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.

homepage.jpg

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.

solutionexplorer.jpg

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>

</DiscreteObjectKeyFrame>

</ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames>

<ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetProperty="(FrameworkElement.MaxWidth)" Storyboard.TargetName="SectionInput">

<DiscreteObjectKeyFrame KeyTime="0" Value="250">

</DiscreteObjectKeyFrame>

</ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames>

<ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetProperty="(FrameworkElement.Margin)" Storyboard.TargetName="LegalPanel">

<DiscreteObjectKeyFrame KeyTime="0">

<DiscreteObjectKeyFrame.Value>

<Thickness>0,0,10,0</Thickness>

</DiscreteObjectKeyFrame.Value>

</DiscreteObjectKeyFrame>

</ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames>

</Storyboard>

</VisualState>

<VisualState x:Name="FullScreenLandscapeScale140Percent">

<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="600">

</DiscreteObjectKeyFrame>

</ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames>

</Storyboard>

</VisualState>

<VisualState x:Name="FilledScale140Percent"/>

<VisualState x:Name="FullScreenPortraitScale140Percent">

<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="250">
</DiscreteObjectKeyFrame>

</ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames>

</Storyboard>

</VisualState>

<VisualState x:Name="SnappedScale140Percent"/>

</VisualStateGroup>

</VisualStateManager.VisualStateGroups>

<Grid x:Name="ContentRoot" Background="Pink" Margin="100,20,100,20">

<Grid.RowDefinitions>

<RowDefinition Height="Auto"/>

<RowDefinition Height="*"/>

<RowDefinition Height="Auto"/>

</Grid.RowDefinitions>

<!-- Content -->

<ScrollViewer VerticalScrollBarVisibility="Auto" HorizontalScrollBarVisibility="Auto" Grid.Row="1" ZoomMode="Disabled">

<Grid HorizontalAlignment="Left">

<Grid.RowDefinitions>

<RowDefinition Height="Auto"/>

<RowDefinition Height="Auto"/>

<RowDefinition Height="Auto"/>

<RowDefinition Height="Auto"/>

<RowDefinition Height="*"/>

</Grid.RowDefinitions>

<TextBlock Grid.Row="0" Text="Input" Style="{StaticResource H2Style}"/> <StackPanel x:Name="InputPanel" Orientation="Horizontal" Grid.Row="1" HorizontalAlignment="Left">

<StackPanel>

<TextBlock Text="Select Section:" Style="{StaticResource H3Style}" Margin="0,5,0,0"/>

<Frame x:Name="SectionList" MaxWidth="250" Margin="0,5,0,0" IsTabStop="False"/>

</StackPanel>

<StackPanel>

<TextBlock Margin="0,5,0,0" Text="Description:" Style="{StaticResource H3Style}"/>

<!-- Input Sections -->

<Frame x:Name="SectionInput" Margin="0,5,0,0" MaxWidth="800" IsTabStop="False" />

</StackPanel>

</StackPanel>

<!-- Output section -->

<TextBlock Text="Output" Grid.Row="2" Margin="0,25,0,20" Style="{StaticResource H2Style}" />

<TextBlock x:Name="StatusBlock" Grid.Row="3" Margin="0,0,0,5"/>

<!-- Output Sections -->

<Frame x:Name="SectionOutput" Grid.Row="4" MaxWidth="1050" IsTabStop="False"/>
</Grid>

</ScrollViewer>

</Grid>

</Grid>

</Page>

Step 4 : After running this code we get the following output.

img1.jpg

img2.jpg