UWP (Universal Windows Platform) is a platform provided by Microsoft that allows developers to create applications that can run on various Windows 10 devices. One of the biggest advantages of UWP is its flexible layout system, which makes it easy to design and manage user interfaces (UI). In this article, we will take an in-depth look at Grid, one of the most important UI layout containers in UWP.
What is Grid?
Grid is a layout container in UWP that allows you to position various UI elements in a two-dimensional grid format. Using Grid, you can define rows and columns and place UI elements at specific positions within this grid. This is useful for constructing complex UIs and provides flexibility and scalability.
Main Features of Grid
- Separation of Rows and Columns: Grid manages the layout of content by separating it into rows and columns. Each element can be placed in a specific row and column.
- Proportional Resizing: You can adjust the size of rows and columns either proportionally or define them with fixed values, allowing for fluid UI design.
- Cell Merging: You can merge multiple cells to create one larger cell.
- Styles and Templates: Grid can apply various styles and templates in XAML, providing a more intuitive and refined user experience.
Basic Usage of Grid
To use Grid, you first need to define the Grid element within XAML. The basic structure of Grid is as follows:
<Grid>
<Grid.RowDefinitions>
<RowDefinition Height="Auto" />
<RowDefinition Height="*" />
<RowDefinition Height="2*" />
</Grid.RowDefinitions>
<Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
<ColumnDefinition Width="*" />
<ColumnDefinition Width="2*" />
</Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
<TextBlock Grid.Row="0" Grid.Column="0" Text="Row 0, Column 0" />
<TextBlock Grid.Row="0" Grid.Column="1" Text="Row 0, Column 1" />
<TextBlock Grid.Row="1" Grid.Column="0" Text="Row 1, Column 0" />
<TextBlock Grid.Row="1" Grid.Column="1" Text="Row 1, Column 1" />
<TextBlock Grid.Row="2" Grid.ColumnSpan="2" Text="Row 2, Column Span 2" />
</Grid>RowDefinitions and ColumnDefinitions
To define the rows and columns of a Grid, you use <Grid.RowDefinitions> and <Grid.ColumnDefinitions>. These properties play an important role in setting up rows and columns with various height and width values. Each RowDefinition and ColumnDefinition can define size through the Height and Width properties.
Auto:The size adjusts automatically according to the content.*:Shares the remaining space proportionately. For example,1*means one unit.2*:Occupies a larger proportion of space. For example, two2*definitions have double the size of a1*definition.
Grid Example Code
Below is a simple example using Grid. This example creates a layout with two columns and three rows.
<Page
x:Class="MyApp.MainPage"
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
xmlns:local="using:MyApp"
xmlns:d="http://schemas.microsoft.com/expression/blend/2008"
xmlns:mc="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/markup-compatibility/2006"
mc:Ignorable="d">
<Grid Background="{ThemeResource ApplicationPageBackgroundBrush}">
<Grid.RowDefinitions>
<RowDefinition Height="Auto" />
<RowDefinition Height="*" />
<RowDefinition Height="2*" />
</Grid.RowDefinitions>
<Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
<ColumnDefinition Width="1*" />
<ColumnDefinition Width="2*" />
</Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
<TextBlock Grid.Row="0" Grid.Column="0" Text="Header" FontSize="24" HorizontalAlignment="Center" />
<Button Grid.Row="0" Grid.Column="1" Content="Click Me!" HorizontalAlignment="Right" />
<TextBox Grid.Row="1" Grid.Column="0" Grid.ColumnSpan="2" PlaceholderText="Enter your text here" />
<TextBlock Grid.Row="2" Grid.Column="0" Text="Left Content" />
<TextBlock Grid.Row="2" Grid.Column="1" Text="Right Content" HorizontalAlignment="Right" />
</Grid>
</Page>Example Explanation
This example defines a Grid with two columns and three rows. The first row automatically adjusts in size to place the header and button. The second row contains a TextBox for the user to enter text, and the third row contains two TextBlocks arranged in different columns.
Advanced Features of Grid
Grid offers more than just simple layout features. Here, we will explore a few advanced capabilities of Grid.
Cell Merging
To merge two or more cells in a Grid, use the Grid.ColumnSpan property. This property defines how many columns the element will occupy horizontally. For example:
<Button Grid.Row="1" Grid.ColumnSpan="2" Content="Merge Cells" />This code snippet creates a button by merging two columns, causing the button to take up the full width of the first row.
Styling Rows and Columns
Grid allows easy application of styles, enabling the creation of more sophisticated UIs. For example, you can adjust colors, margins, and padding like this:
<TextBlock Grid.Row="0" Grid.Column="0" Text="Styled Text"
Background="LightBlue" Margin="10" Padding="5" />Application Example
To demonstrate the usefulness of Grid, let’s create a simple checklist application. This application offers an interface for adding and checking off various tasks.
<Page
x:Class="MyApp.ChecklistPage"
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
xmlns:local="using:MyApp">
<Grid>
<Grid.RowDefinitions>
<RowDefinition Height="Auto" />
<RowDefinition Height="*" />
</Grid.RowDefinitions>
<TextBox x:Name="TaskInput" PlaceholderText="Add a new task" />
<Button Content="Add" Click="AddTask" />
<ListView x:Name="TaskList" Grid.Row="1">
<ListView.ItemTemplate>
<DataTemplate>
<StackPanel Orientation="Horizontal">
<CheckBox IsChecked="{Binding IsCompleted}" />
<TextBlock Text="{Binding TaskName}" />
</StackPanel>
</DataTemplate>
</ListView.ItemTemplate>
</ListView>
</Grid>
</Page>Application Explanation
This checklist application provides an interface for users to input and add tasks. An add button is placed below the input field, and beneath that, a ListView allows users to see the list of tasks added. Each task item can indicate whether it is completed through a checkbox.
Adjusting Grid Layout
Adjusting the layout of Grid is an important task in UI development. Understanding how to arrange and resize elements can help create a more effective and intuitive UI.
Dynamic Layout
UIs need to adapt to various screen sizes, so using Grid to support dynamic layouts is important. In this case, the VisualStateManager can be utilized to define layouts for different states.
<VisualStateManager.VisualStateGroups>
<VisualStateGroup x:Name="AdaptiveStates">
<VisualState x:Name="Narrow">
<Storyboard>
<DoubleAnimation Storyboard.TargetName="TaskList"
Storyboard.TargetProperty="Width"
To="300" Duration="0:0:0.5" />
</Storyboard>
</VisualState>
</VisualStateGroup>
</VisualStateManager.VisualStateGroups>Conclusion
In UWP, Grid is a powerful and flexible layout tool. Through various features such as rows and columns, cell merging, styling, and dynamic layout support, complex UIs can be easily constructed. Leverage these features to develop applications that provide a better experience for users.
I hope this article on UWP Grid was helpful, and in the next article, I will cover more layout techniques. If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below!