Windows 8 Apps with XAML and C# Unleashed: (Unleashed)

Windows 8 enables you to build stunning applications that integrate with each other, services, and Windows itself like never before. And you can sell them in the Windows Store for tablets such as Surface, laptops, and traditional desktop PCs! Now, world-renowned Microsoft programming guru Adam Nathan shows you exactly how to write first-class apps for this radically new version of Windows. Clear, accessible, and intensely practical, this guide teaches through concise code examples, fully color-coded to match their appearance in Visual Studio--the same approach that made Nathan’s WPF 4 Unleashed so popular. Writing with unprecedented depth and insight, Nathan guides you through creating advanced user interfaces with XAML and exploiting key Windows 8 features such as touch, sensors, charms, and live tiles. Whether you’re already comfortable with Microsoft programming or relatively new to it, Windows 8 Apps with XAML and C# Unleashed will take you to the cutting edge of Windows 8 development. Detailed information on how to... Use XAML to represent state-of-the-art user interfaces Ensure app usability on multiple devices and form factors Handle touch, mouse, pen, and keyboard input Manage the high-performance, low-power Windows 8 app lifecycle Use Windows 8 controls for managing lists, rich text, images, multimedia, and more Encode, decode, and transcode multimedia content Leverage rich XAML vector graphics and animation Make the most of styles and templates Interact with built-in functionality such as the Camera app, file picker, contact picker, the lock screen, and more Exploit the Windows 8 charms bar with contracts and extensions Work with the rich set of available sensors: accelerometer, compass, light sensor, location, proximity, and more

Table of Contents:
Introduction     1 Who Should Read This Book?      3 Software Requirements     3 Code Examples     3 How This Book Is Organized     3 Conventions Used in This Book     5 Part I: Getting Started Chapter 1: Anatomy of a Windows Store App     7 Launching a New App     8 The Package Manifest     9 The Main Page     19 The Application Definition     21 Summary     25 Chapter 2: Mastering XAML     27 Elements and Attributes     28 Namespaces     29 Property Elements     31 Type Converters     33 Markup Extensions     34 Children of Object Elements     36 Mixing XAML with Procedural Code     40 XAML Keywords     44 Summary     45 Part II: Building an App Chapter 3: Sizing, Positioning, and Transforming Elements     47 Controlling Size     48 Controlling Position     52 Applying 2D Transforms     55 Applying 3D Transforms     62 Summary     64 Chapter 4: Layout     65 Discovering the Current Dimensions     66 Discovering the Current View State     67 Discovering the Current Orientation     70 Panels     71 Handling Content Overflow     87 Summary     99 Chapter 5: Interactivity     101 Dependency Properties     101 Routed Events     108 Commands     113 Summary     114 Chapter 6: Handling Input: Touch, Mouse, Pen, and Keyboard     115 Touch Input     116 Mouse Input     138 Pen Input     140 Keyboard Input     142 Summary     147 Chapter 7: App Model     149 Understanding the App Lifecycle     150 Programmatically Launching Apps     163 Interacting with the Windows Store     166 Leveraging Navigation     174 Summary     182 Part III: Understanding Controls Chapter 8: Content Controls     185 Button     188 HyperlinkButton     189 RepeatButton     191 ToggleButton     191 CheckBox     192 RadioButton     192 ToolTip     194 AppBar     196 Summary     205 Chapter 9: Items Controls     207 Items in the Control     208 Items Panels     210 ComboBox     213 ListBox     214 ListView     216 GridView     219 FlipView     221 SemanticZoom     223 Summary     226 Chapter 10: Text     227 TextBlock     227 RichTextBlock     235 TextBox     240 RichEditBox     248 PasswordBox     251 Summary     252 Chapter 11: Images     253 The Image Element     253 Multiple Files for Multiple Environments     263 Decoding Images     267 Encoding Images     276 Summary     284 Chapter 12: Audio and Video     285 Playback     286 Capture     294 Transcoding     305 Summary     311 Chapter 13: Other Controls     313 Range Controls     313 Popup Controls     316 A Few More Controls     325 Summary     330 Part IV: Leveraging the Richness of XAML Chapter 14: Vector Graphics     333 Shapes     334 Geometries     340 Brushes     348 Summary     363 Chapter 15: Animation     365 Theme Transitions     366 Theme Animations     376 Custom Animations     382 Custom Keyframe Animations     395 Easing Functions     400 Manual Animations     404 Summary     406 Chapter 16: Styles, Templates, and Visual States     409 Styles     410 Templates     418 Visual States     428 Summary     438 Part V: Exploiting Windows 8 Chapter 17: Data Binding     439 Introducing Binding     439 Controlling Rendering     447 Customizing the View of a Collection     455 Summary     459 Chapter 18: Data     461 App Data     461 User Data     466 Networking     469 Summary     474 Chapter 19: Charms     477 Search     477 Share     486 Devices     492 Settings     503 Summary     508 Chapter 20: Extensions     509 Account Picture Provider     509 AutoPlay Content and AutoPlay Device     512 Contact Picker     514 File Type Associations     516 Protocol     518 Background Tasks     519 Summary     527 Chapter 21: Sensors and Other Devices     529 Accelerometer     529 Gyrometer     532 Inclinometer     532 Compass     533 Light Sensor     533 Orientation     533 Location     534 Proximity     535 Summary     538 Part VI: Advanced Topics Chapter 22: Thinking Outside the App: Live Tiles, Toast Notifications, and the Lock Screen     539 Live Tiles     539 Toast Notifications     552 The Lock Screen     556 Summary     557 Index     559