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