Getting started with WinJS Universal App development

I'm excited to know that Windows Phone 8.1 apps can now not only be written with JavaScript but with little effort a Windows Store app can also be built simultaneously by using a WinJS Universal App project template. Two years ago, I built my first Windows Store app, GeoBuzz, and I'm thrilled to learn about all the new developments that have taken place to simplify development of apps for Windows mobile devices.

I was happy to find a blog post that had a step by step explanation to build a Universal app with WinJS. I just followed the instructions and got it to work but understanding the internals will probably take some time. However, I would like to believe that well begun is half done.

After all the time I spent installing Windows 8, upgrading it to Windows 8.1 and installing Visual Studio 2013 Express for Windows with Update 3 (4.3GB ISO!), it was a joy to have VS 2013 Express  for Windows build apps for both Windows and Windows Phone at the same time.

I'll be leaning on the Microsoft Virtual Academy video tutorial series Developing Universal Windows Apps with HTML and JavaScript Jump Start, Kraig Brockschmidt's Programming Windows Store Apps with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, Second Edition and the technical forums to help me build a couple of apps that I have in mind.

Update (2014-11-11):

A module (of 44 minutes duration) in the Microsoft Virtual Academy course Cross-Platform Development with Visual Studio provides an overview of WinJS and shows how WinJS can be extended for cross-platform, cross-device applications through a Cordova app that runs on IOS.

The same code can also be run from the browser.

The Stocks App sample demonstrates the Pivot, ListView, AppBar, SearchBox WinJS Controls.