DevStudent

to get selected value from the dropdown list to use it in your C# code using the below code

int i= Convert.ToInt32(DDLCity.SelectedValue);

In my example the value is a number and i want to store it in int variable.

To display text selected in dropdownlist in asp.net label i used the below C# code

LblCity.Text= DDLCity.SelectedItem.Text;

ASP.NET Code
  <asp:DropDownList ID="DDLCity" runat="server" >
                                    </asp:DropDownList>

                                 
C# Code


        DDLCity.DataSource = d;
        DDLCity.DataTextField = "City";
        DDLCity.DataValueField = "Cid";
        DDLCity.DataBind();
        DDLCity.Items.Insert(0, new ListItem("Select City", "0"));

Coded UI is a new test type for automated unit testing using C#.NET/VB.NET Code. It has rich APIs for WinForms, Web and WPF.
It has built in UI recorder used to generate C#/VB code.
It is integrated with ALM story.
Fast forward and Replay of actions is available.

In App.xaml.cs file you can see the below method which contains navigation service code that is responsible to set start up page.

If you have MainPage.xaml page in Views folder the below code is used to set as start up page.

protected override Task OnLaunchApplication(LaunchActivatedEventArgs args)
        {
            NavigationService.Navigate("Main", null);
            return Task.FromResult<object>(null);
        }
\
If you have SecondPage.xaml page in Views folder the below code is used to set it as start up page.

In prism to navigate from one page to other Navigation Service is used.

Every page you create in prism should be suffixed by Page but it is not considered as page name.

For example: Under view folder create a view - Right click on Views folder - Add New Item - Page View(Prism) - SecondPage

Second is the view name and Page is used as Suffix to recognize it as a view Page.

Prism is from Microsoft Patterns and Practises.
It is used to create WPF, Silverlight and windows store apps.
It provides services like loosely coupled MVVM pattern, Navigation and app life cycle management, Flyout services, validations.

Prism for Windows runtime templates for 8/8.1 are now available as a Nuget Package.
Install it to start creating windows store prism app.

Installation steps:

Click on tools from the top menu and then select extensions and updates.
Create a new project in your visual studio.
And Use prism App Template to create prism app.

Prism app Solution Explorer

XAML code of grid with transparent black color as background.

<Grid>
  <Grid.Background >
                <SolidColorBrush Color="#000000" Opacity="0.7"/>
            </Grid.Background>
</Grid>

xaml code for handling landscape and orientations of windows store app developed using prism

Property ItemContainerStyle is used to add a item container style in which horizontal alignment is changed to stretch which makes the grid inside listview item to occupy the entire width of the screen.

XAML code of list view with data template containing grid (width = screen width)
ItemContainerStyle used to style grid present in listview

 <ListView  ItemsSource="{Binding FutureEvents}" ItemTemplate="{StaticResource EventItemTemplate}"
                                          SelectionMode="Single"  IsSwipeEnabled="True" IsItemClickEnabled="False" 
                                        ItemContainerStyle="{StaticResource ListViewItemStyle}" SelectedItem="{Binding SelectedEventForOtherInspection,Mode=TwoWay}" >
                                  
                                </ListView >


 <DataTemplate x:Key="EventItemTemplate">
      
        <Grid HorizontalAlignment="Stretch" >
            <Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
                    <ColumnDefinition Width="0.5*" />
                <ColumnDefinition Width="0.5*" />
                  
