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Build Your First Windows Phone 7 Silverlight Application

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24 Jun 2011Ms-PL2 min read 70.9K   1.2K   36   21
Build Your First Windows Phone 7 Silverlight Application

Introduction

Windows Phone Developer Tools is available now for download, so if you didn't download it, now is the time.

I'll get easy on the first time so I'll just show you how to build a simple Color Picker application that will change the Phone Background Color, and one important detail – You Don't Need Windows Phone Device, the dev tool comes with Emulator.

The Emulator is actually the full WP7 OS running on your PC, so you'll get awesome debug features.
The Emulator will also support multi-touch directly on the PC if the developer is using a multi-touch enabled PC/screen.

Using the Code

1.png

So let’s get started…

After the installation is done, you'll notice Visual Studio 2010 Express for Windows Phone available under “Microsoft XNA Game Studio 4.0” folder.

2.png

But if you have Visual Studio 2010 (any version), it will also be available there.

Create Windows Phone Application

Open Visual Studio 2010 and you'll notice that there is a new category “SilverLight for Windows Phone”.

Pick “Windows Phone Application” and create the project.

3.png

Create UI

Open Toolbox and drag the following controls:

  1. Button – change the content property to “Change”
  2. Three RadioButtons – 1. Content = “Layout” 2. Content=”Content” 3. Content =”All”
  3. Listbox

A nice thing you'll notice is that the Style of all controls is based on Windows Phone 7 Styles (placed in App.Xaml).

4.png

Add Code Behind

Create a New Method for Getting All Colors

C#
IEnumerable EnumerateColors()
{
    foreach (var color in typeof(Colors).GetProperties())
    yield return new KeyValuePair<string, Color>(color.Name,
    (Color)color.GetValue(null, null));
}

Then Create ContentGrid Load Event and Add the Following

C#
private void ContentGrid_Loaded(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
      list_colors.ItemsSource = EnumerateColors();
}

Change Button Click

C#
if (list_colors.SelectedItem == null) return;

var item = (KeyValuePair<string,>)list_colors.SelectedItem;
var color = new SolidColorBrush(item.Value);

switch (rad_ContentGrid.IsChecked)
{
    case true:
        this.ContentGrid.Background = color;
        break;
    default:
        if (rad_layout.IsChecked == true)
            this.LayoutRoot.Background = color;
        else
            this.LayoutRoot.Background = this.ContentGrid.Background = color;
        break;
}

</string,>

Create StaticResource for Color ListBox

Add the following inside the Grid element.
XML
<Grid.Resources>
       <DataTemplate x:Key="ColorItemTemplate">
              <StackPanel Orientation="Vertical">
                     <TextBlock Text="{Binding Path=Key}" 
                         Foreground="{Binding Path=Key}" />
              </StackPanel>
       </DataTemplate>
</Grid.Resources>
Edit the ListBox and add ItemTemplate property for ColorItemTemplate
XML
<ListBox Height="477" ItemTemplate="{StaticResource ColorItemTemplate}" 
HorizontalAlignment="Left" Margin="20,149,0,0" Name="list_colors"VerticalAlignment="Top" 
Width="446" BorderBrush="#FFEB1212" BorderThickness="1"SelectionMode="Single" />
And one last thing, Change Application Name and Page Name 5.png

Run Windows Phone 7 Emulator

In Visual Studio 2010, you will notice that you have a combobox to select the desired Device. Unless you have a Windows Phone 7 device, you need to select “Windows Phone 7 Emulator”. 6.png The first time can take a couple of seconds and you will see the Emulator loading, you only need to do this Once, after the emulator loaded for the first time there isn't any need to close him even for debugging. 7.png If you press F5, you automatically get your application on the screen, if not you can use Home and Back button in the bottom of the emulator to get to the home page. 8.png Once you are in the Home Page, click the Right Arrow and then click on your application. 9.png 10.png Now Color Application should be up, pick a color, grid and click “Change”. 11.png12.png 13.png

License

This article, along with any associated source code and files, is licensed under The Microsoft Public License (Ms-PL)


Written By
Architect Sela
Israel Israel
Shai Raiten is VS ALM MVP, currently working for Sela Group as a ALM senior consultant and trainer specializes in Microsoft technologies especially Team System and .NET technology. He is currently consulting in various enterprises in Israel, planning and analysis Load and performance problems using Team System, building Team System customizations and adjusts ALM processes for enterprises. Shai is known as one of the top Team System experts in Israel. He conducts lectures and workshops for developers\QA and enterprises who want to specialize in Team System.

My Blog: http://blogs.microsoft.co.il/blogs/shair/

Comments and Discussions

 
GeneralMy vote of 5 Pin
Bill SerGio, The Infomercial King5-Jul-11 9:29
Bill SerGio, The Infomercial King5-Jul-11 9:29 
GeneralRe: My vote of 5 Pin
Member 790546729-Dec-11 20:52
Member 790546729-Dec-11 20:52 

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