background > foreground in Universal Windows Apps on Windows 10

Mike Taulty Microsoft UK @mtaulty

your app spends most of its time here

demo

rich & timely information

many apps

minimum fuss

low bandwidth

all day battery life

use standard system services

and/or

register custom background tasks

extended execution

notifications

background transfers

standard system services

standard system services

extended execution

notifications

background transfers

extended execution

demo

standard system services

extended execution

notifications

background transfers

demo

standard system services

extended execution

notifications

background transfers

use the BackgroundDownloader/Uploader HTTP(S)/FTP for download, HTTP(S) for upload, uses network cost policy, reports progress, failure, etc.

transfers continue when suspended (based on policy)

multiple transfers can be grouped for easier management

success/failure -> automatic tile/toast notifications

app should check transfers at startup time

background transfers

demo

background tasks are custom WinRT components

implement IBackgroundTask

run in the app’s security context

can be many per app

can be sync/async, can report progress and can be cancelled

tasks run when triggers fire & conditions are met

register via BackgroundTaskBuilder & app manifest

background tasks

demo

triggers W

ind

ow

s 8.1

SystemTrigger

TimeTrigger

MaintenanceTrigger

DeviceUseTrigger

DeviceServicingTrigger

PushNotificationTrigger

Pho

ne 8

.1 CachedFileUpdaterTrigger

DeviceConnectionChangeTrigger

GattCharacteristicNotificationTrigger

RfcommConnectionTrigger

LocationTrigger

Win

do

ws 1

0

AppointmentStoreNotificationTrigger

ContactStoreNotificationTrigger

EmailStoreNotificationTrigger

BluetoothLEAdvertisementWatcherTrigger

BluetoothLEAdvertisementPublisherTrigger

DeviceWatcherTrigger

ActivitySensorTrigger

SensorDataThresholdTrigger

ToastNotificationHistoryChangedTrigger

ToastNotificationActionTrigger

ApplicationTrigger

MediaProcessingTrigger

SocketActivityTrigger

conditions

demos push, transfers, action center, sockets

app services

demo app services + Cortana

wall clock time: limited to 25s + 5s

memory: variable limit by device (min 16MB)

network: variable limit by device

also: quiet hours, battery saver can limit background tasks

NB: each time a trigger fires, the quotas get reset

background task constraints

background task constraints

Cancel (5 seconds)

Mem

ory

Run (25 seconds)

Default tasks

Mem

ory

Run (no end)

End (no warning, for now)

Long-running tasks

keep your app alive with notifications

“every” app will have some background tasks

understand triggers/conditions for your app