Speakers : Eray Chou, Keenan Newton

3 architecture options for Apps hosting : SharePoint-Hosted Apps (created in a separated App Web, does not allow server-side code but proxy can be defined in the manifest), for Cloud-Based Apps there are Provider-Hosted App (hosted on-premises) and Autohosted-App (SharePoint automatically and invisibly hosting the App on Azure).

Choosing between Cloud Hosted Apps and SharePoint Hosted Apps : SP Hosted Apps is more for smaller apps and resource storage. If server-side code is needed, go with a Cloud Hosted Apps. Cloud Hoted Apps is also the preferred hosting model in most of the cases.

On the services side, services.svc got extended to support REST accesses, with GET, PUT and POST verbs. Protocol used is now OData. New APIs have been added to the CSOM in order to support SharePoint Server or Windows Phone Applications. The API is now covering the whole set of SharePoint services (i.e. Taxonomy, Workflow, eDiscovery, etc). These last APIs are only available in the SharePoint Server SKU (in the DocumentManagement.dll, Publishing.dll, Taxonomy.dll and UserProfiles.dll). REST is now really the recommended way to call the APIs.

_api is the new alias for _vti_bin/client.svc, such as http://contososerver/_api/web

Results can be in JSON or ATOM format and calls can be tested in a browser. URLs are now mapping objects to resources (_api/web/lists). Even feeds can be queried through REST calls.

Remote Event Receivers are introduced and are meant to be used to call external systems. Their scope are List Item, List, Web or App and supports both Synchronous and Asynchronous After events. The purpose is not synchronization, but more notifications (do not use it to sync or mirror content). They can be defined either by used declarative syntax or via code.

This session, full of demos, was a solid developer one. If not attended, download it when it will be available.