Adding controls and content (XAML)

[ This article is for Windows 8.x and Windows Phone 8.x developers writing Windows Runtime apps. If you’re developing for Windows 10, see the latest documentation ]

Just about every app needs controls, such as buttons, check boxes, and drop-down lists. Windows Store apps using C++, C#, or Visual Basic provide a rich assortment of controls that you can use to create the UI for your app.

The topics in this section describe how to use and style these controls.

In this section

Topic Description

Quickstart: Adding controls and handling events

Describes how to add controls and handle their events in Windows Runtime apps using C++, C#, or Visual Basic.

Quickstart: Styling controls

Describes how to create custom styles to change the appearance of XAML controls.

Quickstart: Control templates

Describes how to change the visual structure and behavior of XAML controls.

Quickstart: Using a Hub

Create an entry page to your app using the Hub control. The Hub control displays content in a rich, panning view that lets users get a glimpse of what's new and exciting, and then dig deeper into your app's content.

Controls list

Provides an alphabetical list of some of the controls that you can use in Windows Runtime apps using C++, C#, or Visual Basic.

Controls by function

Provides a list by function of some of the controls that you can use in Windows Runtime apps using C++, C#, or Visual Basic.

Displaying and editing text

Provides information on displaying and editing text.

Displaying images, graphics, and thumbnails

The topics in this section get you started with displaying graphics.

Adding app bars

Use app bars to present navigation, commands, and tools to users.

Adding buttons

Use a button control to let users commit a command, like submitting or resetting a form. The topics in this section describe how to create and use buttons.

Adding flyouts and menus

A flyout is a lightweight pop-up that is used to temporarily show UI related to what the user is currently doing. Use it to show a drop-down menu from an app bar or header menu, collect input from the user, show more details about an item, or ask the user to confirm an action. A flyout should be shown only in response to a user tap or click, and is always dismissed when the user taps outside of it.

Adding selection controls

Selection controls let users select between multiple options.

Adding progress controls

Describes how to create and use progress controls, a control that graphically represents ongoing activity or the progress of a task.

Adding tooltips

A tooltip is a short description that is linked to another control or object. Tooltips help users understand unknown or unfamiliar objects that aren't described directly in the UI. They display automatically when the user presses and holds, or hovers the mouse pointer over a control. The tooltip disappears when the user moves his or her finger or the mouse pointer. The contents of the tooltip can be text or an image but is not interactive.

Adding ListView, SemanticZoom, and other data controls

Most applications manipulate and display sets of data, such as a gallery of images or a set of email messages. The XAMLUI framework for Windows Runtime apps provides several controls that make it easy to display and manipulate data. The topics in this section describe these data and presentation controls: FlipView, ListView, GridView, and SemanticZoom.

Adding layout controls

Learn how to create and use layout controls to arrange elements of your app UI.

 

Roadmap for creating apps using C#, C++, or VB