Purpose of "Windows" batch file ?

Hello,
In the app options, under Cordova, there is a "Windows" only checkbox. I was surprised by the result I got. While Visual Studio 2013 is installed on my computer (so probably the required SDK too as I have the Windows Phone emulator and other tools installed by default), what I've got in the built folder had nothing like a .exe or something I could launch.
So, I wondered if I well understood the purpose of that option.

Many thanks :)

Hello Samuel,

According to the Cordova documentation the "windows" platform it's "to build and deploy Cordova apps for Windows 8, Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone 8.1". The requeriments are described here in the Cordova documentation. You didn't get some error during the build process or something?

Hello David,

I do thank you for your reply. I will have to have the reflex to scout the Cordova each time I will have a question. That's very kind of you.
I had no error at all but probably a Metro App ? I will take a look at that
Thanks a lot :)

Hello,

If Visual Studio 2013 is installed, maybe the Windows version is a problem? The docs say we need Windows 8.0 to compile Windows 8.0 apps only, and we need Windows 8.1 to compile apps for all platforms Windows 8.0, Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone 8.1. Also another note to take in count is: "Apps compiled under Windows 8.1 do not run under Windows 8.0. Apps compiled under Windows 8.0 are forward-compatible with 8.1".

Hello,

Perhaps VS is the problem or perhaps Cordova. I really don't know what it does. I just made a new test with checking the Windows checkbox only and in the logs, Cordova installs some phone functions...

Adding windows project...
Creating Cordova Windows Project:
App Name : TestACC
Namespace : [removed]
Path : C:\Users\Samuel\AppBuilder\Compass Windows\Compass_test_Comp
iled\platforms\windows
Copying template to C:\Users\Samuel\AppBuilder\Compass Windows\Compass_test_Comp
iled\platforms\windows
WARNING: org.apache.cordova.device-motion has been renamed to cordova-plugin-dev
ice-motion. You may not be getting the latest version! We suggest you `cordova p
lugin rm org.apache.cordova.device-motion` and `cordova plugin add cordova-plugi
n-device-motion`.
Fetching plugin "org.apache.cordova.device-motion" via cordova plugins registry
Installing "org.apache.cordova.device-motion" for windows
WARNING: org.apache.cordova.device-orientation has been renamed to cordova-plugi
n-device-orientation. You may not be getting the latest version! We suggest you
`cordova plugin rm org.apache.cordova.device-orientation` and `cordova plugin ad
d cordova-plugin-device-orientation`.
Fetching plugin "org.apache.cordova.device-orientation" via cordova plugins regi
stry
Installing "org.apache.cordova.device-orientation" for windows
Running command: cmd "/s /c ""C:\Users\Samuel\AppBuilder\Compass Windows\Compass
_test_Compiled\platforms\windows\cordova\build.bat"""
Applying Platform Config...
The following image is skipped due to unsupported size: www/app/images/icon.png
MSBuildToolsPath: C:\Program Files (x86)\MSBuild\12.0\bin\amd64\
Building project: C:\Users\Samuel\AppBuilder\Compass Windows\Compass_test_Compil
ed\platforms\windows\CordovaApp.Windows80.jsproj
Configuration : debug
Platform : anycpu
CordovaApp.Windows80 -> C:\Users\Samuel\AppBuilder\Compass Windows\Compass_te
st_Compiled\platforms\windows\AppPackages\CordovaApp.Windows80_1.0.1.0_anycpu
_debug_Test\CordovaApp.Windows80_1.0.1.0_anycpu_debug.appx
CordovaApp.Windows80 -> C:\Users\Samuel\AppBuilder\Compass Windows\Compass_te
st_Compiled\platforms\windows\AppPackages\CordovaApp.Windows80_1.0.1.0_anycpu
_debug.appxupload
Le package a bien été créé.
Building project: C:\Users\Samuel\AppBuilder\Compass Windows\Compass_test_Compil
ed\platforms\windows\CordovaApp.Phone.jsproj
Configuration : debug
Platform : anycpu
CordovaApp.Phone -> C:\Users\Samuel\AppBuilder\Compass Windows\Compass_test_C
ompiled\platforms\windows\build\phone\debug\anycpu\CordovaApp.Phone_1.0.1.0_B
undle\CordovaApp.Phone_1.0.1.0_anycpu_debug.appx (unsigned)
CordovaApp.Phone -> C:\Users\Samuel\AppBuilder\Compass Windows\Compass_test_C
ompiled\platforms\windows\build\phone\debug\anycpu\CordovaApp.Phone_1.0.1.0_B
undle\CordovaApp.Phone_1.0.1.0_scale-100.appx (unsigned)
CordovaApp.Phone -> C:\Users\Samuel\AppBuilder\Compass Windows\Compass_test_C
ompiled\platforms\windows\AppPackages\CordovaApp.Phone_1.0.1.0_debug_Test\Cor
dovaApp.Phone_1.0.1.0_AnyCPU_debug.appxbundle
CordovaApp.Phone -> C:\Users\Samuel\AppBuilder\Compass Windows\Compass_test_C
ompiled\platforms\windows\AppPackages\CordovaApp.Phone_1.0.1.0_AnyCPU_bundle_
debug.appxupload
Le package a bien été créé.
Appuyez sur une touche pour continuer...

The app was compiled on Windows 8.1 Pro 64 bits so it should be executable on Windows 64 bits. But I won't spend your time with that and will try to understand what Cordova does (and learn too).

Hello Samuel,

Don't worry, it's good to know how Cordova works for platforms that I don't tried before. Thanks for the compiler output. I found various things to consider, but didn't get good results. First of all, I note the "Warnings" who say the plugins are renamed, however, trying here with the suggestion plugin path I get a 404 error. Another thing that call my attention is the unsupported icon file size.

The App Builder default icon size is 128x128 and they works like expected in Android. Trying to compile for the Windows platform here I get the same icon size error, then I try with a 64x64 image size, and then a 48x48 image size, but the compiler error persist, so really I don't know what to do even after reading the supported icon sizes.

On the other hand, what you expect is a executable file Samuel? Probably this is not generated, but what we get compiled for the Windows platform is the "appx*" files. I want to ingestigate about the plugins warning and the unsupported icon size.