Category: UWP Programming

Many developers who have entered the field of UWP (Universal Windows Platform) development become accustomed to using basic XAML elements, but by understanding and utilizing advanced XAML elements, they can greatly enhance the quality of their apps and user experience. In this course, we will delve deeply into advanced XAML elements of UWP, providing example code as well.

Table of Contents

1. 1. The Need for Advanced XAML Elements
2. 2. DataBinding and MVVM Pattern
3. 3. Styles and Resources
4. 4. Custom Controls
5. 5. Animations and Transitions
6. 6. Dynamic Layouts
7. 7. Examples of Advanced XAML Elements

1. The Need for Advanced XAML Elements

Using advanced XAML elements is crucial for improving the functionality and user experience of an app beyond simple UI design. For example, by using DataBinding to synchronize data and the UI, you can reduce the amount of code and make maintenance easier, while creating reusable components through custom controls.

2. DataBinding and MVVM Pattern

DataBinding is an important method that helps connect XAML and C# code. The MVVM (Model-View-ViewModel) pattern allows for the development of more structured applications through the separation of data and UI. Here is an example applying the MVVM pattern.

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

    <Grid>
        <TextBox Text="{Binding UserInput, Mode=TwoWay}" />
        <Button Content="Submit" Command="{Binding SubmitCommand}" />
    </Grid>
</Page>

Setting DataContext

public sealed partial class MainPage : Page
{
    public MainViewModel ViewModel { get; }

    public MainPage()
    {
        this.InitializeComponent();
        ViewModel = new MainViewModel();
        this.DataContext = ViewModel;
    }
}

ViewModel Class

public class MainViewModel : INotifyPropertyChanged
{
    private string userInput;
    public string UserInput
    {
        get { return userInput; }
        set
        {
            userInput = value;
            OnPropertyChanged();
        }
    }

    public ICommand SubmitCommand { get; }

    public MainViewModel()
    {
        SubmitCommand = new RelayCommand(OnSubmit);
    }

    private void OnSubmit()
    {
        // Submission logic
    }

    public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;

    protected void OnPropertyChanged([CallerMemberName] string propertyName = null)
    {
        PropertyChanged?.Invoke(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(propertyName));
    }
}

3. Styles and Resources

Styles are used to define the appearance of XAML elements. By using styles, you can reduce code duplication and maintain a unified design.

<Page.Resources>
    <Style TargetType="Button">
        <Setter Property="Background" Value="LightBlue"/>
        <Setter Property="Foreground" Value="White"/>
    </Style>
</Page.Resources>

4. Custom Controls

Custom controls are a way to create reusable UI components. This allows you to create controls with specific functionalities, maintaining consistency across the entire project.

<UserControl
    x:Class="UWPApp.MyCustomControl"
    xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
    xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml">

    <Grid>
        <TextBlock x:Name="DisplayText" />
    </Grid>
</UserControl>

5. Animations and Transitions

In UWP, animations are a powerful tool for enhancing user experience. You can easily implement animations using XAML.

<Storyboard x:Name="MyStoryboard">
    <DoubleAnimation
        Storyboard.TargetName="MyButton"
        Storyboard.TargetProperty="Opacity"
        From="0.0" To="1.0" Duration="0:0:1" />
</Storyboard>

6. Dynamic Layouts

UWP supports dynamic layouts to adapt to various devices and screen sizes. You can build responsive designs utilizing Grid and StackPanel.

<Grid>
    <Grid.RowDefinitions>
        <RowDefinition Height="Auto"/>
        <RowDefinition Height="*"/>
    </Grid.RowDefinitions>

    <TextBlock Grid.Row="0" Text="Header" FontSize="24"/>
    <ListView Grid.Row="1">
        <ListView.ItemTemplate>
            <DataTemplate>
                <TextBlock Text="{Binding Name}"/>
            </DataTemplate>
        </ListView.ItemTemplate>
    </ListView>
</Grid>

7. Examples of Advanced XAML Elements

Finally, let’s look at an integrated example that utilizes the advanced XAML elements described above. In this example, we will create a simple TODO list app.

