Where to find Windows Modern UI apps' source code?

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1

As an amateur web developer I'm intrested in building native apps for Windows 8 with HTML5 and CSS. But It would be nice to see the source code of the apps that I have and which language they are written in.

Where can I find that source code? Or is it even available? I mean some of the apps must be open source?

Alfred Larsson

Posted 2012-11-03T01:39:43.583

Reputation: 639

Search the web for the apps, if they're open source surely you'll find them on sourceforge, github, even codeplex or similar? – Mark Allen – 2012-11-03T01:53:27.127

Answers

16

You can find the source code for some of the apps in: (There's probably another folder since this isn't all the apps I have)

C:\Program Files\WindowsApps

For those of you who do not have permissions to access the folder follow these instructions:

  1. Type in “C:\Program Files\Applications” in the Windows Explorer address bar and hit enter. enter image description here
  2. Observe in shock and dismay the system dialogue saying you don’t own a folder on your own machine. Hit “Continue”. enter image description here
  3. After hitting “Continue”, you’ll be confronted by the following dialogue: enter image description here Do not hit “close”, instead click the “security tab” link.
  4. In the following system dialogue click “advanced”. enter image description here
  5. Click the “change” link in the owner security field. enter image description here
  6. Add in your live ID or windows 8 user name to the “select user or group” system dialogue. enter image description here
  7. Click “OK”, Click “OK”, Click “Ok”. enter image description here

Credits: Justin Angel

Matthew Wong

Posted 2012-11-03T01:39:43.583

Reputation: 3 908

1I can't get access to it. Even though I'm logged in as administrator. – Alfred Larsson – 2012-11-03T01:54:54.413

Yeah you'll have to set ownership permissions for that. For the time being look at this link while I update my answer: http://justinangel.net/ReverseEngineerWin8Apps

– Matthew Wong – 2012-11-03T01:55:57.123

1

You can get examples of metro/modernui/window store app code here from MS's code snippet site - there's more specific samples here. And of course, how to do hello world here. They seem to cover a good range of things and unless you specifically want to have a modified version of say, the mail app, are probably easier to make use of

Why get the apple from the barrel, when you can get it from the tree?

Journeyman Geek

Posted 2012-11-03T01:39:43.583

Reputation: 119 122

1

There is a free e-book from Microsoft press for programming windows 8 apps using HTML 5, CSS and JavaScript. It includes a download for source code.

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/microsoft_press/archive/2012/08/20/free-ebook-programming-windows-8-apps-with-html-css-and-javascript-second-preview.aspx

Jake1164

Posted 2012-11-03T01:39:43.583

Reputation: 165