UWP Development, Data Validation – Single Item Validation

Author: [Author Name]


Introduction

Data validation in UWP (Universal Windows Platform) development is a crucial aspect that enhances the application’s reliability and usability. This article will detail the concept of single-item validation and how to implement it. Single-item validation is the process of verifying the value of each field input by the user to ensure its validity.

Preventing incorrect data entry reduces errors in the application and helps users have a smooth experience. Particularly, in UWP applications, data validation is an important part related to security. This article will implement single-item validation in a UWP application using C# and XAML.

The Importance of Single-Item Validation

Single-item validation is essential for restricting user input and maintaining the quality of data in the application. For example, when collecting important information such as a user’s email address or phone number, it is crucial to validate whether the format is correct. This allows for:

  • Prevention of storing incorrect data.
  • Providing immediate feedback to users.
  • Enhancing the reliability of the application.

Implementing Data Validation

Now, let’s implement single-item validation in a UWP application. We will explain it based on a simple example. In this example, we will create a simple UI that includes a TextBox for users to input their email address and a button to validate the email address when clicked.

1. Building the XAML UI

Here is the code for the UI constructed in XAML.

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

    <Grid>
        <StackPanel Margin="20">
            <TextBox x:Name="EmailTextBox" PlaceholderText="Enter email address" Width="300" />
            <Button Content="Validate" Click="ValidateButton_Click" Width="100" Margin="0,10,0,0" />
            <TextBlock x:Name="ResultTextBlock" Margin="0,10,0,0" FontWeight="Bold" />
        </StackPanel>
    </Grid>
</Page>

The above code sets up a basic layout that includes a TextBox for entering an email address, a validation button, and a TextBlock to display the result.

2. Implementing Validation Logic in C# Code

Next, we will write the C# code to handle the button click event. This code validates the entered email address and displays the result in the TextBlock.

using System;
using System.Text.RegularExpressions;
using Windows.UI.Xaml;
using Windows.UI.Xaml.Controls;

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

        private void ValidateButton_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
        {
            string email = EmailTextBox.Text;
            if (IsValidEmail(email))
            {
                ResultTextBlock.Text = "Valid email address.";
                ResultTextBlock.Foreground = new SolidColorBrush(Windows.UI.Colors.Green);
            }
            else
            {
                ResultTextBlock.Text = "Invalid email address.";
                ResultTextBlock.Foreground = new SolidColorBrush(Windows.UI.Colors.Red);
            }
        }

        private bool IsValidEmail(string email)
        {
            var emailRegex = new Regex(@"^[^@\s]+@[^@\s]+\.[^@\s]+$");
            return emailRegex.IsMatch(email);
        }
    }
}

In the above code, the IsValidEmail method uses a regular expression to validate the format of the entered email address. This method is called when the button is clicked to check if the email is valid and displays the result in the TextBlock.

Testing and Validation

After running the app, you can input an email address and click the ‘Validate’ button to test the email address’s validity. If a valid email address is entered, it will display “Valid email address.” in green text, and if an incorrect format is entered, it will display “Invalid email address.” in red text. This provides immediate feedback to the user, helping to prevent incorrect input.

Conclusion

Single-item validation plays a crucial role in safely handling data input in UWP applications. In this article, we explored the necessity of single-item validation and how to implement it through a simple example of validating an email address.

These validation logics can be applied to multiple items to make the application’s data more robust. Additionally, more complex validation logics can be implemented for various input items, further enhancing the user’s experience.

Based on the example above, consider adding data validation features to your UWP applications to create a safer and more reliable application.

I hope this article helps you understand the basics of UWP data validation. If you have any questions or requests for additional learning materials, please leave a comment!

UWP Development, Creating Multilingual Version Apps

UWP (Universal Windows Platform) is an application platform provided by Microsoft that allows you to create apps that can run on various Windows devices.
Creating multilingual versions of apps is essential to reach global users.
This course will explain how to create multilingual apps in UWP in detail.

1. The Necessity of Multilingual Apps

In today’s app ecosystem, it is important to target users from diverse cultures and languages.
Supporting multiple languages improves user experience and can facilitate more downloads and usage worldwide.
The primary method for supporting multilingual features in UWP apps is by using resource files.

2. Basic Concepts of UWP App Localization

Here are some basic concepts that can be used when creating multilingual apps in UWP:

  • Resource Files: Files that contain resources such as strings and images for each language.
  • Localization: The process of adjusting the app to fit specific languages and regions.
  • Culture Information: The UI is automatically adjusted based on the user’s language and region information.

