Microsoft had previously launched the private beta for their Open Source tool for Android developers, which means that this lucky group has been experiencing how efficient it is to port their apps into the Windows system. This is officially named the Windows Bridge for Android. As for iOS developers however, the beta version of the tool, which was known as Project Islandwood, only gets to experience it now as the Windows Bridge for iOS is finally made available to developers. It is launched using an MIT license on GitHub, and is considered as an open-sourced project.
So what can developers expect from the release?
- No releases yet. Of course, seeing that the Windows Bridge for iOS is still in its preview stage, developers can only explore and see what the tool has in store for them, but no releases can be made just yet. That’s not a downside though, because this can actually be seen as a chance to master the tool and know all its tricks while it is not yet being used for projects, which makes it all the more simpler to handle when the time comes for the developers to take things more seriously and start doing some actual work using it.
- It only transforms. No, just because you have the Windows Bridge for iOS does not mean that you can start running Android and iOS apps on Window. That’s an approach that BlackBerry did, but is not an approach that Microsoft is taking. Instead, it only allows developers to transform their existing Android and iOS apps and turn them into Windows apps.
- No coding adjustments for iOS developers. Microsoft will not make it hard for iOS developers to use the tool. The fundamental Windows APIs can actually be done using Objective C-code, which means that Microsoft did not dictate their own language to be spoken here. Instead, the Windows and iOS developer tools are compatible, allowing developers to continue using the same code they are more familiar with.
- It cannot support all Windows devices yet. At the moment, the tool only allows iOS developers to support Windows 8.1 and Windows 10. Both would be under x86 and x6 architectures. Of course, this will not go on forever. The capability will eventually cover ARM processors as well. This means that they will still be able to maximize use even for mobile devices in the future.
- It covers the essentials. The Windows Bridge for iOS actually covers the essentials. The tool includes Objective-C runtime, Objective-C compiler, the ability to bring Xcode projects into Visual Studio 2015 directly, and iOS API libraries and headers.
Seeing everything that the Windows Bridge for iOS is offering so far, it can be safely said that Microsoft is doing everything they can to bring apps from rival platforms into their own ecosystem. Will this push consumers to run to stores that sell electronics and start buying more of their wares? We’ll probably find out once the tools end their preview stage and become fully operational.
