Windows Phone 7 Developer Guidance Map v2.0

This is an updated Windows Phone 7 Developer Guidance Map.  I’ve updated it to include a map of some of the key resources available from the App Hub Content Catalog.   The App Hub Content Catalog includes several articles, code samples, tutorials, and tools.  For the purposes of this map, I didn’t include the articles.  I kept the focus on code samples, How Tos, videos, and training (but I did add a tools section this round.)

Microsoft has an extensive collection of developer guidance available in the form of Code Samples, How Tos, Videos, and Training.  The challenge is -- how do you find all of the various content collections? … and part of that challenge is knowing *exactly* where to look.  This is where the map comes in.  It helps you find your way around the online jungle and gives you short-cuts to the treasure troves of available content.

The Windows Phone Developer Guidance Map helps you kill a few birds with one stone:

1. It show you the key sources of Windows Phone content and where to look (“teach you how to fish”)
2. It gives you an index of the main content collections (Code Samples, How Tos, Videos, and Training)
3. You can also use the map as a model for creating your own map of developer guidance.

Download the Windows Phone Developer Guidance Map

• Download the Windows Phone Developer Guidance Map v2.0 (PDF)

Contents at a Glance

• Introduction
• Sources of Windows Phone Developer Guidance
• Windows Phone Architecture
• Topics and Features Map (a “Lens” for Finding Windows Phone Content)
• How The Map is Organized (Organizing the “Content Collections”)
• Getting Started
• Architecture and Design
• Code Samples
• How Tos
• Videos
• Training

Mental Model of the Map
The map is a simple collection of content types from multiple sources, organized by common tasks, common topics, and Windows Phone features:

App Hub Content Catalog
I’ve included a list of the key resources you’ll find in the App Hub Content Catalog below to give you a quick sense of what to expect, and so you can easily see the additions to the Windows Phone Developer Guidance Map v2.0.  (Note - I included the articles list from the App Hub Content Catalog, but these are not in the Windows Phone Developer Guidance Map.)

Articles

• 2D Asset Types - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/article/asset_types_2d
• 3D Asset Types - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/article/asset_types_3d
• Avatar Usage Guidelines - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/article/avatar_use
• Avoiding the Windows Phone Watchdog - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/article/watchdog
• Best Practices for Windows Phone 7 Games - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/article/best_practices_wp7_games
• Code Samples for Windows Phone - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/article/wp7_code_samples
• Data Structures - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/article/data_structures
• Dynamic Audio - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/article/dynamic_audio
• Educational Catalog Content Under Development - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/article/wp7_under_development
• Games for WP7 - Talks at PDC - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/article/pdc_games_wp7_talks
• Gestures - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/article/gestures
• Inside Windows Phone - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/article/inside_windows_phone
• Intro to C# from Objective-C and Java - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/article/intro_to_c_sharp
• Intro to Game Loop - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/article/intro_to_game_loop
• Performance Considerations for Windows Phone 7 Games - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/article/performance_wp7_games
• Recipe: Non-Linear Navigation Services for Windows Phone 7 - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/article/nln-serv-wp7
• Shader Series: coordinate Spaces - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/article/shader_coord
• Shader Series: Introduction - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/article/shader_primer
• Tombstoning for Windows Phone 7 Games - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/article/tombstoning_wp7_games
• Windows Phone 7 Developer Training Kit - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/article/wp7_training_kit
• Windows Phone 7 Jump Start - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/article/wp7_jump_start
• Windows Phone Silverlight Applicatoin Life cycle for Applicatoin Launch, Activate, and Deactivate Events - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/article/silverlight_application_life_cycle
• Xbox 360 Performance Best Practices - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/article/xbox360_performance_best_practices
• XNA Game Studio or Silverlight: Which Product is Right for Me? - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/article/which_product_for_windows_phone

