Windows Phone 8.1 API

Question

Is there Windows Phone 8.1 API to refer? This is because I want to develop the Windows Phone 8.1 application, but I don't know where to refer the API, since the Windows Phone 8.1 an 8 have a big different, so I can't refer to the Windows Phone 8 API.

Answer 1

There is two sets of APIs available on Windows Phone 8.1

• Windows Runtime (MSDN), all APIs with a phone icon on the documentation page is available on WP8.1. This applies to the "Universal App" project types. Many of these APIs are shared with Windows Store applications (aka. Metro or Modern applications), allowing you to have the same code-base for both Windows and Windows Phone applications.

• Silverlight (MSDN) applies to Silverlight 8.0 and Silverlight 8.1 APIs. There's no specific distinction on MSDN for 8.1 only APIs.

MSDN also have a mixed list of the two above for What's New in Windows Phone 8.1 (MSDN), primarily targeting the Windows Runtime features.

I would personally recommend writing Universal Apps (Windows Runtime), rather than sticking with Silverlight, unless you have a good reason, such as a VoIP application, or the wish to remain backward compatible with 8.0 users, while taking advantage of the new 8.1 features.