evolution environments.

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

Like a lot of people I tried to jump onto the iOS bandwagon, and I recollect it'southward fair to say that my experiments there were a complete failure. Although if I'thousand honest the apps I adult were cypher more than cynical attempts at making money :)

Evolution 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 curve for me, and coming from Visual Studio I didn't particularly like XCode. I constitute it rather basic. Of form, things could have moved on since then as it'southward been over a twelvemonth since I last touched it! I gave up on the iOS development in the cease equally it was detracting from my solar day chore (which is all .NET development).

Mehdoh is a fairly popular app, tell us about the development?

Upward until now it's been quite relentless. I started it back in July when I got my phone, and since so accept been putting in anything between 2-v hours an evening, and then as much as I can fit in (without totally neglecting my family) of a weekend. I as well do really use the app a lot during the day while I'one thousand out and about... and so I guess you could call that my field testing! My goal was to get it onto the marketplace in time for the Mango roll out, and I call back I just about managed that.

Evolution didn't stop there though and all the same continues at a similar pace (although the influx of new video games at this time of year hasn't helped!). Lots of features that I nonetheless want to add and things that need to be fine-tuned. The feedback from users has been phenomenal though, and they're ever providing peachy new ideas to implement.

What other Windows Phone projects are you 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 desire to say likewise much on that at the moment in case it doesn't come up to fruition but it's looking like it might be a fun app. Mehdoh takes upward near of the time I become for development though.

What advice would you requite to other aspiring developers?

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

Thank you for your time. Any closing words about WP7's future?

Cheers for having me! This is just the beginning for WP7. I think it'southward very exciting times and I'm personally excited past Microsoft wanting to make Windows Telephone "the all-time photographic camera". Also we have Nokia going neat guns with their marketing campaign, and I hope they maintain that momentum into the New Year and through to the launch of Windows 8 when things will get Really interesting!

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

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