Master Windows 8.1/Windows Runtime Programming Through 80 Expert Projects This is the most complete, hands-on, solutions-focused guide to programming modern Windows applications with the Windows Runtime. Leading Windows development consultants Jeremy Likness and John Garland present easy-to-adapt C# and XAML example code for more than 80 projects. Their real-world application examples help you apply Windows 8.1’s best improvements, including large tiles, the new search control, flyouts, command bars, native WinRT networking, and new deployment and sideloading options. Drawing on their pioneering experience, they illuminate key areas of the Windows Runtime API, offering uniquely detailed coverage of encryption, cloud connectivity, devices, printers, and media integration. You’ll find cutting-edge tips and tricks available in no other book. This is an indispensable resource for all intermediate-to-advanced Windows developers, and for any architect building desktop, tablet, or mobile solutions with Microsoft technologies. Its focus on both C# and XAML will make it valuable to millions of Windows developers already familiar with Silverlight, WPF, and/or .NET. Coverage includes • Creating robust app interfaces with the newest XAML controls, including flyouts and command bars • Saving data in a persistent “roaming zone” for syncing across Windows 8.1 devices • Using Visual State Manager (VSM) to build apps that adapt to various device resolutions and orientations • Integrating virtually any form of data into your apps • Connecting with web services, RSS, Atom feeds, and social networks • Securing apps via authentication, encrypting, signing, and single sign-on with Microsoft Account, Facebook, Google, and more • Leveraging Windows 8.1 media enhancements that improve battery life and app performance • Networking more effectively with Windows 8.1’s revamped HTTP implementation and new location APIs • Using Tiles and Toasts to keep apps alive and connected, even when they aren’t running • Enabling users to send content between devices via NFC tap and send • Ensuring accessibility and globalizing your apps • Efficiently debugging, optimizing, packaging, and deploying your apps • Building sideloadable apps that don’t have to be published in Windows Store “This book doesn’t just focus on singular concepts, it also provides end-to-end perspective on building an app in WinRT. It is one of those essential tools for Windows developers that will help you complete your software goals sooner than without it!” —Tim Heuer, Principal Program Manager Lead, XAML Platform, Microsoft Corporation

Table of Contents:
Foreword   xix Preface   xxii Chapter 1  The New Windows Runtime   1 Windows Runtime Specifics   1 Windows Store Apps   4    Example: Create a Windows Store App   5 .NET and WinRT 9    Fundamental Types   9    Mapped Types   10    Streams and Buffers   14 Desktop Applications   15    Example: Reference WinRT from a Desktop Application   15    Example: Examine Projections in a WinRT Component   20 Asynchronous Functions   24 Summary   27 Chapter 2  Windows Store Apps and WinRT Components   29 Fundamentals of a Windows Store App   30    Windows Store App Templates   32    Understanding the App Manifest   45    Finding Your Package on Disk   52    Running Your App   54 Application Lifecycle   61    The Navigation Helper and Suspension Manager   67 Managed WinRT Components 75    Creating a Managed WinRT Component   76    Calling Managed WinRT Components from Any Language   78 Summary   79 Chapter 3  Layouts and Controls   81 The Visual Tree 83 Data-Binding   85    Dependency Properties   91    Attached Properties 94    Value Precedence 95    Property Change Notification 95 Animations 97    Example: Dynamically Apply Animations to a Control   97 The Visual State Manager 100    Example: Visual State Manager   101    Groups   103    States   105    Transitions   106 The Visual State Manager Workflow   107 Programmatic Access to Visual States 109 Custom Visual State Managers   109 Styles 111 Templates   112    Example: Using Templates   112 Layouts   115    Panel   115    Border 115    Canvas   116    Grid   116    StackPanel   117    VirtualizingPanel and VirtualizingStackPanel   118    WrapGrid 119    VariableSizedWrapGrid   119    ContentControl   120    ItemsControl   121    ScrollViewer   122    ViewBox   122    GridView   123    ListBox   123    ListView   124    FlipView   124    Example: Using the Viewbox and Various Layouts   125 Controls   130    Flyouts   133 Custom Controls   135    Example: Creating a Custom Control   136 Parsing XAML   140 HTML Pages   143    Example: Working with HTML and JavaScript   144 Summary   150 Chapter 4  Data and Content   153 Example: Data Manipulation with the Skrape App 154 The Clipboard   154 Application Storage   159    Roaming Data   161    Containers   162    Settings   163    Composite Values   165 Storage Folders and Files   166    Storage Folders   168    Storage Files   170    Buffers and Streams   171    Path and File Helper Classes   174    Storage Query Operations   176    Pickers and Cached Files   180    Compression   187 Data Formats 191    Example: Working with Data Formats   192    XSLT Transformations   195 Document Data   196 Summary   198 Chapter 5  Web Services and Syndication   199 SOAP   200 REST   209 OData Client   217 Syndication   219 Summary   223 Chapter 6  Tiles and Toasts   225 Tiles   226    Default Tiles   227    Live Tiles   229    Cycling Tile Notifications   234    Secondary Tiles   236 Badges   239 Periodic Notifications   242 Toasts   242    Toasts in Desktop Applications   248 Push Notifications   249    Registering to Receive Push Notifications   251    Sending Push Notifications   253 Summary   259 Chapter 7  Connecting to the Cloud   261 Windows Azure Mobile Services   262    Example: Managing a Shared Group of Subscribers   267    Connecting an App to a Mobile Services Instance   267    Authentication   269    Data Storage   274    Custom APIs   289    