3. Adding Resource Files to UWP Apps

To add multilingual support to a UWP app, you first need to add resource files. Here’s how to create resource files in your project using Visual Studio.

3.1. Creating Resource Files

  1. Open the Solution Explorer in Visual Studio, right-click your project and select Add > New Item.
  2. Select Resource File (Resx), and name the file Strings.resx. Add the strings that will be used as the default language in this file.

3.2. Creating Language-Specific Resource Files

  1. Add a new .resx file for each language. For example, the Korean version file should be named Strings.ko.resx, and the English version should be named Strings.en.resx.
  2. Add the appropriate strings for each language in each file.

4. Using Resource Files

Here’s how to use the strings defined in resource files in your app.

4.1. Using Resources in XAML


]]>

4.2. Using Resources in C#


5. Changing the Language of the App

Allow users to change the language of the app.
To do this, provide a dropdown in the app settings page to select the language.

5.1. Creating Language Selection UI


]]>

5.2. Updating the App UI with the Selected Language


6. Testing Multilingual Apps

Testing multilingual apps is very important.
You need to ensure that the app functions correctly in various language environments.
Here are some testing methods:

  • Run the app in each language and check if the UI displays correctly.
  • Ensure that all strings defined in the resource files are displayed appropriately.
  • Verify that the language-changing feature works correctly.

7. Conclusion

Utilizing the UWP framework makes it easy to develop multilingual support apps. By managing content tailored for each language through resource files,
you can provide a better experience for users.
We encourage you to take on the challenge of developing multilingual apps based on the topics covered in this course.

8. References

UWP Development, Implementing Navigation Features

In UWP (Universal Windows Platform) development, you can create applications that run on various devices such as mobile, tablets, and desktops. Navigation features are essential to enhance the user experience of applications. In this article, we will explore how to implement navigation features in UWP applications and examine the actual implementation through example code.

1. Importance of Navigation in UWP

Navigation is a critical element that determines how users can move within the application and find content. UWP supports various navigation patterns, and using the Frame control to switch pages is common. This method of navigation provides users with a familiar experience and contributes to code reusability.

2. Basic Components of UWP Navigation

The basic components of UWP navigation are as follows:

  • Frame: A container for navigation between pages. It manages multiple pages and displays the currently active page.
  • Page: An element that makes up the user interface. It can include various UI controls and is loaded and displayed within the Frame.

3. Setting Up the Basic Navigation Structure

First, let’s start the UWP application and set up the basic navigation structure. The code below defines an example of the basic navigation structure.

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

    <Grid>
        <Button Content="Go to Next Page" Click="NavigateButton_Click"/>
    </Grid>
</Page>

The above code defines the MainPage with a basic UI. Clicking the button will navigate to the next page.

3.1. Code Behind

Now, let’s write the code behind to navigate to another page when the button is clicked.

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

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

        private void NavigateButton_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
        {
            Frame.Navigate(typeof(SecondPage));
        }
    }
}

4. Adding Pages and Implementing Navigation

Now, let’s add a second page that can be navigated to. We will add a new Page and create the XAML design.

<Page
    x:Class="NavigationApp.SecondPage"
    xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
    xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
    xmlns:local="using:NavigationApp">

    <Grid>
        <Button Content="Go Back" Click="BackButton_Click"/>
    </Grid>
</Page>

In SecondPage, we will implement a feature that allows the user to go back to the previous page when the button is clicked.

4.1. Code Behind

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

namespace NavigationApp
{
    public sealed partial class SecondPage : Page
    {
        public SecondPage()
        {
            this.InitializeComponent();
        }

        private void BackButton_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
        {
            Frame.GoBack();
        }
    }
}

5. Navigation Stack and State Management

In UWP, you can manage the state between pages through the navigation stack. This state management can be useful even after the application is closed. Let’s explore how to pass data and maintain state within pages.

5.1. Passing Parameters

When using navigation, you can pass parameters if needed. This allows you to transfer data between pages.

Here is how to pass a parameter while navigating to SecondPage:

private void NavigateButton_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
    var parameter = "Data to pass";
    Frame.Navigate(typeof(SecondPage), parameter);
}

In SecondPage, you can receive the passed parameter by overriding the OnNavigatedTo method.

protected override void OnNavigatedTo(NavigationEventArgs e)
{
    string parameter = e.Parameter as string;
    // Perform necessary actions using the received parameter
}

6. Navigation Events and Animations

In UWP, you can handle navigation events between pages, and leverage these events to enhance the user experience. Let’s add animations through various events.