            </Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
        </Grid>
      
    </DataTemplate>

 <Style x:Key="ListViewItemStyle" TargetType="ListViewItem">
        <Setter Property="FontFamily" Value="{ThemeResource ContentControlThemeFontFamily}"/>
        <Setter Property="FontSize" Value="{ThemeResource ControlContentThemeFontSize}"/>
        <Setter Property="Background" Value="Transparent"/>
        <Setter Property="TabNavigation" Value="Local"/>
        <Setter Property="IsHoldingEnabled" Value="True"/>
        <Setter Property="Margin" Value="0,0,0,0"/>
        <Setter Property="HorizontalContentAlignment" Value="Stretch"/>
        <Setter Property="VerticalContentAlignment" Value="Top"/>
        <Setter Property="Template">
            <Setter.Value>
                <ControlTemplate TargetType="ListViewItem">
                    <ListViewItemPresenter CheckHintBrush="{ThemeResource ListViewItemCheckHintThemeBrush}" CheckBrush="{ThemeResource ListViewItemCheckThemeBrush}" ContentMargin="4" ContentTransitions="{TemplateBinding ContentTransitions}" CheckSelectingBrush="{ThemeResource ListViewItemCheckSelectingThemeBrush}" DragForeground="{ThemeResource ListViewItemDragForegroundThemeBrush}" DragOpacity="{ThemeResource ListViewItemDragThemeOpacity}" DragBackground="{ThemeResource ListViewItemDragBackgroundThemeBrush}" DisabledOpacity="{ThemeResource ListViewItemDisabledThemeOpacity}" FocusBorderBrush="{ThemeResource ListViewItemFocusBorderThemeBrush}" HorizontalContentAlignment="{TemplateBinding HorizontalContentAlignment}" Padding="{TemplateBinding Padding}" PointerOverBackgroundMargin="1" PlaceholderBackground="{ThemeResource ListViewItemPlaceholderBackgroundThemeBrush}" PointerOverBackground="{ThemeResource ListViewItemPointerOverBackgroundThemeBrush}" ReorderHintOffset="{ThemeResource ListViewItemReorderHintThemeOffset}" SelectedPointerOverBorderBrush="{ThemeResource ListViewItemSelectedPointerOverBorderThemeBrush}" SelectionCheckMarkVisualEnabled="True" SelectedForeground="{ThemeResource ListViewItemSelectedForegroundThemeBrush}" SelectedPointerOverBackground="{ThemeResource ListViewItemSelectedPointerOverBackgroundThemeBrush}" SelectedBorderThickness="{ThemeResource ListViewItemCompactSelectedBorderThemeThickness}" SelectedBackground="{ThemeResource ListViewItemSelectedBackgroundThemeBrush}" VerticalContentAlignment="{TemplateBinding VerticalContentAlignment}"/>
                </ControlTemplate>
            </Setter.Value>
        </Setter>
    </Style>

Xaml code for left panel with vertical text, header with multiple textblocks with different alignments 

<Page
    x:Class="App1.MainPage"
    xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
    xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
    xmlns:local="using:App1"
    xmlns:d="http://schemas.microsoft.com/expression/blend/2008"
    xmlns:mc="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/markup-compatibility/2006"
    mc:Ignorable="d">
    <Page.Resources>
        <Style x:Key="LeftPanelStyle" TargetType="Grid" >
            <Setter Property="Background" Value="Green"/>
        </Style>

        <ImageBrush x:Key="BackgroundBrush" 
                ImageSource="ms-appx:///Assets/bg.png" 
                Stretch="UniformToFill" />
        
        <Style x:Key="LayoutRootStyle" TargetType="Panel">
            <Setter Property="Background" Value="{StaticResource BackgroundBrush}"/>
            <Setter Property="ChildrenTransitions">
                <Setter.Value>
                    <TransitionCollection>
                        <EntranceThemeTransition/>
                    </TransitionCollection>
                </Setter.Value>
            </Setter>
        </Style>
    </Page.Resources>
    <Grid>
        <Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
            <ColumnDefinition Width="56"></ColumnDefinition>
            <ColumnDefinition Width="*"></ColumnDefinition>
        </Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
        <Grid Style="{StaticResource LeftPanelStyle}">
            <Grid.RowDefinitions>
                <RowDefinition Height="auto"></RowDefinition>
                <RowDefinition></RowDefinition>
            </Grid.RowDefinitions>
            <Button x:Name="backButton" Margin="39,59,39,0" Command="{Binding NavigationHelper.GoBackCommand, ElementName=pageRoot}"
                        Style="{StaticResource NavigationBackButtonNormalStyle}"
                        VerticalAlignment="Top"
                        AutomationProperties.Name="Back"
                        AutomationProperties.AutomationId="BackButton"
                        AutomationProperties.ItemType="Navigation Button"/>
            <StackPanel Grid.Row="1" Grid.Column="0" VerticalAlignment="Bottom" Margin="0,0,0,0">
                <StackPanel.RenderTransform>
                    <CompositeTransform Rotation="-90"></CompositeTransform>
                </StackPanel.RenderTransform>
                <TextBlock Text="Side Heading" FontSize="22" Margin="0,15,-226,0"  />
            </StackPanel>
        </Grid>

