UWP Development, Menus and Toolbars

The Universal Windows Platform (UWP) development provides various UI elements to help users navigate applications efficiently. Among them, Menu and Toolbar are important components that enhance the user experience of the application. In this article, we will explain in detail how to implement menus and toolbars in UWP and provide related example codes.

1. Understanding the Concepts

Menus and toolbars offer users a quick and easy way to access features of the application. Here, we will look closely at each concept.

1.1 Menu

A menu is a UI element that typically lists specific functions or commands of the application and provides options for the user to select. In Windows, it is often located in the top menu bar, and each menu item can have submenus.

1.2 Toolbar

A toolbar is a collection of buttons and icons that contain frequently used commands. Toolbars are usually placed at the top or side of the application and are designed for quick accessibility. The buttons on the toolbar use icons related to methods to provide functionality intuitively to the user.

2. Implementing Menus in UWP

There are several ways to implement menus in UWP, but the most commonly used method is to use XAML.

2.1 Creating a Menu Bar

In UWP applications, you can easily create menus using the MenuBar control. Below is an example of the XAML code for a basic menu bar.

<Page
    x:Class="MyApp.MainPage"
    xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
    xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml">

    <Grid>
        <MenuBar>
            <MenuBarItem Content="File">
                <MenuFlyout>
                    <MenuFlyoutItem Header="New" Click="New_Click"/>
                    <MenuFlyoutItem Header="Open" Click="Open_Click"/>
                    <MenuFlyoutItem Header="Save" Click="Save_Click"/>
                </MenuFlyout>
            </MenuBarItem>
            <MenuBarItem Content="Edit">
                <MenuFlyout>
                    <MenuFlyoutItem Header="Cut" Click="Cut_Click"/>
                    <MenuFlyoutItem Header="Copy" Click="Copy_Click"/>
                    <MenuFlyoutItem Header="Paste" Click="Paste_Click"/>
                </MenuFlyout>
            </MenuBarItem>
        </MenuBar>
    </Grid>
</Page>

2.2 Handling Events for Menu Items

To handle click events for menu items, you need to add event handlers in the C# code behind. Below is an example of event handlers related to quality control.

private void New_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e) {
    // Code to create a new file
}

private void Open_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e) {
    // Code to open a file
}

private void Save_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e) {
    // Code to save a file
}

private void Cut_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e) {
    // Code to cut
}

private void Copy_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e) {
    // Code to copy
}

private void Paste_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e) {
    // Code to paste
}

3. Implementing Toolbars in UWP

Next, let’s explore how to implement a toolbar. In UWP, you can easily create toolbars using the CommandBar control.

3.1 Creating a CommandBar

Below is an example of the XAML code for a basic CommandBar.

<CommandBar>
    <AppBarButton Icon="Add" Label="Add" Click="Add_Click"/>
    <AppBarButton Icon="Edit" Label="Edit" Click="Edit_Click"/>
    <AppBarButton Icon="Delete" Label="Delete" Click="Delete_Click"/>
    <AppBarSeparator />
    <AppBarButton Icon="Save" Label="Save" Click="Save_Click"/>
    <AppBarButton Icon="Open" Label="Open" Click="Open_Click"/>
</CommandBar>

3.2 Handling Events for Toolbar Buttons

Adding event handlers for button click events is similar to menus. Below is a simple example of event handlers.

private void Add_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e) {
    // Code for add functionality
}

private void Edit_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e) {
    // Code for edit functionality
}

private void Delete_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e) {
    // Code for delete functionality
}

4. Comparing the Roles of Menus and Toolbars in UWP

Menus and toolbars both provide functionalities to users, but their purposes differ. It is advisable to place frequently used features in the toolbar and relatively less used or more complex features in the menu.

4.1 Accessibility

The toolbar provides immediate accessibility, allowing users to utilize desired functionalities with just a button click. In contrast, menus may have a somewhat complex structure but can include more options and features.

4.2 Space Utilization

Toolbars can take up a significant amount of screen space, so care needs to be taken when designing the user interface. On the other hand, menus can list multiple functions in a folder-like structure, making better use of space.

5. Best Practices

Here are some best practices to improve user experience.

5.1 Maintain Consistency

The placement and design of menus and toolbars should maintain consistency to provide familiarity to users.

5.2 Group Functions

Related functionalities should be grouped together so that users can easily find them.

5.3 Provide User Feedback

Providing appropriate feedback upon button clicks enables users to know what actions have been performed.

Conclusion

Menus and toolbars in UWP maximize the user experience of the application and assist users in accessing functionalities easily and quickly. Apply the various examples and best practices presented in this article to design a great user interface.