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

    <StackPanel>
        <TextBox Text="{Binding NewTodo}" />
        <Button Content="Add" Command="{Binding AddTodoCommand}" />
        
        <ListBox ItemsSource="{Binding Todos}">
            <ListBox.ItemTemplate>
                <DataTemplate>
                    <TextBlock Text="{Binding}"/>
                </DataTemplate>
            </ListBox.ItemTemplate>
        </ListBox>
    </StackPanel>
</Page>

In this way, UWP allows you to enhance the structure and design of your apps using a variety of advanced XAML elements. Based on the examples above, I hope you will find them helpful in developing practical UWP apps. I encourage you to keep learning new technologies and gaining experience.

Conclusion

Advanced XAML elements play a very important role in UWP development. I hope that the knowledge gained from this course will further enhance your app development skills. If you have any additional questions or requests, please feel free to contact us.

UWP (Universal Windows Platform) development is a powerful way to create applications that operate on various devices within the Windows ecosystem. XAML (Extensible Application Markup Language) is a markup language used to define the UI (User Interface) of UWP applications, facilitating collaboration between designers and developers. This document will explore the basic concepts of UWP development, the importance of XAML, and detailed implementation techniques of XAML through specific code examples.

Basic Concepts of UWP Development

UWP is designed to create applications that can run on all Windows 10 devices. This allows developers to build applications using the same codebase across various devices such as desktops, tablets, mobiles, and Xbox. UWP helps developers utilize the Windows API to create apps.

Structure of UWP Applications

UWP applications fundamentally have the following structure:

• App.xaml: Defines the resources and settings for the entire application.
• MainPage.xaml: Represents the primary user interface of the application.
• Assets: Contains resources such as images and icons used in the application.
• Package.appxmanifest: Defines the app’s metadata and permission requests.

The Importance of XAML

XAML is the language that defines the UI components of UWP applications. XAML is XML-based and allows for the declarative definition of UI. This enables developers and designers to clearly separate UI elements and collaborate efficiently. The advantages of XAML include:

• Intuitiveness: A markup language that allows easy understanding and modification of UI elements.
• Reusability: Easier reuse of UI code through user-defined controls and templates.
• Data Binding: Simple support for connecting data and UI.

Basic Elements of XAML

XAML provides a variety of basic elements to construct the UI. This includes various types of UI controls such as buttons, text boxes, and list views.

Example: Simple XAML UI

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

    <Grid>
        <TextBlock Text="Hello, UWP!" HorizontalAlignment="Center" VerticalAlignment="Center" FontSize="32"/>
        <Button Content="Click Me!" HorizontalAlignment="Center" VerticalAlignment="Center" Margin="0,50,0,0" Click="OnButtonClick"/>
    </Grid>
</Page>

Advanced Techniques of XAML

XAML allows for complex UI compositions and styling beyond simple UI elements. Particularly, the application of data binding, animations, and the definition of styles and templates is a key feature.

Data Binding

Data binding is a technique that enables easy representation of user data in the UI. It is commonly used in WPF (Windows Presentation Foundation) and UWP, often combined with the MVVM (Model-View-ViewModel) pattern.

Example: List Using Data Binding

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

    <Grid>
        <ListView ItemsSource="{x:Bind MyItems}">
            <ListView.ItemTemplate>
                <DataTemplate>
                    <TextBlock Text="{x:Bind ItemName}"/>
                </DataTemplate>
            </ListView.ItemTemplate>
        </ListView>
    </Grid>
</Page>

In the above example, MyItems is assumed to be an ObservableCollection defined in the ViewModel, and ItemName is considered the property name of individual items.

Animations and Transitions

XAML allows for the enhancement of user experience through the use of animations and transitions. These features can visually demonstrate how UI elements change in a smoother manner.

Example: Simple Animation

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

    <Grid>
        <Button Name="myButton" Content="Animate Me!" HorizontalAlignment="Center" VerticalAlignment="Center"
                Click="OnButtonClick"/>
        <Button.Triggers>
            <EventTrigger RoutedEvent="Button.Click">
                <BeginStoryboard>
                    <Storyboard>
                        <DoubleAnimation Storyboard.TargetName="myButton"
                                         Storyboard.TargetProperty="RenderTransform.(TranslateTransform.X)"
                                         To="100" Duration="0:0:1" AutoReverse="True"/>
                    </Storyboard>
                <BeginStoryboard>
            </EventTrigger>
        <Button.Triggers>
    </Grid>
</Page>

Styles and Templates

Styles and templates are important techniques in XAML used to define the appearance and behavior of UI elements. They allow for easy creation of reusable UI components.

