We showed off the RadControls for Metro Beta in a very well attended Webinar on July 24. Interest was very high and we stayed through a second hour answering all the comments and questions.
Check out this blog post where we review the webinar and provide links to view the webinar (in case you missed any part of it), and download the slides and the source code.
Here is a list of the key questions and their answers
Can we get the Beta now?
Yes, you can download it here.
Are there any memory leaks in XAML Metro Apps?
We have designed our controls to minimize memory footprint, keeping in mind the platform and hardware on which they will run. Currently the controls are in Beta but we’ve made every effort to make them as solid as possible. By release time we would not expect there to be any memory leaks.
How much time do you think you will need to convert a wp7/8 application to a w8 application?
We have a very useful white paper on this very topic, here.
Do you have a RoadMap for RadControls for Metro?
Not at this time, though we expect to release RadControls for Metro for Q3.
We were asked whether or not RadControls for Metro will eventually include any or all of the following: Datagrid, Map control, Theming control, Infographic Style Data Visualization Controls With Iconography, All the Kendo Controls, All the Silverlight and WPF Controls, Engineering or Industrial Controls, Direct-X Controls, Sparkline, Reporting, Tab, Pivot, Jumplist, All the WP7 controls, Radial Style Controls like in OneNote, Tree-view, Flip-view, Layout manager, FullView/Snapped view manager, ScheduleView, Gridview, VariableSizeWrapGrid?
We cannot say at this time, but we will take all of these ideas into consideration and will discuss this with the product team. Particularly on the HTML side, we are already using parts and bits of the excellent Kendo UI suite. However, not all Kendo widgets fit into the Metro design, therefore we would not expect a complete port of Kendo UI to Windows 8. We do appreciate any further feedback you can provide (e.g., in comments on this post) as that will give us a better idea of the client needs.
Which has priority, the Javascript or the XAML controls?
We intend to release them simultaneously with the same performance and similar control set, whichever suite you choose.
Will you have C++ controls
We have considered this, and depending on demand we may have a C++ control set as well. Still, you can consume RadControls for Metro/XAML from C++. Find out more at Georgi's blog post.
Will you have a Beta with Go Live support before Q3?
Will there be another Beta?
Is the next release RTM?
We haven’t made any roadmap announcements, except to say that we plan to release at Q3.
What will the price be?
We have not announced any pricing information at this time.
Are the APIs more similar to WPF/SL or to WinPhone 7?
Currently our XAML is very close to WP7 (it is also close WPF/SL as well). All our controls will leverage the same concepts we have already used in our other suites.
Are you going to change the flip for code? I don’t have a tablet and can’t flip it
The complete source code is available and can be reviewed in Visual Studio. You can also right click on the application and view the source code through a button on the app bar. You can also build the demo solution in Visual Studio and then use the simulator to flip between Portrait and Landscape.
I was told that no 3rd party controls are allowed in the Metro App Store
My understanding is that there is no limitation on creating applications with 3rd party controls. Perhaps they meant that you can’t buy 3rd party controls directly in the store
Can you create a webinar that shows building an application?
Great idea, we’ll discuss doing so ASAP, this may also make for a great blog series.
Will you have tutorials on using these controls?
Yes, tutorials, videos, documentation and more.
I have an application for WinRT and have a review with an MS Engineer in August. Will the controls be stable enough at that time?
We certainly hope the controls are very stable in Beta, but the official release won’t be until Q3.
Have you seen a performance difference between XAML/C# and HTML/JS?
No performance difference. Some developers tell us they experience a productivity difference, with XAML being more productive.
Is voice recognition available in Win8 and do you have an API for that?
We have not currently announced any controls that provide support for voice recognition.
How do I get the sample application?
The source code for the sample application is installed on your machine when you install the Metro controls, which you can do with this link.
Will you be improving the documentation on all Telerik controls?
We are working on improved documentation across the board.
Can I bind the ComboBox HTML control to a local / remote data source?
ComboBox can be populated either by a local array or by remote data (e.g., a movie database).
Will the Chart Control support a minimalist appearance? (no key, title, labels)?
Yes, you have control over the style of the chart control and the placement of its elements.
Do RadControls For Metro support touch-hold, etc. like Microsoft controls?
Yes, these are all built in to all the RadControls for Metro.
Will you create hands-on-labs for learning RadControls For Metro ?
Interesting idea, we will certainly consider it
Can you reuse code built with the Silverlight RadControls to use with RadControls For Metro?
Depending on the control you are working with, you may be able to reuse a good bit of your existing code. The APIs are very similar with some controls, such as RadChart for Metro and RadChartView for Silverlight/WPF.
Can a Metro HTML application be run across platforms in a browser?
No, it has to run on Windows 8
Will any of this run on Android?
No, sorry, Android support is not part of this control set.
What types of Data sources do you support, for example, does this data have to come from a SQL Server database or any database?
The HTML part of the suite supports remote data coming from Web Services. The XAML part currently supports in-memory data, meaning you will have to manually fetch your data and translate it to in-memory objects.
.What if I want to deploy in Mac and Unix
These controls are only for Windows 8, but we do have other controls that are cross platform, such as the KendoUI and Silverlight.
Do the charts support multiple y axes?
Yes, they do.
Do the controls support localization?
Yes, they do.
Can we use this example and these controls on Windows 7
No, I’m sorry, these are for Windows 8.
Does the Chart control include financial indicators?
Yes, please refer to the financial series which is listed under the chart control in the XAML QSF. You may also refer to the Financial Indicators SL demo – we have all the indicators listed there.
Does the HTML API support integration with other JQuery libraries?
Yes, you are free to use JQuery and other libraries with our control.
Will Time Picker support 24 hour format?
Yes.
Will the combo box work like a regular WPF one or is it just a drop down list with no user-editable text box?
The combo box has a user-editable text box.
Are commas and points allowed in the NumericBox to create a “broken” number?
The NumericBox does allow typing the decimal separator. Depending on the culture this can be a comma or a dot.
Do your list controls support ISupportIncrementalLoading?
Yes, ISupportINcrementalLoading is part of Windows.UI.XAML.Data and all our future list controls will support it.
Do your input controls support validation?
Yes, the controls support validation. For example, the NumericBox will not allow an alpha character to be entered.
Can the RadControls For Metro be used for Windows Phone 8?
No, these controls work only on Windows 8.
Should we invest our learning in HTML/JS or in XAML/C#?
Microsoft’s guidelines are to go with what you know – if you are already a XAML programmer, by all means invest in XAML for Windows 8. If you already are a JavaScript programmer, then follow Javascript to Windows 8. The folks who I know who are doing both say they are more productive with XAML, but of course HTML5 and JavaScript are very hot technologies right now.
Is there a maximum number of RadControls For Metro you can place on a page?
No, space and memory permitting.
Do the Date/TimePicker and AutoCompleteBox have SelectedValue and SelectedItem properties?
The preferred method of getting the selected value is by using the Value property.
Can we use the Beta controls to release products
We have consulted with our sales and legal department and yes, you are allowed to publish apps to the store, as long as they comply with the Distribution Section of the EULA.
We will be crating blog posts, tutorials, videos and webinars about Windows 8 and our RadControls For Metro in coming weeks, be sure to follow @jesseliberty and @mbcrump to catch the latest announcements.
Jesse Liberty has three decades of experience writing and delivering software projects. He is the author of 2 dozen books and has been a Distinguished Software Engineer for AT&T and a VP for Information Services for Citibank and a Software Architect for PBS. You can read more on his personal blog or follow him on twitter