Microsoft Windows sits on the throne of the most popular mainstream desktop platform for more than three decades now. So it should come as no surprise that over the years the C++ development community has produced a variety of technologies and solutions for Windows app development.
This is also the reason why it can be difficult to understand and sort through all the aspects, tools and techniques of Windows app development. In this post, we will try to categorize some of the most fundamental knowledge in this field.
What are the costs of Windows app development?
Which roles and qualifications are required for a Windows app development project?
What are the Windows app development frameworks and solutions by Microsoft?
Why use C++ Builder for Windows app development?
Want to know what the cutting edge of Windows app development is like?
What are the costs of Windows app development?
Development and maintenance costs of any software product play a fundamentally important role. So, when starting a Windows app development project, it is important to be aware of all the major items of expenditure that are typically contributing to the overall costs.
- Assembling a team
- Designing a user interface (UI) for the app
- Testing the app’s UI and UX (user experience)
- Back-end Windows app development (programming the app’s features)
- Deploying the app across various Windows versions and devices
- Distributing the app among users
- The app’s code maintenance and support
When it comes to estimating corporate expenses for developing a Windows application, the actual budgets for such projects can vary tremendously. The average cost of a basic Windows app development could be up to $40,000. Additionally, more complex and feature-rich Windows applications budgets could go as high as $400,000. Note, however, that these costs can be reduced significantly with a smart approach to Windows app development and mindful selection of instruments used in this process.
Which roles and qualifications are required for a Windows app development project?
Naturally, a typical Windows app development project would require a team of specialists with a variety of qualifications.
Here are some of the most essential roles and expertise that are most typically needed as part of a Windows app project.
Software Developer
Software developers, of course, are the most essential talent in any software project. They write the code, fix errors, and maintain the app’s back-end to support and keep it operational over time.
Software Architect
You would also need a software architect responsible for planning the app’s design, creating requirements, and supervising the development process to ensure it goes in line with the original vision.
Project Manager
A project manager is also needed for the development of any Windows app that is reasonably complex and requires a relatively big team. The project manager’s job is to create a project management plan, control the work progress, and manage the project team.
UX & UI Designers
Designers also play an important role in any Windows app development project, as modern-day apps are expected to provide the appropriate level of design, interface and other aspects of the user experience. Designers create UX wireframes and interactive design prototypes, as well as reshape UX wireframes into full GUI.
QA Testers
A high level of testing is practically a default requirement for modern Windows apps. QA testers check the app for errors and verify compatibility with devices and platforms that it should support.
DevOps Engineers
DevOps engineers are typically in charge of CI/CD processes and managing different aspects of project automation.
Additionally, a number of other specialists are often required, including technical writers and business consultants. Using modern-day rapid app development tools allows companies to minimize both the number of people needed and the requirements for their qualification.
What are the Windows app development frameworks and solutions by Microsoft?
As we mentioned, there is a wide variety of products to choose from when it comes to choosing specific Windows app development platforms, tools and technologies. This is also why this field can be so confusing, as it’s quite easy to make the wrong choice.
Here are some of the main frameworks and solutions offered by Microsoft.
Universal Windows Platform (UWP)
Universal Windows Platform is a computing platform for creating apps that run on Windows 10 and Windows 11 devices. UWP apps utilize Win32 APIs and .NET classes.
Win32 API
This Windows API is the 32-bit application programming interface (API) for Windows 95 onward. Win32 API (also called Windows API) enables applications to use the features of Windows, and is meant for apps that require the highest performance and direct access to hardware.
Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF)
Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) is a UI framework for creating desktop client applications. First released in 2006, it currently supports the development of desktop apps for Windows 7, 8, and 10.
.NET Framework
.NET Framework is a set of managed libraries that simplify the development of common Windows application tasks like reading and writing to the file system.
Why use C++ Builder for Windows app development?
The key to being able to develop modern and powerful Windows applications without needing to allocate big budgets and hire large development teams is to use the latest tools for easy development in the era of digital transformation. Thus, Embarcadero’s C++ Builder is such a tool precisely.
C++ Builder is a leading rapid development solution that supports the latest C++ version innovations, allowing users to build native Windows C++ and iOS apps up to 10 times faster with less code compared to alternative tools.
Following are some of the most innovative features of C++ Builder.
Development productivity boosters
- C++ Code Formatter automates the layout of your C++ code using clang-format
- Customization of the IDE for Delphi and enhanced C++
- Faster compiles with highly optimized compilers for every platform
- Native, high-speed direct access to InterBase, SQLite, MySQL, SQL Server, Oracle, PostgreSQL, DB2, SQL Anywhere, Advantage DB, Firebird, Access, Informix, MongoDB, and more
- Supports popular libraries such as Boost, Eigen, and ZeroMQ plus leverage a broad range of community tools and libraries
- Integration with version control systems – for example, Git, Subversion and Mercurial
Advanced design capabilities
- Visual UI components from multiple certified partners
- Supports using FMX to create cross-platform apps using the same code base
- Connect user interface elements to data sources using the LiveBindings Designer
- Use Live On-Device Preview to broadcast the active form to multiple devices simultaneously to validate your designs
- Resolution-aware components allow you to build fully responsive designs for desktops, tablets, and also smartphones
Fast and accurate debugging features
- Integrated cross-platform native debugging on Windows and iOS
- Integrated toolchain bringing the designer, compiler, and also the debugger together into a single development environment
- Conditional breakpoints to quickly pause program execution at a specified location or when a particular condition occurs
- Finally, there are breakpoints, stack exploration, tooltips, and expression evaluation on local and remote machines with live debugging across all deployment platforms
Want to know what the cutting edge of Windows app development is like?
In conclusion, if you would like to try and test all the features and capabilities of truly cutting edge solutions for simplified Windows app development first-hand, there is a trial version of C++ Builder available for free for 30 days. Therefore, all you need to start the evaluation is to complete a website form.
Furthermore, the developers of C++Builder provide live demos of this product for those potential customers who want to see how the innovative features of C++Builder can be used by experienced users.
