Windows Store Apps: Where Is Bluetooth?

Question

I need to use Bluetooth in my Windows Store app, but from what I understand the System.IO.Ports namespace is unavailable in Windows Store apps. Some sites that I have found sounded like they were suggesting using Sockets, but I have been unable to understand them well enough or find any helpful examples for them. I know that many Windows 8 devices (including Surface Pro, which is what I am using) have Bluetooth capabilities, and I know that I am not the only person who needs Bluetooth in their app, so their must be some way to add Bluetooth capabilities to my Windows Store app. Can somebody help me figure out what to do? Thanks.

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Nathan Sokalski [e-mail] http://www.nathansokalski.com/

Answer 1

Look at the PeerFinder.

Bluetooth support is quite limited in Windows 8. Windows 8.1 has significant improvements here. See Bluetooth in the Windows 8.1 Preview documentation.

Answer 2

That is definitely good to know, I guess I'll see how it goes when Windows 8.1 is released (I prefer not to install preview versions). But what exactly is PeerFinder? I have never heard of it, or at least never knew it by that name if I have ever used it. Can you tell me where I can find more information on it? Thank you.

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Nathan Sokalski [e-mail] http://www.nathansokalski.com/

Answer 3

Search for PeerFinder in the search field at the top of the page to find the class entry: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/windows.networking.proximity.peerfinder.aspx

That has further links to the Proximity docs at the bottom of the page.

--Rob