Microsoft puts SDk online for Surface Duo and Surface Neo

Microsoft has put the sdk online for the Surface Duo and Neo. This allows developers to prepare apps to work with the two screens of the devices on Android and Windows respectively.

It is a ‘preview sdk’, says Microsoft. In addition, the company explains in the documentation how it would like to see apps render their interface. For example, Microsoft says that it is not the intention to show menus across multiple screens. Also, developers should work with an even number of columns so that there isn’t a column with half on one screen and half on the other.

In addition, developers have to consider many ways of use. By default, apps start on one of the screens, but users can run the app on multiple screens. Some apps, such as mail clients, can take advantage of a layout with a list on the left and the content of mails on the right. In addition, the screens can be both in portrait or in landscape.

Also, when displaying images and videos across two screens, developers must choose whether to pretend the screen is continuous or not. According to Microsoft, users will simply fill in the screen edges in many cases. “This technique is better for media like videos and photos, where the continuity of the image is more important than showing all the content.”

Microsoft will release the smartphone Surface Duo with Android and the tablet Surface Neo with Windows 10 X at the end of this year. The intention of releasing the sdk is that there are many apps available that are prepared for the use of two screens.