UWP Development, XAML Controls Gallery

Author: [Your Name]   |   Date: [Date of Writing]

1. What is UWP?

UWP (Universal Windows Platform) is a platform for developing applications for various Windows devices such as Windows 10, Windows 10 Mobile, and Xbox One. UWP is designed to provide a consistent user experience across different devices, allowing developers to create applications using XAML, C#, JavaScript, and more.

UWP apps are distributed through the store, and these apps work well on both PCs and mobile devices using the same code. UWP also provides various features (e.g., inter-device communication, continuity, efficient UI components, etc.) to support developers.

2. What is XAML Controls Gallery?

XAML Controls Gallery is an application for experimenting with and viewing various XAML-based UI controls. This app provides a platform for UWP application developers to easily learn and test XAML controls. Developers can see examples, usage, properties, and more of each control in real-time, which is very helpful.

XAML Controls Gallery is officially provided by Microsoft, and it allows developers to easily explore the latest XAML control properties and examples. Through this app, developers can understand the behavior and properties of each control and learn how to utilize these controls in their own applications.

3. Key Features of XAML Controls Gallery

The key features of XAML Controls Gallery are as follows:

  • Diverse UI Controls: Provides various UI controls such as buttons, text boxes, list views, etc.
  • Real-time Preview: Properties of each control can be adjusted to see immediate results.
  • XAML Code Viewer: Allows developers to instantly check the XAML code for the selected control, enhancing code understanding.
  • Design Guidelines: Provides information about each control and its design.
  • Accessibility Options: Teaches how to make applications accessible to various users.

4. How to Install XAML Controls Gallery

To install XAML Controls Gallery, you can search for “XAML Controls Gallery” in the Microsoft Store and download it. After installation, when you run the application, you will see a screen listing various controls.

When the app is running, you can click on each control to view various properties and examples. You can also copy the XAML source of each control for reuse in your own project.

5. How to Use XAML Controls Gallery

Using XAML Controls Gallery is straightforward:

  1. Run the app and select the desired control.
  2. Adjust the properties of the selected control in real-time. For example, you can change the text of a button or modify its color.
  3. After configuring the control, view the XAML code for that control in the XAML code viewer at the bottom.
  4. Copy the code and paste it into your own UWP application.
  5. As needed, modify the code, build the app, and run it to check the results.

6. Introduction to Key Controls in XAML Controls Gallery

6.1 Button

A button is one of the most basic elements in a user interface, allowing users to click and perform actions. In XAML Controls Gallery, you can experiment with various properties and styles of buttons.

<Button Content="Click me!" Width="200" Height="50" Background="Blue" Foreground="White" />

The above code creates a button with a blue background and white text. The style of the button can be easily changed by adjusting its properties.

6.2 TextBox

A text box is used to receive input from the user. Users can enter text into the text box and perform various actions based on this input.

<TextBox PlaceholderText="Enter text here" Width="300" />

The above code creates a basic text box that shows the placeholder text “Enter text here” until the user inputs text.

6.3 ListView

A ListView is used to display data in a list format. It allows users to see multiple items and interact with them.


<ListView>
    <ListViewItem Content="Item 1" />
    <ListViewItem Content="Item 2" />
    <ListViewItem Content="Item 3" />
</ListView>

The above code creates a ListView containing three items. You can bind data to the ListView using various data models.

7. Useful Tips for UWP Development

Here are some helpful tips for UWP development:

  • Use MVVM Pattern: Using the Model-View-ViewModel (MVVM) pattern to structure code makes maintenance and testing easier.
  • Utilize Data Binding: Use XAML’s data binding capabilities to easily synchronize the UI with the data model.
  • Performance Optimization: To optimize the performance of UWP apps, leverage asynchronous programming, garbage collection tuning, etc.
  • Utilize Debugging Tools: Use Visual Studio’s debugging tools and performance analyzer to quickly solve application problems.

8. Example Project for XAML Controls Gallery

8.1 Starting the Project

Open Visual Studio and create a new UWP project. Name the project “XamlControlsGalleryExample.” Open the default MainPage.xaml file and modify the XAML code as follows.


<Page
    x:Class="XamlControlsGalleryExample.MainPage"
    xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
    xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
    xmlns:local="using:XamlControlsGalleryExample"
    xmlns:d="http://schemas.microsoft.com/expression/blend/2008"
    xmlns:mc="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/markup-compatibility/2006"
    mc:Ignorable="d">

    <Grid Background="{ThemeResource ApplicationPageBackgroundThemeBrush}">
        <StackPanel Margin="20">

            <TextBlock Text="Button Example" FontSize="24" FontWeight="Bold" />
            <Button Content="Click me!" Width="200" Height="50" Background="Blue" Foreground="White" Click="Button_Click"/>

            <TextBlock Text="TextBox Example" FontSize="24" FontWeight="Bold" Margin="0,20,0,0"/>
            <TextBox PlaceholderText="Enter text here" Width="300" />

            <TextBlock Text="ListView Example" FontSize="24" FontWeight="Bold" Margin="0,20,0,0"/>
            <ListView>
                <ListViewItem Content="Item 1" />
                <ListViewItem Content="Item 2" />
                <ListViewItem Content="Item 3" />
            </ListView>

        </StackPanel>
    </Grid>
</Page>

8.2 Adding Event Handlers

To handle the button click event, modify the MainPage.xaml.cs file. Add the following code.


using Windows.UI.Xaml;
using Windows.UI.Xaml.Controls;

namespace XamlControlsGalleryExample
{
    public sealed partial class MainPage : Page
    {
        public MainPage()
        {
            this.InitializeComponent();
        }

        private void Button_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
        {
            // Code to be executed when the button is clicked
            var button = sender as Button;
            button.Content = "Clicked!";
        }
    }
}

The above code is an event handler that changes the button’s text to “Clicked!” when it is clicked. This allows interaction by connecting XAML controls with C# code behind.

8.3 Running the Application

Run the application to check if each control works properly. When you click the button, the text changes, and you will see that the text box and list view also function as intended.

9. Conclusion

XAML Controls Gallery is a useful tool for UWP developers, greatly aiding in testing and learning various UI controls. If you have learned the basics of UWP development and how to use XAML Controls Gallery through this tutorial, you will be able to appropriately utilize these controls in real projects. Based on the knowledge gained from XAML Controls Gallery, try developing a variety of applications.