Code Samples

• 2D Graphics - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/graphics_2d
• 3D Audio - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/3d_audio
• 3D Graphics - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/graphics_3d
• Accelerometer - https://create.msdn.com/sample/accelerometer
• Aiming - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/aiming
• Avatar Animation Blending Sample - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/avatar_animation_blending
• Avatar Multiple Animations Sample - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/avatar_multiple_animations
• Avatar Shadows - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/avatar_shadows
• Billboards - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/billboard
• Bing Maps for Games - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/bing_maps
• Bitmap Font Maker - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/utility/bitmap_font_maker
• Bloom Postprocess - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/bloom
• Bounce - https://create.msdn.com/sample/bounce
• Camera Shake - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/camera_shake
• Card Game Starter Kit: Blackjack - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/blackjack
• Catapult Wards Extension Kit - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/trainingkit/catapult_wars
• Chase and Evade - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/chase_evade
• Chase Camera - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/chasecamera
• Collision - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/collision
• Collision Series 4: Collision with a Heightmap - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/collision_3d_heightmap
• Collision Series 5: heightmap Collision with Normals - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/collision_3d_heightmap_normals
• Color Replacement - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/color_replacement
• Content Manifest Extensions - https://create.msdn.com/sample/contentmanifestextensions
• CPU Skinning - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/cpu_skinning
• Custom Model Class - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/custom_model_class
• Custom Model Importer - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/custom_model_importer
• Customer Avatar Animation Sample - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/custom_avatar_animation
• Custom Indeterminate Progress Bar Sample - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/custom_indeterminate_progress_bar
• Custom Model Effect - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/custom_model_effect
• Distortion - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/distortion
• Flocking - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/flocking
• Fuzzy Logic - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/fuzzy_logic
• Game State Management - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/game_state_management
• Generated Geometry - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/generated_geometry
• Geolocation - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/geolocation
• HTTP Multiplayer: Tic Tac Toe - https://create.msdn.com/en-US/education/catalog/sample/tic_tac_toe
• Input Sequence - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/input_sequence_sample
• Instanced Model - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/mesh_instancing
• Invites - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/invites
• Lens Flare - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/lens_flare
• Level Starter Kit - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/level_starter_kit
• Loading Time Reduction for Windows Phone 7 Games - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/article/loading_time_reduction_WP7
• Localization - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/localization
• Microphone Echo - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/microphone_echo
• Multi-Platform Game Training Kit - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/trainingkit/honeycomb_rush_tk
• Network Architecture: Client/Server - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/network_cs
• Network Architecture: Peer-to-Peer - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/network_p2p
• Network Game State Management - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/network_game_state_management
• Network Prediction - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/network_prediction
• Network Rumble (4.0 Coming Soon) - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/net_rumble
• Non-Realistic Rendering - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/nonrealistic_rendering
• Normal Mapping - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/normal_mapping
• Object Placement on Avatar Sample - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/object_placement_on_avatar
• Orientation - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/orientation
• Particles - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/particle
• Particles 3D - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/particle_3d
• Particles Pipeline - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/particles_pipeline
• Path Drawing - https://create.msdn.com/en-US/education/catalog/sample/path_drawing
• Pathfinding - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/pathfinding
• Performance Measuring Sample - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/performance_sample
• Picking - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/picking
• Picking with Triangle Accuracy - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/picking_triangle
• Platformer - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/platformer
• Primatives - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/primitives
• Primitives3D - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/primitives_3d
• Push Notification - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/push_notifications
• Reach Graphics Demo - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/reach_graphics_demo
• Rim Lighting - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/rim_lighting
• Role-Playing Game - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/roleplaying_game
• Safe Area - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/safe_area
• Saving Embedded Images - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/saving_embedded_images
• Shader Series 1: Vertex Lighting - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/shader_series_1
• Shader Series 2: Textures and Colors - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/shader_series_2
• Shader Series 3: Per-Pixel Lighting - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/shader_series_3
• Shadow Mapping - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/shadow_mapping_1
• Shape Rendering - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/shape_rendering
• Shatter - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/shatter
• Silverlight Microsoft Sample - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/silverlight_microphone
• Simple Animation - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/simple_animation
• Skinned Model - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/skinned_model
• Snow Shovel - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/snow_shovel
• Soccer Pitch - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/soccer_pitch
• Sound and Music - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/sound_and_music
• Spacewar (4.0 Coming Soon) - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/spacewar
• Split Screen - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/split_screen
• Sprite Effects - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/sprite_effects
• Sprite Sheet - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/sprite_sheet
• Stock Effects - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/stock_effects
• Tilt Perspective - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/tilt_perspective
• Tombstoning Sample - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/tombstoning
• Touch Gestures - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/gestures
• Touch Thumsticks - https://create.msdn.com/sample/touchthumbsticks
• Unit Converter Starter Kit - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/unit_converter
• User Interface Controls - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/ui_controls
• Waypoint Navigation - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/waypoints
• WinForms Series 1: Graphics Device - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/winforms_series_1
• WinForms Series 2: Content Loading - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/sample/winforms_series_2

Tools

• Avatar Animation Pack - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/utility/avatar_animation_pack
• Avatar Animation Rig - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/utility/avatar_animation_rig
• Curve Editor - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/utility/curve_editor
• Graphics Profile Checker - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/utility/graphics_profile_checker
• Input Reporter - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/utility/input_reporter
• Network Lobby and Chat Icons - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/utility/lobby_chat_icons
• Performance Utility - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/utility/performance_utility
• SoundLab - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/utility/soundlab
• Xbox 360 Controller Button Images - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/utility/controller_buttons
• Xbox 360 Controller Images - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/utility/controller_images

Tutorial

• Authoring Particle Systems Using XML and the Content Pipeline - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/tutorial/particle_xml
• Best Practices for Indie Games 3.1 - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/article/bestpractices_31
• Catapult Wars Lab - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/lab/catapult_wars
• Collision Series 1: 2D Rectangle Collision - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/tutorial/collision_2d_rectangle
• Collision Series 2: 2D Per-Pixel Collisions - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/tutorial/collision_2d_perpixel
• Collision Series 3: 2D Collision with Transformed Objects - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/tutorial/collision_2d_perpixel_transformed
• Honeycomb Rush Lab - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/lab/honeycomb_rush
• Marble Maze - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/lab/marble_maze
• Memory Madness Lab - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/lab/memory_madness
• Skinned Model Extensions Tutorial - https://create.msdn.com/education/catalog/tutorial/skinned_model_extensions

Special Thanks …
Special thanks to Adam Grocholski, Allison Kent, Constanze Roman, Christopher Kilbourn, Dan Reagan, Dragos Manolescu, Georgia Pettigrove, Kevin Lam, Mark Chamberlain, Paul Enfield, Pete Brown, Srinivas Iragavarapu, Will Clevenger, and Yann Riche for helping me find and round up our various content collections.

Enjoy and share the map with a friend.

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