        <Grid Grid.Column="1" Style="{StaticResource LayoutRootStyle}">
            <Grid.RowDefinitions>
                <RowDefinition Height="120" />
                <RowDefinition Height="*" />
            </Grid.RowDefinitions>
            <!-- Back button and page title -->
            <Grid Grid.Column="1" VerticalAlignment="Top"  Margin="0,15,0,0" >
                <Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
                    <ColumnDefinition Width="60"/>
                    <ColumnDefinition Width="auto"/>
                    <ColumnDefinition Width="*"/>
                    <ColumnDefinition Width="150"/>
                    <ColumnDefinition Width="60"/>
                    <ColumnDefinition Width="170"/>
                    <ColumnDefinition Width="60"/>
                </Grid.ColumnDefinitions>

                <Image Grid.Column="1" VerticalAlignment="Bottom" Grid.RowSpan="2" Grid.Row="0" Height="56" Width="114" Source="{Binding SelectedEventLogo}" Stretch="None" HorizontalAlignment="Left">
                </Image>
                <StackPanel Grid.Column="2" Grid.Row="0">

                    <TextBlock Text="Page Header" Style="{StaticResource HeaderTextBlockStyle}"/>
                </StackPanel>
                <StackPanel Grid.Column="3" Grid.Row="0" HorizontalAlignment="Center">
                    <TextBlock Text="2nd" Grid.Column="1" IsHitTestVisible="false" Style="{StaticResource HeaderTextBlockStyle}" />
                </StackPanel>
                <StackPanel Grid.Column="5" Grid.Row="0" HorizontalAlignment="Right">
                    <TextBlock   Text="3rd" Grid.Column="1" IsHitTestVisible="false"  Style="{StaticResource HeaderTextBlockStyle}" HorizontalAlignment="Right" />
                </StackPanel>
            </Grid>

          

        </Grid>
    </Grid>

</Page>

Code in xaml page to add it as background image

 <Grid x:Name="MainGrid" Background="{StaticResource BgImage}">

</Grid>

XAMARIN enable developers to create native ios, android and other mobile apps using C#.NET.
It gives native user interface, native performance, shared code across platforms to every moblie platform using C#.NET.

You can also use VB.NET bussiness and data logic code.

https://xamarin.com/    - Official website to download free trial of templates to use in Visual studio to create apps.

Approaches to create native apps without XAMARIN
XCode with Objective C for IOS App, Eclipse with Java for Android App, Visual Studio with C#.NET for Windows app.
Write once, run anywhere approach with browser fragmentation is like executing app on browser which is not equal to native app.

XAMARIN's Unique approach
It gives native user interface, native performance, shared code across platforms to every moblie platform using C#.NET.

C#.NET is Awesome we have excellent features like LINQ support, Work with XML easily XDocument, Event handling and delegates.

Link for XAMARIN documents
http://docs.xamarin.com/guides/cross-platform/getting_started/beginning_a_xamarin_trial/

Link for C#.NET tutorial
http://www.dbakings.com/CSharp/Default.aspx


XAMARIN APIs are always up to date with the latest APIs.

You can change the theme of visual studio  and you can also create you own custom theme for your visual studio.

Roaming settings can be saved and applied to your visual studio by signing in using live account.

shortcut to organize code
alt + up arrow will take your code one line above
alt + down arrow will take your code one line down

you can use the search textbox at the top of visual studio to search for the options in tools to change ide options.

flag button is used to show the notifications about the updates.

you can use an option - don't copy blank text so that ctrl+c will not work if you select no text.

you can the change the selected text color in code editing window.

on the right side you can see the yellow bar which displays all the unsaved code in your code window to check easily by displaying code on mouse hover

ctrl + k + d to arrange the code in order.

Now you can do something while your build is running.

f12 will take you to the definition ie., go to definition and alt+f12 will display the definition right in the location where you have method name.

 ctrl+i is for incremental search which is used to search when you are typing the chars in search box.

In console application output screen right click on the icon to go to properties where you can change the colors, fonts and lot more.

If your cursor is inside the parenthesis you can press tab key to come out of one brace at a time.

ctrl + k + c to comment
ctrl + k + u to uncomment