How are live tiles made in Windows 8? - c#

I've searched the samples, the developer site, the getting started and the enhancing bla bla bla pages.
Even using some search queries on Google, I can't seem any information on live tiles in Windows 8.
How do I create a live tile in Windows 8? What languages can be used for that? C#? XAML?

Finally figured it out, these live tiles are using tile notifications as noted by others.
Here is the minimal code necessary for updating an existing default tile with a template:
You have to load in a template and adjust it, or produce your own XML code. See the tile schema...
var tileXml = Notifications.TileUpdateManager.getTemplateContent(template);
You need to create a notification, which apparently is an update to a tile.
var notification = new Notifications.TileNotification(tileXml);
You need to create an updater, which will provide you with methods to notify through your tile.
var upd = Notifications.TileUpdateManager.createTileUpdaterForApplication();
If you have all this, you can send an update to the client.
upd.update(notification);

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/br211386
You can use either C# or VB + XAML or HTML/JS or C++.
That was the big announcement at the BUILD conference and the whole point of WinRT (God I hope they actually are serious about pushing WinRT for more than a year).
Otherwise it would be back to the Silverlight/.Net uprising that we saw after the first preview. . .
edit
You'll first need to learn the terminology of the MetroUI. You can also find more info under Windows Phone 7.
The Live Tiles can send tile notifications. That's how the socialite tile does the facebook feed. The OS will cycle through tile notifications that you've declared. This is all in the basic Tile sample and the advanced Tile sample.
Here is a link to all the samples from the BUILD event.
Start here for a step by step walkthrough of the platform. I would start there if the reference documentation is confusing.

The documents for notifications have been updated since the Consumer Preview release - a good starting point is the 'choosing a notification delivery method' document.
It has all of the relevant pointers to push, polling, scheduled and local notifications.

The available Metro documentation is here:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/
It's pretty patchy at the moment but there are samples, such as:
http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/windowsapps/Advanced-Tiles-Sample-1995ac42
Not all the samples are available in multiple languages, and that tile example is JS only, but based on what I've read elsewhere, it seems everything can be done with .NET languages, native (C++) or JS using the same APIs.

App tiles and badges sample is what you are looking for.

NotificationExtension library (part of MSDN sample in toast notification, application tile notification ) is very easy to use.
For tile/toast notification updates following approaches can be used
Directly from the application
From the background tasks
From the WNS (push notification service)
Thorough samples are available in msdn code samples

Related

How to periodically update live tile locally on Windows 10

I didn't find a suitable documentation from Microsoft to update periodically a tile from the application and not a server. The documentation said that you can update an application tile periodically, but you need to give a URI as the first parameter.
I want to display on the tile information about some items in the application, like the Photos application (but I think Microsoft uses a server for that).
Did someone come with a solution for that?
Thanks.

Put the calculator on TopMost C# [duplicate]

I'm developing a Windows 10 Universal app (UWP).
Is it possible to set application as TopMost (always on top)? Like WPF or Winforms (TopMost property).
Thanks
A feature called CompactOverlay mode was added in the Creators Update that supports this type of functionality. When an app window enters compact overlay mode it’ll be shown above other windows so it won’t get blocked. This allows users to continue to keep an eye on your app's content even when they are working with something else. The canonical example of an app taking advantage of this feature is a media player or a video chat app.
A blog post describing the feature can be found here
https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/universal-windows-app-model/2017/02/11/compactoverlay-mode-aka-picture-in-picture/
Short answer is no, there is no way as of today to make the application modal.
There is a petition going around asking for this functionality, which was requested last December but given the amount of votes it got (35 at the time this answer was written), it doesn't look like it will be taken into consideration anytime soon.
As mentioned in the comments, this functionality would be PC only so even if it was added, my assumption would be that it wouldn't work outside of the PC mode (so no tablet, mobile or surface family device support).
It's not possible UWP apps have some restrictions compared with WPF of Win32 apps(classic apps).
With uwp apps you need enable some capabilities to do something special in your app as you can see in the link uwp apps need ask for permission or they can't access or modify files directly.
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/mt270968.aspx
Best Regards

Run function in app from ms band

So I've had a look around and I cant seem to find an answer anywhere so here goes. Is it possible with the MS Band SDK to run a function within my app when the user taps a button?
Currently (at the time of writing) there is no way for the user to directly interact with a tile-app and thus pass a response to the application installed on the phone*
Your options are (as I see it):
To use the sensors to define 'gestures'**
Guide the user to use Cortana to provide speech commands ***
*This might change, but due to the very little storage capacity on the band if this was added I would assume only very basic interaction such as yes/no/cancel dialogos etc. and simpler responses using the keyboard when/if it becomes available for third party tiles.
**There is currently a bug with background work so you might have to prevent the lock screen from locking while receiving and interpreting sensor data on the phone which will impact the battery on the phone. This is expected to be fixed soon.
*** Speech commands are well supported on Windows Phone but I'm unsure how well supported they are on iOS and Android

Tool to convert string to BackgroundImage for Windows Phone 8 Live Tile

Currently I'm trying to create a Live Tile where it pulls data from a JSON link, run some code to filter it and spits out the data on the FRONT side of the tile.
From Windows Phone 8's Flip Tile specification, only the back side of the tile can have text. I'd like to enable it for the front side so the user doesn't have to wait for the tile to flip. From what I understand, this can be achieved by converting my text to an image, and then set it as a BackgroundImage for my tile.
Windows Phone 7 had a tool called Ree7 which enables that, but I'd like to enable it for Windows Phone 8, medium and large tiles.
Additionally, it would be great if my tiles don't flip and remain on its front side.
Having extra images such as app icon on the tile would be an additional plus.
Can someone please point me to the right direction to proceed here? Using a pre-built tool (like a Ree7 for WP8) seems like the best way here.
see if this tool could be useful.
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/shintak/archive/2013/01/01/10418997.aspx
he hasn't provided the source, but you could possibly contact the blogger to get it.
http://www.telerik.com/products/windows-phone/overview/all-controls/livetilehelper.aspx
I believe I found the answer to my question. However, if there are better, free alternatives that do not distort the text too much (such as Lawrence Gripper's old BBC News Mobile app, where text is extremely legible with little distortion), please do share it here.
Thanks!

Custom WinRT app running during lock screen (instead of default Slide show)

Any chance to make it possible to build special WinRT application that would run in lock screen mode on Windows 8 like it "works" for default Slide show option setting?
I don't think this is possible. The Win 8.1 API lets you provide an rss feed of images that fuel the lockscreen slideshow, but you don't appear to be able to provide your own app to replace the lockscreen background.
I agree this would be really useful. The lockscreen could be used to turn your device into an ambient data source. For example, custom slideshows, streams of social network posts & pictures, graphs tracking stats you care about (stocks, server load etc.), streams of trending headlines etc.
You can do things with Badges, such as outlined here and here. Unfortunately, I don't think you can do exactly what you are asking, aside from possibly disabling the Lock Screen and building a facsimile of your own, though I don't know to what extent this will be allowed in the store, and will likely be largely up to the users settings with regards to things like working on battery or not.

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