Example: Style Definition

<Page.Resources>
    <Style TargetType="Button">
        <Setter Property="Background" Value="Blue"/>
        <Setter Property="Foreground" Value="White"/>
        <Setter Property="FontSize" Value="18"/>
    </Style>
</Page.Resources>

<Button Content="Styled Button" HorizontalAlignment="Center" VerticalAlignment="Center"/>

Conclusion

XAML is a core element of UI composition in UWP development and is a very important tool for developers and designers. Utilizing the basic concepts, data binding, animations, styles, and templates discussed in this document, you can develop better UWP applications. Continuously learning and applying XAML techniques will help you create applications that provide a variety of user experiences.

UWP (Universal Windows Platform) is an application platform developed by Microsoft that provides the foundation for developing applications that can run on all devices with Windows 10 and later versions.
UWP apps allow for the reuse of the same code across various devices, providing users with a consistent experience.

1. Setting Up the UWP Development Environment

To develop UWP applications, you need to install Visual Studio on a Windows 10 environment.
Install the latest version of Visual Studio and select the “Developer workload” for UWP development.

1.1 Steps to Install Visual Studio

1. Visit the Visual Studio website and download the installer.
2. Run the installation and select “Universal Windows Platform development” from the “Developer workload”.
3. Choose the necessary components and complete the installation.

2. Understanding XAML

XAML (eXtensible Application Markup Language) is a markup language used to design the UI of UWP applications.
XAML is XML-based and allows for the declarative definition of UI elements.

2.1 Basic Structure of XAML

A XAML file typically has the following structure:

<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>
        <TextBlock Text="Hello, UWP!" FontSize="24" />
    </Grid>
</Page>

The above XAML code defines a basic page and a text block.
‘Grid’ serves as a container for placing UI elements, while ‘TextBlock’ is an element that simply displays text.

3. Basic Components of UWP Applications

UWP applications consist of various components. Here, we describe the main components: pages, user controls, and resources.

3.1 Page

Each screen of a UWP application is represented by a page. Each page can be loaded independently and navigated to via a URL.
Typically, `Frame` is used to handle navigation between pages.

Frame.Navigate(typeof(SecondPage));

The above code demonstrates how to navigate from the current page to the SecondPage.

3.2 User Control

User controls are reusable UI elements. In large-scale applications, it is advisable to manage the UI by splitting it into multiple user controls.

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

    <Grid>
        <TextBlock Text="This is a custom control." />
    </Grid>
</UserControl>

3.3 Resources

In UWP, you can define resources for commonly used values, styles, or brushes across multiple UI elements.
Resources can be defined in Application.Resources for global access.

<Application.Resources>
    <SolidColorBrush x:Key="PrimaryColor" Color="Blue"/>
</Application.Resources>

4. Events and Data Binding

In XAML, you can connect UI elements with events and dynamically update the UI based on data.

4.1 Event Handling

<Button Content="Click Me" Click="Button_Click"/>

This is how you can handle a button click event.

private void Button_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
    // Event handling code
}

4.2 Data Binding

Data binding allows you to easily synchronize between the UI and the data model.
You can set the data context in the XAML line and bind to the properties of the UI elements.

<TextBlock Text="{Binding Name}"/>

The above code defines a TextBlock that is bound to the ‘Name’ property.
Here’s how to set the data context.

this.DataContext = this;

5. Deployment of UWP Apps

After developing a UWP application, you can deploy it to the Microsoft Store.
To deploy, you must create an app package and submit it for review by the deadline.

5.1 Creating an App Package

Package creation can be done through the “Project” > “Create App Package” menu in Visual Studio.
Select the platform for deployment (Windows 10, ARM, etc.) and follow the step-by-step instructions to create the package.

5.2 Submitting to Microsoft Store

After creating the package, you must submit the application through the Microsoft Partner Center and undergo a review.
During submission, you need to provide the app’s screenshots, description, and other metadata.

Conclusion

We covered the basic understanding of UWP development and XAML. UWP offers many advantages for developing efficient and effective applications.
The structure of XAML, event handling, data binding, and other elements are essential for UWP development.
Based on the content introduced in this course, try your hand at developing full-fledged UWP applications.

Sample Code

Below is a complete code example of a simple UWP application.

