Scratch Windows 10 Universal App [PLAYER, NOT EDITOR]

iTweak0r

When Windows 10 came out a few months ago, Microsoft started changing their language so that “.exes” (The most used windows file format) are now called “Legacy Windows Programs”. They now have a new HTML/C# based framework for building apps that work on Windows 10 on all different Windows-powered devices and processors automatically. Most major compaines (Facebook, Twitter, Netflix etc.) have made a Universal App, and maybe when the HTML5 Player gets done, they could at least make a Scratch Universal Viewer (and when the entire Scratch program gets HTML-ified, just hoping for a Universal Editor!)

Just letting my thoughts out, what do you think?

Last edited by iTweak0r (Oct. 16, 2015 19:43:43)

MathlyCat

How many people have Windows 10?
Does this benefit a majority of users?

Those are my questions.

CatsUnited

MathlyCat wrote:
How many people have Windows 10?

Over 100 million users, and still increasing.

For this, it might be a good idea once the HTML5 player comes up and is in its beta stages. But, what does a normal Universal app look like?

iTweak0r

CatsUnited wrote:
MathlyCat wrote:
How many people have Windows 10?
Over 100 million users, and still increasing.

For this, it might be a good idea once the HTML5 player comes up and is in its beta stages. But, what does a normal Universal app look like?

Like this:

Very similar to an .exe, but a bit more modern looking.

DaSpudLord

Windows 10 still runs exes, right? (I don't know, I haven't updated to Windows 10 yet, but I would assume exes still worked.) Anyway, no support if Windows 10 does still run exes, as I don't see a reason why we need this.

Firedrake969

Of course it runs executables

iamunknown2

Firedrake969 wrote:
Of course it runs executables

Or else it wouldn't be a computer

it would be…

Skynet…

Anyway, no support, Windows 10 should still support exe files. Therefore, the ST shouldn't waste time to make a more “authentic to W10” version of Scratch.

iTweak0r

DaSpudLord wrote:
Windows 10 still runs exes, right? (I don't know, I haven't updated to Windows 10 yet, but I would assume exes still worked.) Anyway, no support if Windows 10 does still run exes, as I don't see a reason why we need this.

It does (or people would be SO mad, remember Windows RT?), but Microsoft is trying to switch developers away from the legacy technology for something new and cross-platform. Benefits of Universial Apps vs. EXE:

“Legacy Apps” (.exes):

Cons:
- Only runs on x86 (Intel/AMD) platforms (Why: because it's basically direct machine code.)
- 30-year-old architecture.
Pros:
- Can be coded with any language (like Flash or Python)

Universal Apps:

Pros:
- If Windows is ported to non-x86 processors, (Like the new Raspberry Pi Edition) your program will run on all of them. (Why: because it's special instructions that aren't machine code but instructions to tell Windows what to do, so if there's Windows for a platform, it will work.)
- When you make a UA, it's automatically distributed to computers, Windows Phones (!), and the upcoming HoloLens!
- Modern technology.
Cons:
- Can only be coded with C# or HTML.

UAs also don't need external legacy plugins like Adobe AIR to work, all the frameworks are inside Windows.

I'm still just letting my thoughts out, but if Scratch doesn't make the HTML Player, maybe the maker of phosphorus.github.io could work on it?

Econinja

iTweak0r wrote:
I'm still just letting my thoughts out, but if Scratch doesn't make the HTML Player, maybe the maker of phosphorus.github.io could work on it?

I doubt nxIII would work on it.
===
No support since
a) Only a player isn't useful
b) I'm sure the ST wouldn't want to waste their time finishing the HTML5 player and then porting it
c) How would it work for keyboard layouts for HoloLens and Windows Phones?

CatsUnited

UAs aren't really Universal Apps if they can't run on other operating systems.

No Support since people should still be able to use exes.

iamunknown2

CatsUnited wrote:
UAs aren't really Universal Apps if they can't run on other operating systems.

+1

Also, shame on Microsoft if they want to make WINE unusable!

CatsUnited

iamunknown2 wrote:
CatsUnited wrote:
UAs aren't really Universal Apps if they can't run on other operating systems.
+1

Also, shame on Microsoft if they want to make WINE unusable!

They're probably thinking that they don't want Tux using any MS programs, so they create Universal Apps.

powershack

No support. EXE works perfectly fine. I'd only use UA if I needed it for something.

Techno-CAT

Support, since it would enable viewing on

Windows 10
Windows 10 Mobile
Windows RT
IoT devices (Raspberry Pi)

It shouldn't be too hard. In fact, all you'd have to do is make a hosted web app (.appx) of the html5 viewer, which takes like 15 minutes.

MathlyCat said:

How many people have Windows 10?
Does this benefit a majority of users?

Two hundred and seventy million people use windows 10. Including myself, on the desktop and my phone.

Or, I could make an app with phosphorus.io embedded. But that would cost me a $20 dev licence to publish to the store.

Last edited by Techno-CAT (April 18, 2016 10:14:23)

dude341

No support. Reasons:

Almost no one uses Windows 10 (internally known as Windows NT 6.4 so I'm going to call it that in this post)
Windows NT 6.4 (10) sends data to Microsoft.
This would require an HTML5 player, which will be finished in 10000000000000000 years (no offence Scratch Team)
Apps on Windows 10 are not really good. Have you seen Minecraft: Windows 10 (NT 6.4) Edition? It's just the mobile version (which is really limited and bad) on the PC, when you can get real Minecraft for just £18, and that works great on Windows 10.
Similar to what I said above, the Windows NT 6.4 (10) version of Scratch would have to be really limited, when you can just use normal Scratch for free.
The Scratch Team uses Linux (I think, but they defiantly don't use Windows), so they would not have experience with making Windows apps.

Sheep_maker

dude341 wrote:
Almost no one uses Windows 10

Evidence?

My browser / operating system: Windows NT 10.0, Chrome 50.0.2661.75, Flash 21.0 (release 0)

Techno-CAT

Sheep_maker wrote:
dude341 wrote:
Almost no one uses Windows 10
Evidence?
My browser / operating system: Windows NT 10.0, Chrome 50.0.2661.75, Flash 21.0 (release 0)

270 MILLION people use w10

Lythium

My browser / operating system: Windows NT 10.0, Chrome 49.0.2623.112, Flash 21.0 (release 0)

See? Nobody uses Windows 10.

Anyways, I don't support, because Windows can still run executable files.

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