Apps in Release Preview still do not use share contract

Question

I was expecting the Calendar app to support some kind of sharing in the RP, but no :(

If I have an app that can provide event data in some kind of unified way (iCal or schema.org formats) to the calendar app I would not have to implement managing calenders in my own app.

Why is it that the MS example apps, that should fully embrace the new ecosystem, still do not offer reasonable share contracts?

Answer 1

I have been wondering the same thing. To switch the question just a bit: How do we find out which share contracts the Microsoft stock applications are planning to implement. The first thoughts for calendar would be iCal or schea.org Event micro-formats. In order for this to be successful, we need to come together to agree on the formats that share targets will gravitate to.

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Answer 2

I agree Jim. But I do not see MSFT coming forward and specifying which contracts they support. And the version of the apps currently available are pretty much what the users will get when Windows 8 launches in Sep/Oct later this year.

I will write a little developer script that at least scans the installed apps manifests for share target definitions.
edit: created a quick script that lists the apps that support the share contract. https://github.com/pke/metro-targetbrowser

Maybe MSFT could think about a developer oriented part of the app store, where the apps publisher specifies URLs to API related informations of his product. And the store could display the supported share target types right in the store.

You would only see such information when you switch the settings of the store on your machine to "Show development related information" much like the start menus "show admin options".