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

    <Grid>
        <TextBlock Text="{Binding Greeting}" FontSize="24" />
        <Button Content="Click Me" Click="Button_Click" />
    </Grid>
</Page>

public sealed partial class MainPage : Page
{
    public string Greeting { get; set; } = "Hello, UWP!";

    public MainPage()
    {
        this.InitializeComponent();
        this.DataContext = this;
    }

    private void Button_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
    {
        Greeting = "Button Clicked!";
        OnPropertyChanged(nameof(Greeting));
    }
}

XAML (Extensible Application Markup Language) plays a crucial role in defining user interfaces in UWP (Universal Windows Platform) development. XAML is an XML-based markup language that has also been used in WPF (Windows Presentation Foundation) and Silverlight. In this article, we will detail the components of XAML sentences and how they are utilized in UWP.

Basic Concepts of XAML

XAML allows you to declaratively define the elements that make up the UI. By using XAML, you can manage the visual structure and behavior of the UI separately from the code, making it easier to handle. In this process, each element related to the UI is represented as an object, and its style and behavior can be specified through various properties.

Structure of XAML Files

XAML files have the following format:

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

    <Grid>
        <TextBlock Text="Hello, UWP!" FontSize="24" HorizontalAlignment="Center" VerticalAlignment="Center"/>
    </Grid>

    </Page>

Components of XAML Sentences

XAML sentences are primarily composed of the following components:

1. Tags: A XAML sentence consists of XML tags. Each UI element is declared with its corresponding tag.

   <Button Content="Click Me!" />

2. Attributes: Each element has various attributes. You can define the element’s color, size, position, and more through attributes.

   <TextBlock Text="Hello" FontSize="16" Foreground="Blue" />

3. Namespaces: Each UI element used in XAML belongs to a specific namespace. Namespaces allow you to identify and use these elements.

Example: Structure of a XAML Document

Here is an example of a simple UWP application’s XAML file.

<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">

        <Grid Background="{ThemeResource ApplicationPageBackgroundThemeBrush}">
            <TextBlock Text="Welcome to UWP Development!" 
                       FontSize="30" 
                       HorizontalAlignment="Center" 
                       VerticalAlignment="Center" 
                       Foreground="DarkBlue"/>
            <Button Content="Click Me" Width="100" Height="50" 
                    HorizontalAlignment="Center" VerticalAlignment="Bottom"
                    Click="Button_Click"/>
        </Grid>

    </Page>

Event Handling

UI elements defined in XAML can handle events behind the scenes in C# code. For example, here is how you can handle the button click event in the above example.

private void Button_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
    // Code to execute when the button is clicked
    var dialog = new MessageDialog("The button has been clicked!");
    await dialog.ShowAsync();
}

XAML Design Patterns

When using XAML, it is common to apply the MVVM (Model-View-ViewModel) design pattern. Using the MVVM pattern increases code reusability and maintainability by separating the UI from the business logic.

Components of MVVM

The MVVM design pattern consists of three main components:

• Model: Responsible for the application’s data and business logic.
• View: The user interface, defined through XAML.
• ViewModel: Mediates interaction between the View and Model, using data binding to update the View.

Example: Implementing MVVM

Here is a simple example following the MVVM pattern.

public class MainViewModel : INotifyPropertyChanged
{
    private string _welcomeMessage;

    public string WelcomeMessage
    {
        get { return _welcomeMessage; }
        set
        {
            _welcomeMessage = value;
            OnPropertyChanged(nameof(WelcomeMessage));
        }
    }

    public MainViewModel()
    {
        WelcomeMessage = "Welcome to UWP with MVVM!";
    }

    public event PropertyChangedEventHandler PropertyChanged;

    protected void OnPropertyChanged(string propertyName)
    {
        PropertyChanged?.Invoke(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(propertyName));
    }
}

Data Binding in XAML

Here is how to connect the ViewModel defined above with XAML.

<Page.DataContext>
    <local:MainViewModel />
    </Page.DataContext>

    <TextBlock Text="{Binding WelcomeMessage}" FontSize="24" HorizontalAlignment="Center" VerticalAlignment="Center"/>

Conclusion

XAML is a powerful tool for defining user interfaces in UWP development. In this article, we have explored the basic components of XAML sentences, event handling, and data binding methods through the MVVM design pattern. Based on this foundational knowledge, we hope to assist you in creating more complex applications using XAML in UWP development.

We will continue to cover various XAML-related features and advanced techniques, so please stay tuned!