Microsoft has launched "Project Siena" on the Windows Store, essentially an app that allows users to create their own Windows-based apps. Project Siena launched on Thursday, and is designed for "business experts, business analysts, consultants and other app imagineers" who don't have any programming experience.
"Siena apps are as easy as editing a document. You place some visuals on a canvas," reads the app's notes. "You hook them up to your data. You customize how your app looks and works. Then, if you need special logic and intelligence, you write some Excel-like expressions. You can use your app immediately, or share it with colleagues or the world."
Microsoft provides a few ideas of what kind of apps can be created, including those to explore media-rich product catalogs and create ensembles, apps used on the spot to resolve customer service bottlenecks and logistics exceptions, and apps for auditing and inspecting a manufacturing facility through photos, videos and pen and voice notes.
Features include the ability to connect to corporate and web data, the ability to add business logic and intelligence using Excel-like expressions, and more.
"Siena works well with corporate and web data and media content: SharePoint lists, Excel and Azure tables, RSS feeds and the gamut of RESTful services," reads the app's description. "Siena apps are just HTML5 and JavaScript and are deployed and managed like any other Windows 8.x app. In fact, developers can open them up, see what's there and, if needed, extend them in their favorite programming tools."
Supported processors include x86, x64 and ARM. For more information about this app-making app, head here.
