Windows 8 App Development Requiring licence

Recently I stopped at my local chapters and found a book about HTML5 and windows application development. I was interested and so I talked to the store clerk and was told that a $100 licence or so is required to develop. My question was if it is still possible to develop applications without the licence(STRICLY DEV no publishing or anything). I just want to be able to develop windows applications without the need of a licence because I wont even be publishing my applications anyways.

Thank you for all the time and help.
- Mewtew

There are two types of Windows applications:

Desktop application, like Photoshop, Blender, GIMP, AutoCad.
Tablet applications like the ones you find in the Microsoft App Store.

For desktop applications there is not fee, you just download something like Visual Studio 2013 and start developing, when you have your app ready you post it on your website and that's it.

I don't have much experience with tablet like applications, but these two links will help you understand when you have to pay those C$100.oo (maybe just C$20.oo).

Submitting your app - Windows app development
Account types, locations, and fees - Windows app development

[h=1]Visual Studio 2015 Preview is free Visual Studio 2015 Downloads[/h]

pixaeiro said:

There are two types of Windows applications:

Desktop application, like Photoshop, Blender, GIMP, AutoCad.
Tablet applications like the ones you find in the Microsoft App Store.

For desktop applications there is not fee, you just download something like Visual Studio 2013 and start developing, when you have your app ready you post it on your website and that's it.

I don't have much experience with tablet like applications, but these two links will help you understand when you have to pay those C$100.oo (maybe just C$20.oo).

Submitting your app - Windows app development
Account types, locations, and fees - Windows app development

Click to expand...

Thank you pixaeiro for your help today. So what I get from this is that I can indeed purchase the book and read it front to back without requiring a licence. I mean I don't ever plan to publish I was just very interested and I will need to do more research based off your links. Thank you again for the help and Im aware that visual studios is now practically free as of the near end of last year (thank god) haha