An Async Call To Arms

With the upcoming release of WinRT / Metro, Microsoft has chosen to put the .NET Open Source community in a frustrating position, by making it very difficult to port existing code to the WinRT profile of the framework. In particular, they have deprecated all of the existing synchronous File IO and Network APIs. Gone. Nada. These two concerns aren't easy to abstract away either - the semantics of synchronous code are pervasive in most code bases.

However, this is a good thing. Why? I propose that we should Embrace and Extend the Windows IO and Network APIs - implement versions that run on the Desktop CLR, MonoTouch, and MonoDroid, then start using them in libraries as the *sole* means of interacting with IO. I'll be discussing the details of this idea in my talk as well as why this will be an overall positive for the Open Source world, if we capitalize on this opportunity.

Transcript

1. hi.
2. An Async Call To Arms
3. github @xpaulbettsx
8. Asynchronous is a concern that pervades your entire design.
9. What should we do, Microso ?
12. “Just write two versions... ...and maintain them both”
15. there is no need to be upset
16. Port WinRT to everywhere Async Everywhere Libraries should only use WinRT Ship as a drop-in shim for WinRT
17. Why Bother? Porting once is still hard The world is broken How is this be er?
18. We can no longer write synchronous software. - Abraham Lincoln
19. Winter Await is Coming™
20. IStorageFile
21. IStorageFolder
22. Thread Pools
23. ignore what’s not important
24. Here be Dragons IVector and IMap
25. So just what is the Windows Runtime™?
26. a diagram
27. IVector<T> is like IList<T> except when it’s not.
28. “When building Windows Store apps with the Microsoft .NET Framework, this interface is hidden and developers should use the IList<T> interface.”
30. If it’s too hard, you’re not cheating enough - DHH
31. the solution Deviate from the API a bit when necessary
32. Next Level S*** Not just Compatible, but Be er™
33. Native implementations on iOS and Android
34. Just use Task
35. async isn’t always concurrent
37. Tests run synchronously
38. A modest proposal Create an “official” WinRT port Drop-in NuGet packages Work with lib devs to port to it
39. Thanks!