Integrated Push Notification Support   291    Scheduled Tasks   297    Mobile Services Deployment Tiers   298 Live Connect   301    Getting Started   302    The Example App   304    Authentication   304    Working with Profile Information   308    Working with Contacts   310    Working with Calendars and Events   311    Working with OneDrive   315 Summary   321 Chapter 8  Security   323 Authentication   324    Multistep Authentication (Google)   330    Unlocking the Password Vault   331 Encryption and Signing 333    The Data Protection Provider   333    Symmetrical Encryption   337    Verification   343    Asymmetric Algorithms   345 Summary   347 Chapter 9  Model-View-ViewModel (MVVM)   349 UI Design Patterns   350    The Model   351    The View   352    Model-View-Controller (MVC)   353    Model-View-Presenter (MVP)   354    Model-View-ViewModel (MVVM)   355 The ViewModel Decomposed   356 Common MVVM Misperceptions   362 Benefits of MVVM   364 Common MVVM Solutions   367    Design-Time Data   367    Accessing the UI Thread   369    Commands   371    Handling Dialogs   371    Selection Lists   371    Filtered Lists   373    Validation   375 Summary   377 Chapter 10  Networking   379 Web and HTTP   379 HomeGroup   382 Connectivity and Data Plans   384 Sockets   389    WebSockets   389    UDP and TCP Sockets 392 Proximity (Near Field Communications)   397    NFC-Only Scenarios   397    Tap-to-Connect Scenarios   403 Background Transfers   408 Summary   412 Chapter 11  Windows Charms Integration   415 Displaying App Settings   417    The Settings Example   418    Adding Settings Entries   418 Sharing   421    The Share Source Example   423    Creating a Share Source App   424    The Share Target Example   433    Creating a Share Target App   434    Debugging Share Target Apps   441 Using Play To   442    The Play To Example   443    Creating a Play To Source App   444    Creating a Play To Target App   446 Summary   448 Chapter 12  Additional Windows Integration   451 Integrating with the File and Contact Pickers   452    The Example App   453    File Open Picker   454    File Save Picker 458    Contact Picker   460 Application Activation Integration   462    The Example App   463    File Activation   463    Protocol Activation   467    Account Picture Provider   470    AutoPlay   471 Working with Contacts and Appointments   473    The Example App   474    Contacts   474    Appointments   476 Summary   478 Chapter 13  Devices   479 Working with Input Devices   480    The Example App   480    Identifying Connected Input Devices   481    Pointer, Manipulation, and Gesture Events 484    Keyboard Input   495 Sensor Input   498    The Example App   498    Geolocation   502    Geofencing   510    Motion and Orientation Sensors   517 Summary   529 Chapter 14  Printers and Scanners   531 Working with Printers   532    The Example App   532    Getting Started   533    Configuring a Print Task   534    Providing Printing Content   542 Working with Scanners 547    The Example App   547    Determining Scanner Availability   548    Working with Scan Sources 549    Previewing   550    Scanning   551    Scanner Settings   552 Summary   556 Chapter 15  Background Tasks   559 The Thread Pool   560 Uploads and Downloads   562 Audio 563 Lock Screen Tasks 570    Lock Screen Capabilities   570    The Background Task   573    Listing Background Tasks   576    Timer   578    Conditions   578    Debugging Background Tasks   580 Raw Push Notifications   581 Control Channel   585 System Events   587 Summary   588 Chapter 16  Multimedia   589 Playing Multimedia Content   590    The Example App   590    Getting Started   591    Controlling Playback   592    Appearance   595    Audio Settings   596    Media Information   597    Markers   597 Acquiring Audio and Video   598    The Example App   599    Declaring Application Capabilities   599    Using CameraCaptureUI   600    Using MediaCapture   604 Text-to-Speech Support   610    The Example App   611    Using the SpeechSynthesizer   611 Summary   613 Chapter 17  Accessibility 615 Requested Theme   616    High Contrast   618 Keyboard Support   620 Automation Properties   622 Testing with Narrator   623 Automation and Lists   624 Live Settings   625 Automation Peers   626 Accessibility Checker   627 Summary   629 Chapter 18  Globalization and Localization   631 Design Considerations   632 Default Language   633 Configuring Preferred Languages 635 Resource Qualification and Matching   637 Localizing XAML Elements   639 Formatting Dates, Numbers, and Currencies for Locale   642 MVVM and Localization 643 Multilingual Toolkit 644 Summary   648 Chapter 19  Packaging and Deploying 649 Packaging Your App   650    Creating an App Package   650    App Package and App Bundle Contents   654    Package Identifier   655 Deploying Your App   657    Publishing Your App in the Windows Store 657    Other Deployment Options   665 Making Money with Your App in the Windows Store   667    The Example App   668    Pricing Your App in the Windows Store   669    Trial Mode Apps   670    In-App Purchases   675    Including Advertisements   678 Summary   683 Chapter 20  Debugging and Performance Optimization   685 Understanding the Debugger   686    Native, Managed, and Script Debuggers   686    Just My Code   688    Edit and Continue   690    Just in Time Debugging   691    How to Launch the Debugger   691    Program Databases   692    Debug Windows   693    Managing Exceptions   694 Logging and Tracing   696 Profiling and Performance Analysis   702    Performance Tips   704    CPU Sampling   706    XAML UI Responsiveness   709    Energy Consumption 710 Code Analysis   712 Summary   717 Appendix A  Under the Covers   719 Fundamental WinRT Concepts   719 Namespaces   720 Base Types   720 Primitives   720 Classes and Class Methods   721 Structures   722 Generics   722 Null   723 Enumerations   723 Interfaces   723 Properties   723 Delegates   724 Events   724 Arrays   725 WinRT Internals   725 Appendix B  Glossary   733 Index   749