当一个人喜欢使用JavaScript而不是C＃来编写Windows8应用程序时，它是否会提供性能或可访问性好处？

Question

If one will have an option to select between JavaScript (With HTML) and C# (With XAML) for writing a Windows 8 app which one should he/she prefer ? Does it give any performance benefit or Is C# has greater accessibility to Windows8 API and system calls ?

Answer 1

I'm afraid there was some confusion about the OP. We're talking about developing apps for Windows 8. You can use multiple language stacks to target Windows 8. You can use XAML/C#, XAML/C++, DirectX/C++, or HTML/JavaScript. The question was in regard to which of the two most popular stacks - XAML/C# and HTML/JavaScript - has better performance and better access to the Windows API.

I'm a Developer Evangelist at Microsoft and this is the most frequently asked question I get. I have a post at codefoster.com/Which-Windows-8-Language-Stack-Should-I-Choose that touches part of the question but not all.

First, regarding access to the Windows API (WinRT), all language stacks are identical. The entire WinRT object space is actually projected into the different languages, so in any language you can call into the Windoww API and they always start with "Windows.".

The projections follow the conventions of each of the languages they're projected into as well, so in C# you might call Windows.UI.Popups.MessageDialog("Hello World").ShowAsync(), whereas in JavaScript you would call Windows.UI.Popups.MessageDialog("Hello World").showAsync(). Similarly, each language uses its own conventions for handling async. In C#, you would use the async/await pattern, but in JavaScript you would use the promise pattern.

Next, on the matter of performance. There are going to be differences between the language stacks due to the natural and drastic differences between the languages. The important thing to know is that for all built in controls and scenarios, all language stacks are designed to meet a minimum performance threshold. Honestly, I don't think you need to worry about any of the language stacks falling behind in performance for you unless you've got some really interesting stuff going on in which case you should be specific about what it is.

Each of the language stacks has its own strengths and weaknesses as well. If you're using C# you have a good set of the .NET framework with is extremely familiar to many people. It's also a very well designed and expressive language. Additionally, XAML is a very powerful UI language. If you're using JavaScript then you have code in common with the rest of the vast internet and can share a lot of code. You can find JavaScript libraries to do just about anything you want and you can use any of those in your Windows 8 app. If you are using C++ then you have access to existing C and C++ components and access to DirectX for making 3D apps.

Keep in mind that you can make hybrid apps where you use C# or C++ to create WinRT components and then you can consume those components in any of the language stacks - including JavaScript! So if you know C# and want to write your business logic in C#, you can do that and then just use that logic in your JavaScript app.

Finally, I think the two biggest factors in making the decision on which stack to choose are 1) the stack you have the most skill in already and 2) the stack you enjoy using. Those are important and might carry you through a project you would otherwise ditch.

I hope this helps make your decision. If you need any help making Windows 8 apps, I'm at codefoster.com .

Answer 2

You're comparing a scripting language to a native (compiled) language.

JS has very limited access to the system when compared to C#. But then again, depending on what you want to application to do, it could be the best choice.