6.1. Adding Page Transition Animations

By adding navigation animations, you can provide a visually smooth experience while users move between pages. The code below shows how to add animations during page transitions.

protected override void OnNavigatedTo(NavigationEventArgs e)
{
    this.BeginAnimation();
}

7. Conclusion

Implementing navigation features in UWP development is a crucial factor that affects user experience. By utilizing Frame and Page, you can create a basic navigation structure, perform data transmission between pages, and manage states to build flexible applications. Effectively utilizing these navigation features can enhance the quality of applications and provide users with a more intuitive interface.

Based on the contents introduced in this article, it is recommended to further design complex navigation structures and UIs to develop UWP applications with various functionalities.

UWP Development, Basic Concepts

UWP (Universal Windows Platform) is a platform provided by Microsoft that supports the development of applications running on Windows 10 and later versions. UWP allows developers to create apps that are compatible and can run on a variety of devices, including PCs, tablets, Xbox, and Hololens. This article aims to explain the basic concepts of UWP development in detail and provide opportunities for hands-on practice through example code.

1. Basic Structure of UWP

UWP apps are fundamentally composed of several components, including the app’s UI, logic, and data storage. UWP projects can be easily created in Visual Studio, using XAML and C# primarily to structure the UI and implement functionality.

1.1. XAML and C#

XAML (Extensible Application Markup Language) is a markup language used to define the user interface of UWP apps. XAML allows UI elements to be defined declaratively, while C# handles business logic and event processing. Let’s explore how to define UI elements and handle events through a simple example.

<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>
        <Button Content="Click me" Click="Button_Click"></Button>
    </Grid>
</Page>
using Windows.UI.Xaml;
using Windows.UI.Xaml.Controls;

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

        private void Button_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
        {
            // Content that will run on button click
            Button button = sender as Button;
            button.Content = "Clicked!";
        }
    }
}

1.2. App Components

UWP apps consist of various components, which include the following:

  • Page: Defines each UI screen.
  • Control: Used as UI elements such as buttons and textboxes.
  • ViewModel: Applies the MVVM pattern to separate data and UI logic.
  • Model: A class that defines data.

2. Creating a UWP App Project

UWP app projects can be created using Visual Studio. Let’s follow the steps to create a UWP project:

  1. Run Visual Studio.
  2. Click on Create a new project.
  3. Select “C#” from the left panel and search for “UWP”.
  4. Select the “Blank App (Universal Windows)” template.
  5. Set the project name and location, then click the Create button.
  6. Set the target version and minimum version, then click the OK button.

3. Using Basic UI Elements

UWP provides a variety of UI elements. Various controls such as text, buttons, images, and list views are available. Below is an example of a simple UI.

<Page x:Class="MyApp.MainPage" ...>
    <Grid Background="{ThemeResource ApplicationPageBackgroundThemeBrush}">
        <TextBlock Text="Welcome!" FontSize="30" HorizontalAlignment="Center" VerticalAlignment="Top" Margin="0,20,0,0"/>
        <TextBox x:Name="nameTextBox" Width="200" HorizontalAlignment="Center" VerticalAlignment="Center" PlaceholderText="Enter your name"/>
        <Button Content="Display Name" Click="DisplayName_Click" HorizontalAlignment="Center" VerticalAlignment="Bottom" Margin="0,20,0,0"/>
        <TextBlock x:Name="outputTextBlock" FontSize="20" HorizontalAlignment="Center" VerticalAlignment="Bottom" Margin="0,70,0,0"/>
    </Grid>
</Page>
private void DisplayName_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
    outputTextBlock.Text = "Hello, " + nameTextBox.Text + "!";
}

4. Data Binding

The MVVM (Model-View-ViewModel) pattern is a very suitable architecture for UWP development. Using this pattern allows for the separation of UI and business logic, improving maintainability and scalability. Data binding enables automatic updates to the UI when the property values in the ViewModel change. Below is an example of using data binding.

public class MainViewModel : INotifyPropertyChanged
{
    private string _name;
    public string Name
    {
        get => _name;
        set
        {
            if (_name != value)
            {
                _name = value;
                OnPropertyChanged(nameof(Name));
            }
        }
    }

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

5. Key Features of UWP

UWP offers a variety of features, allowing developers to maximize app performance. Key features include:

  • Live Tiles: Provides tiles on the start screen that update in real-time.
  • Notification: Allows information to be conveyed to users through push notifications.
  • Background Tasks: Supports running tasks in the background.
  • Data Storage: Manages the app’s state through local data storage.

6. Evolution and Future of UWP

UWP has been continuously evolving since the release of Windows 10, and Microsoft continues to provide new features and tools for app developers. This evolution helps developers efficiently create apps that run across various devices.

