Microsoft open sources Windows Bridge to bring iOS apps to Windows
Microsoft is taking steps to try to ensure that the apps that people want to see on Windows are actually available. We've already seen the company woo developers with tools such as Project Westminster to make it easier to create Universal Windows Apps, and Astoria to help convert Android apps for Windows.
Project Islandwood was the same idea, but for iOS apps -- the idea is that by making it easy to convert apps for Apple's platform into Windows apps, Microsoft can use developers to plug the 'app gap'. To spread the project's net further, it has now been released under the name Windows Bridge for iOS and -- more importantly -- it has been released to GitHub as an open source tool under the MIT license.
The idea of 'bridging' is one that Microsoft has well and truly embraced. Keen to move away from traditional applications towards more portable apps, the company has been taking steps to make it as easy as possible to bring apps from other platforms to Windows. Windows Bridge for iOS taps into the huge readymade collection of apps for Apple's mobile platform. It launches initially as a public preview, with a full release destined for the fall.
While most people will see the project as a way to 'port' apps from one platform to another, Microsoft looks at it slightly differently. Program Manager for Windows Bridge for iOS, Salmaan Ahmed, said in a post entitled 'Let's open this up':
Our goal with the iOS bridge has never been simply to run iOS apps on Windows. Rather, our goal is to help you write great Windows apps that use as much of your existing code and knowledge as possible. We will, of course, continue to work to expand our iOS compatibility, but it’s important to note that there is much more you can do with the bridge.
The move is an important one, as Microsoft is now taking apps more seriously than ever. In championing universal apps, the company demonstrates that it is as keen at creating an app-friendly ecosystem as Apple has shown itself to be. Developers working with Windows Bridge for iOS are not just creating apps for desktop machines running Windows 10, but also mobile Windows 10 devices, Xbox One, and even HoloLens.
Microsoft describes three aims and principles of Windows Bridge for iOS:
- Full Windows API access: Making it easy to use Windows APIs within Objective-C code
- iOS compatibility: Empower developers to reuse as much existing iOS code as reasonably possible
- No sandboxing: iOS and Windows APIs should be able to work together
If you fancy trying out the tool, head on over to GitHub to grab it.
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