No Designer for HTML5/JavaScript Apps?

Question

Last night, I fired up VS 11 to start working on some Metro-style Windows 8 apps using HTML5/JavaScript, but there doesn't seem to be a visual designer for HTML5/JavaScript.  There's one for XAML.  Am I doing something wrong or did MS not include a designer for HTML5/JavaScript Metro apps?

Answer 1

No there isn't (thank God, the XAML Designer is slow and buggy). But you can use "Expression Blend" (Right click on on your project -> Open in Expression Blend) to design your WinJS apps.

Since HTML5/CSS is much, much less complex and verbose than XAML there is actually no need for a designer, imho. Actually, you could use HTML/CSS Editor you want to layout the basic structure of your app.

Answer 2

I highly recommend Christian Schormann's //build/ talk A deep dive into Expression Blend for designing Metro style apps using HTML . He demonstrates taking an app with completely unstyled HTML (pretty much just an unstructured list of tags) and turning it into a fully laid out and styled app with Blend.

--Rob

Answer 3

Thanks for the info.  Out of curiousity, does anyone know if MS is planning on including a visual designer when this RTMs?

Answer 4

Uhm.... Expression Blend is the visual designer. And its available today in the DP already. Give it try. If it works, its a great tool.

Answer 5

Uhm.... Expression Blend is the visual designer. And its available today in the DP already. Give it try. If it works, its a great tool.

I meant in VS.  You know, like ASP.NET.

Answer 6

I am sorry, I do not know ASP.NET. Have you tried the "Expression Blend" app yet? I am pretty sure it blows every designer MS has had in VS so far out of the water.

On the other hand... how complex is your HTML that you need a designer to move elements around with your mouse?

Answer 7

What if the designer doesn't work?  It won't for me.

Answer 8

Blend should work just fine.  If you have a specific error or problem with it, you can post that information in the tools forum for help!

-Jeff

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Jeff Sanders (MSFT)

Answer 9

I have Jeff and no one at Microsoft and answer it.

Answer 10

Hi Jonget,

I can find three duplicate threads created by you on this (in addition to this off-topic post), none of which has sufficient information to identify the problem. They have been responded to, but we need a clearer problem description.

I'd suggest that you pick one of these threads (actually, I'll merge them into a single thread for you) and provide more information about what you are doing and the specific error. Does the problem occur always or only with some projects? Where are Visual Studio and Blend installed? Do you get the problem if you launch Blend stand alone or only if you launch it from VS? etc.

Again, please follow up in your thread and not here.

--Rob