Moreover, Microsoft is extending the capabilities of UWP with new frameworks such as .NET MAUI (Multi-platform App UI). These changes will provide developers with more choices and enhanced user experiences.

Conclusion

UWP is a powerful platform that runs on various Windows devices, helping developers easily create cross-platform applications. In this article, we explored the basic concepts and structures of UWP along with simple examples for hands-on practice. By leveraging UWP, the initial development of Windows apps will be much simpler, and we will pay attention to future changes and advancements.

If you wish to learn more about UWP development, please refer to Microsoft’s official documentation and various online educational resources. Dive into the world of app development and create amazing projects!

UWP Development, Developer Mode Settings

Windows UWP (Universal Windows Platform) is a platform for developing apps that can run on various Windows devices. UWP apps have the advantage of being able to operate on multiple forms of devices such as desktops, tablets, Xbox, and IoT devices.

Need for UWP Development

UWP is fundamentally designed to allow the writing of applications that run on Windows 10 and later versions of the OS. This enables developers to provide the same user experience across various devices with a single codebase. Furthermore, Microsoft continuously supports UWP to offer innovative experiences in terms of security, performance, and UI/UX.

What is Developer Mode?

Developer Mode is a feature that allows developers to easily test and debug applications on the Windows OS. When Developer Mode is activated, developers can install and run their UWP apps under development and access additional debugging tools. UWP developers must enable Developer Mode to develop and run apps.

How to Set Up Developer Mode

  1. Open Settings

    First, click the Windows start button and then click ‘Settings’. When the settings page opens, select ‘Update & Security’.

  2. Select Developer Options

    In the ‘Update & Security’ page, select the ‘Developer Mode’ tab. Here, there is an option to enable Developer Mode.

  3. Activate Developer Mode

    Select ‘Developer Mode’ and activate it. At this step, you will need to click ‘Yes’ to accept the confirmation message.

  4. Check Required Install Components

    Once Developer Mode is activated, you can additionally install and set up Visual Studio or other development tools. To develop UWP in Visual Studio, you need to install the ‘Universal Windows Platform development’ workload.

Installing Visual Studio

It is recommended to use Microsoft’s Visual Studio IDE for UWP app development. The installation process for Visual Studio is as follows:

  1. Download Visual Studio

    First, download the installer from the official Visual Studio website.

  2. Run the Installer

    Once the download is complete, run the installer and choose the ‘Universal Windows Platform development’ workload from the various installation options.

  3. Check UWP Templates After Installation Completion

    After the installation completes, run Visual Studio, select ‘File’ from the menu, then choose ‘New’ and ‘Project’. Here you can check for the UWP application template.

Create Your First UWP Application

Now that Developer Mode is activated and Visual Studio is installed, let’s create your first UWP application.

  1. Create a Project

    Select ‘File’ > ‘New’ > ‘Project’ in Visual Studio. Enter ‘Blank App (Universal Windows)’ in the search box, select it, and then click the ‘Create’ button.

  2. Configure Project Settings

    Set the project name and storage path, and configure the minimum and target platform versions. Usually, using the recommended settings is acceptable.

  3. UI Design using XAML

    Once the project is created, the MainPage.xaml file opens. Here, you can design the UI using XAML.

                    
                    <Page
                        x:Class="YourAppName.MainPage"
                        xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
                        xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
                        xmlns:local="using:YourAppName"
                        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 World!" 
                                       HorizontalAlignment="Center" 
                                       VerticalAlignment="Center" 
                                       FontSize="36"/>
                        </Grid>
                    </Page>
                    
                
  4. Run the App

    After completing the code writing, press F5 to run the app in debugging mode. The app will run on the selected device, and you will see the message “Hello, UWP World!” appear at the center of the screen.

Useful Features of Developer Mode

Using Developer Mode allows you to access several useful features as follows:

  • Debugging: You can monitor app performance and fix errors during development.
  • Install apps on local and remote devices: You can install your UWP app on your local developer PC or remote device for debugging.
  • Collect app usage metrics: You can collect metrics to improve user experience before deploying your app.
  • File system access: You can access the local file system to see how your app interacts with local data.

Important Notes Regarding Developer Mode

Enabling Developer Mode may slightly lower the security level, so caution is advised. There is a risk of installing malicious apps during the testing of the app under development, so it is best to only run code from trusted sources.

Conclusion

The process of setting Developer Mode for UWP development is straightforward, but the growth from this process is tremendous. Through this tutorial, you have learned how to set up Developer Mode and create your first UWP application. Based on this fundamental knowledge, I hope you can develop various UWP projects.

References