Introduction
In this article we are going to see how to work user and custom controls in Windows 8 Metro Style Applications. In XAML, We can create composite controls, which are also called UserControl elements. You will typically create a User Control in the application where you use it, and add other Control elements to it. For example, you might create a Login control that you want to display on a particular view in your application. UserControls are defined within a namespace, so to use them in XAML, you must declare a namespace in the XAML root elements. The namespace containing the UserControl. Here, We will present an example, It is a simple UserControl encapsulating a few text elements to accept input and a button to show the output.
So, we will use the following steps to make this application as below.
Step 1 : First of all you will create a new Metro Style Application. Let us see the description with images of how you will create it.
- Open Visual Studio 2011
- File -> New -> Project
- Choose Template -> Visualc# -> Windows Metro Style -> Blank Application
- Rename this Application :
Step 2 : In the Solution Explorer there are two files that we will primarily work with; MainPage.xaml and MainPage.xaml.cs files. In the images folder add any image to the application but in this application we don't have to add an image.
Step 3 : The MainPage.xaml file is as in the following code.
Code : Let us see the code which is given below.
<Page x:Class="TemplateCS.MainPage"
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
xmlns:d="http://schemas.microsoft.com/expression/blend/2008"
xmlns:mc="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/markup-compatibility/2006"
mc:Ignorable="d"
d:DesignHeight="768" d:DesignWidth="1366">
<Page.Resources>
<Style x:Key="BaseStatusStyle" TargetType="TextBlock">
<Setter Property="FontFamily" Value="Segoe UI Semilight"/>
<Setter Property="FontSize" Value="14.667"/>
<Setter Property="Margin" Value="0,0,0,5"/>
</Style>
<Style x:Key="StatusStyle" BasedOn="{StaticResource BaseStatusStyle}" TargetType="TextBlock">
<Setter Property="Foreground" Value="Green"/>
</Style>
<Style x:Key="ErrorStyle" BasedOn="{StaticResource BaseStatusStyle}" TargetType="TextBlock">
<Setter Property="Foreground" Value="Blue"/>
</Style>
</Page.Resources>
<Grid x:Name="LayoutRoot" Background="Pink">
<!--App Orientation States-->
<VisualStateManager.VisualStateGroups>
<VisualStateGroup x:Name="OrientationStates">
<VisualState x:Name="FullScreenLandscapeScale100Percent"/>
<VisualState x:Name="FilledScale100Percent">
<Storyboard>
<ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetProperty="(FrameworkElement.Margin)" Storyboard.TargetName="ContentRoot">
<DiscreteObjectKeyFrame KeyTime="0">
<DiscreteObjectKeyFrame.Value>
<Thickness>40,20,40,20</Thickness>
</DiscreteObjectKeyFrame.Value>
</DiscreteObjectKeyFrame>
</ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames>
<ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetProperty="(StackPanel.Orientation)" Storyboard.TargetName="InputPanel">
<DiscreteObjectKeyFrame KeyTime="0">
<DiscreteObjectKeyFrame.Value>
<Orientation>Horizontal</Orientation>
</DiscreteObjectKeyFrame.Value>
</DiscreteObjectKeyFrame>
</ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames>
<ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetProperty="(FrameworkElement.MaxWidth)" Storyboard.TargetName="SectionInput">
<DiscreteObjectKeyFrame KeyTime="0" Value="700">
</DiscreteObjectKeyFrame>
</ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames>
</Storyboard>
</VisualState>
<VisualState x:Name="FullScreenPortraitScale100Percent">
<Storyboard>
<ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetProperty="(FrameworkElement.Margin)" Storyboard.TargetName="ContentRoot">
<DiscreteObjectKeyFrame KeyTime="0">
<DiscreteObjectKeyFrame.Value>
<Thickness>40,20,40,20</Thickness>
</DiscreteObjectKeyFrame.Value>
</DiscreteObjectKeyFrame>
</ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames>
<ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetProperty="(FrameworkElement.MaxWidth)" Storyboard.TargetName="SectionInput">
<DiscreteObjectKeyFrame KeyTime="0" Value="400">
</DiscreteObjectKeyFrame>
</ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames>
</Storyboard>
</VisualState>
<VisualState x:Name="SnappedScale100Percent">
<Storyboard>
<ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetProperty="(FrameworkElement.Margin)" Storyboard.TargetName="ContentRoot">
<DiscreteObjectKeyFrame KeyTime="0">
<DiscreteObjectKeyFrame.Value>
<Thickness>20,20,20,20</Thickness>
</DiscreteObjectKeyFrame.Value>
</DiscreteObjectKeyFrame>
</ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames>
<ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetProperty="(StackPanel.Orientation)" Storyboard.TargetName="InputPanel">
<DiscreteObjectKeyFrame KeyTime="0">
<DiscreteObjectKeyFrame.Value>
<Orientation>Vertical</Orientation>
</DiscreteObjectKeyFrame.Value>
Join the conversation! Your thoughts help the community grow.