Beginning Windows 8 Application Development: XAML Edition

312 Pages·2012·6.293 MB·English

by  Kyle Burns (auth.)

Beginning Windows 8
Application Development:
XAML Edition
Kyle Burns
Beginning Windows 8 Application Development: XAML Edition
Copyright © 2012 by Kyle Burns
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This book is dedicated to my wife, Lisa, who encouraged me to undertake the endeavor of writing it, and
my son, Kolin, who spent a summer knowing me as the guy who came home from work and sat at the
computer writing. Thank you both for your support in this and every other aspect of my life.
Contents at a Glance
About the Author ........................................................................................................xvii
About the Technical Reviewer .....................................................................................xix
Acknowledgments .......................................................................................................xxi
Introduction ...............................................................................................................xxiii
(cid:78) Chapter 1: Welcome to a Touch-First World ................................................................1
(cid:78) Chapter 2: The Windows Design Language ...............................................................11
(cid:78) Chapter 3: Designing Windows 8 Applications ..........................................................25
(cid:78) Chapter 4: Visual Studio 2012 and Windows Store Application Types ......................33
(cid:78) Chapter 5: XAML Controls in the Visual Studio Toolbox: The Common Controls .......45
(cid:78) Chapter 6: XAML Controls in the Visual Studio Toolbox: Other Controls ...................67
(cid:78) Chapter 7: Building the User Interface ......................................................................91
(cid:78) Chapter 8: Data Binding...........................................................................................105
(cid:78) Chapter 9: Introducing MVVM .................................................................................127
(cid:78) Chapter 10: Starting the ViewModel ........................................................................141
(cid:78) Chapter 11: Inversion of Control ..............................................................................165
(cid:78) Chapter 12: The Role of Service Agents ..................................................................175
(cid:78) Chapter 13: Asynchronous Programming Model .....................................................181
(cid:78) Chapter 14: Mocking the Service Agent ..................................................................199
(cid:78) Chapter 15: Connecting to Data in the Cloud ...........................................................209
(cid:78) Chapter 16: Completing the Service Agent ..............................................................233
v
(cid:78) CONTENTS AT A GLANCE
(cid:78) Chapter 17: Interacting with Windows Search and Share .......................................243
(cid:78) Chapter 18: Notifications and Tiles .........................................................................259
(cid:78) Chapter 19: Sensors, Devices, and the Location API ...............................................273
(cid:78) Chapter 20: Sharing Apps in the Windows Store .....................................................285
Index ...........................................................................................................................293
vi
Contents
About the Author ........................................................................................................xvii
About the Technical Reviewer .....................................................................................xix
Acknowledgments .......................................................................................................xxi
Introduction ...............................................................................................................xxiii
(cid:78) Chapter 1: Welcome to a Touch-First World ................................................................1
Moving to More Natural Interaction .........................................................................................2
Windows 8 Touch Language ....................................................................................................2
Press and Hold ................................................................................................................................................2
Tap ..................................................................................................................................................................3
Slide ................................................................................................................................................................4
Swipe ..............................................................................................................................................................4
Pinch ...............................................................................................................................................................5
Stretch ............................................................................................................................................................6
Swipe from Edge ............................................................................................................................................6
Turn .................................................................................................................................................................7
Keys to a Successful Touch Interface ......................................................................................8
Responsiveness ..............................................................................................................................................8
Touch Targets ..................................................................................................................................................8
Intuitive Interface............................................................................................................................................8
Beyond Touch ..........................................................................................................................8
Conclusion ...............................................................................................................................9
vii
(cid:78) CONTENTS
(cid:78) Chapter 2: The Windows Design Language ...............................................................11
Swiss Design Style ................................................................................................................11
Influence of Bauhaus ....................................................................................................................................11
Elements of Swiss Design ............................................................................................................................12
Windows Design Language ...................................................................................................18
Windows Design Principles ..........................................................................................................................18
Windows User Experience Guidelines ..........................................................................................................19
Styling in the Windows 8 User Interface .......................................................................................................23
Conclusion .............................................................................................................................24
(cid:78) Chapter 3: Designing Windows 8 Applications ..........................................................25
Communication Is Key ...........................................................................................................25
What Should the Application Be Good At? .............................................................................26
Identify Functional Requirements .........................................................................................27
Evaluate Identified Requirements .........................................................................................28
Decompose Requirements ....................................................................................................30
Build Interaction Flows ..........................................................................................................30
Wireframes ............................................................................................................................31
Visual Design .........................................................................................................................31
Conclusion .............................................................................................................................32
(cid:78) Chapter 4: Visual Studio 2012 and Windows Store Application Types ......................33
Visual Studio Editions ............................................................................................................33
Getting Started with Visual Studio .........................................................................................34
Windows Store Application Types ..........................................................................................39
Blank App (XAML) .........................................................................................................................................40
Grid App (XAML) ............................................................................................................................................40
Split App (XAML) ...........................................................................................................................................41
Conclusion .............................................................................................................................43
viii
(cid:78) CONTENTS
(cid:78) Chapter 5: XAML Controls in the Visual Studio Toolbox: The Common Controls .......45
Grid ........................................................................................................................................46
StackPanel ............................................................................................................................48
Border ....................................................................................................................................50
TextBlock ...............................................................................................................................51
TextBox ..................................................................................................................................52
Button ....................................................................................................................................53
RadioButton ...........................................................................................................................54
CheckBox ..............................................................................................................................55
ComboBox .............................................................................................................................57
Image ....................................................................................................................................59
FlipView .................................................................................................................................60
GridView and ListView ...........................................................................................................62
Rectangle ..............................................................................................................................64
A Word on Style .....................................................................................................................66
Conclusion .............................................................................................................................66
(cid:78) Chapter 6: XAML Controls in the Visual Studio Toolbox: Other Controls ...................67
AppBar ...................................................................................................................................67
Canvas ...................................................................................................................................70
CaptureElement .....................................................................................................................70
ContentControl ......................................................................................................................70
ContentPresenter ..................................................................................................................71
Ellipse ....................................................................................................................................71
Frame ....................................................................................................................................72
HyperlinkButton .....................................................................................................................73
ItemsControl ..........................................................................................................................74
ItemsPresenter ......................................................................................................................74
ListBox ...................................................................................................................................74
ix
(cid:78) CONTENTS
MediaElement .......................................................................................................................75
PasswordBox .........................................................................................................................76
Popup ....................................................................................................................................77
ProgressBar ...........................................................................................................................77
ProgressRing .........................................................................................................................78
RepeatButton .........................................................................................................................79
RichEditBox ...........................................................................................................................79
RichTextBlock and RichTextBlockOverflow............................................................................80
ScrollBar ................................................................................................................................82
ScrollContentPresenter .........................................................................................................82
ScrollViewer ..........................................................................................................................82
SemanticZoom ......................................................................................................................83
Slider .....................................................................................................................................85
ToggleButton .........................................................................................................................85
ToggleSwitch .........................................................................................................................86
ToolTip ...................................................................................................................................87
VariableSizedWrapGrid ..........................................................................................................88
ViewBox .................................................................................................................................88
VirtualizingStackPanel ...........................................................................................................89
WebView ................................................................................................................................89
WrapGrid ...............................................................................................................................90
Conclusion .............................................................................................................................90
(cid:78) Chapter 7: Building the User Interface ......................................................................91
Introducing Style ...................................................................................................................91
Where Styles Are Defined .............................................................................................................................92
StandardStyles.xaml .....................................................................................................................................97
DataTemplates .......................................................................................................................97
Where DataTemplates Are Defined ...............................................................................................................98
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