Notifications & Reminder, Contact

Nguyen Tuan | Microsoft Certified Trainer

Agenda

Tiles in Windows Phone 8

Local Tiles API

Updating Tiles from ShellTileSchedule

Updating Tiles from Background Agents

Lock screen notifications for Windows Phone

Lock screen background for Windows Phone

Live Tiles

• Windows phone has the unique ability to provide the end user glanceable access to the information they care most about, via Live Tiles

• Push Notifications offer developers a way to send timely information to their applications even when they are not running

• In Windows Phone 7.1 and later, the Local Tiles API allows apps to create and update tiles

Live Tiles• Shortcuts to apps

• All apps have at least one tile, known as the default tile

• Created by user pinning your app to the Start Screen

• Launch to app main page

• Apps can create secondary tiles

• Created programmatically

• Launch to any page in your app

• Static or dynamic

• Tiles can be updated

• Application code

• Background agents

• Push Notifications

• In Windows Phone 7.1, only one tile size for third party apps

• In Windows Phone 8.0, you can support three different tile sizes

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Tile Templates and Tile Sizes

• Windows Phone 8 supports three Tile templates

• Flip – flips from front to back (similar to the WP 7.1 Tile template)

• Iconic – clean iconic layout designed to reflect Windows Phone design principles

• Cycle – cycles through up to nine images

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Tile Content

• The Tile content is built up from a fixed set of data properties• Data Properties for Text elements, Count elements and Image elements

• Content that displays depends on the template you choose and the tile size

• Not all elements need to be used

• Not all elements used in all templates

• WXGA resolution Image sizes

• Automatically scaled for WVGA and 720p

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Tile Size Flip and Cycle Images Iconic Images

Small 159 x 159 pixels 159 x 159 pixels 110 x 110 pixels

Medium 336 x 336 pixels 336 x 336 pixels 202 x 202 pixels

Wide 691 x 336 pixels 691 x 336 pixels N/A

Flip Tile Template

• Flips from front to back

• Small size does not flip

• Medium size is the same as the WP7.1 tile template

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Cycle Tile Template

• Cycles between from 1 to 9 images

• Small tile does not cycle

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Iconic Tile Template

• Displays a small image in the center of the Tile and is designed to reflect Windows Phone design principles

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Primary and Secondary Tiles

• Application Tile• Can be created only when user taps and holds the application

name in the Application List and then selects pin to start• Tile template and Properties are set initially in the Application

Manifest• Template cannot be changed programmatically

• Secondary Tile• Can be created only as the result of user input in an application• The application then uses the Create(Uri, ShellTileData) method

to create a Tile on Start• Because the UI will navigate to Start when a new secondary Tile

is created, only one secondary Tile can be created at a time

Defining the Application Tile

• Define your images

• The standard new project templates already contain placeholder images of the correct size• FlipCycleTile*.png used for the Flip

and Cycle Tile templates

• IconicTile*.png used for the Iconic Tile templates

• Replace these images with your own artwork

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Defining the Application Tile in the Application Manifest

• Double-click WMAppManifest.xml to open using the new Manifest Editor

• On the Application UI tab, set the Tile Template, optional Title and Tile Images

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Demo: Application Tile

Creating and Updating Tiles with the Local Tile API

• Local tile updates (these are *not* push)

• Full control of all properties when your app is in the foreground or background

• Manage Secondary Tiles

• Create/Update/Delete

• Launches directly to page/experience

Creating Tilespublic static void SetTile(RecipeDataItem item, string NavSource){

FlipTileData tileData = new FlipTileData(){

//Front square dataTitle = item.Title,BackgroundImage = new Uri("ms-appx:///background1.png", UriKind.Relative),SmallBackgroundImage = new Uri("ms-appx:///smallbackground1.png", UriKind.Relative),//Back square dataBackTitle = item.Title,BackContent = item.Ingredients,BackBackgroundImage = new Uri("ms-appx:///backbackground1.png", UriKind.Relative),//Wide tile dataWideBackgroundImage = new Uri("ms-appx:///widebackground1.png", UriKind.Relative),WideBackBackgroundImage = new Uri("ms-appx:///widebackbackground1.png", UriKind.Relative),WideBackContent = item.Directions

};// Create Tile and pin it to Start. Causes a navigation to Start and a deactivation of our application ShellTile.Create(new Uri("/RecipePage.xaml?DefaultTitle=FromTile", UriKind.Relative), tileData, true);

}

Updating Tiles

// Find the Tile we want to update.

ShellTile TileToFind = ShellTile.ActiveTiles.FirstOrDefault(x => x.NavigationUri.ToString().Contains("DefaultTitle=FromTile"));

// If the Tile was found, then update the Title. if (TileToFind != null){

FlipTileData NewTileData = new FlipTileData{

Title = textBoxTitle.Text};

TileToFind.Update(NewTileData); }

Updating the Application Tile

public static void UpdateMainTile(RecipeDataGroup group){

//Get application's main tile – application tile always first item in the ActiveTiles collection//whether it is pinned or notvar mainTile = ShellTile.ActiveTiles.FirstOrDefault();

IconicTileData tileData = new IconicTileData(){

Count = group.RecipesCount,BackgroundColor = Color.FromArgb(255, 195, 61, 39),Title = "Contoso Cookbooks",IconImage =

new Uri("ms-appx:///local/shared/shellcontent/newMedLogo.png", UriKind.RelativeOrAbsolute),SmallIconImage =

new Uri("ms-appx:///local/shared/shellcontent/newSmlLogo.png", UriKind.RelativeOrAbsolute),WideContent1 = "Recent activity:",WideContent2 = "Browsed " + group.Title + " group",WideContent3 = "with total of " + group.RecipesCount + " recipes"

};

mainTile.Update(tileData);}

Demo: 1.WPTileExample(Create, Update,Delete)2.TilesApp(Update)

Updating Tiles with a Tile Schedule

• Periodically updates the tile image without pushing message though

• Can only update the image on the front of the tile

• Updates images only from the web, not from the app local store

• Sets up notification channel and binds it to a tile notification

• Few limitations• Image size must be less than 150 KB (up from 80KB in WP7.1)

• Download time must not exceed 45 seconds (up from 30 seconds in 7.1)• Lowest update time resolution is 60 minutes• If the schedule for an indefinite or finite number of updates fails too many times, OS will cancel it

• Update recurrence can by Onetime, EveryHour, EveryDay, EveryWeekor EveryMonth

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Scheduling Tile Update

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public partial class MainPage : PhoneApplicationPage{

ShellTileSchedule SampleTileSchedule = new ShellTileSchedule();

private void buttonIndefinite_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e){

// Updates will happen on a fixed interval. SampleTileSchedule.Recurrence = UpdateRecurrence.Interval;

// Updates will happen every hour. // Because MaxUpdateCount is not set, the schedule will run indefinitely.SampleTileSchedule.Interval = UpdateInterval.EveryHour;

SampleTileSchedule.RemoteImageUri = newUri(@"http://www.weather.gov/forecasts/graphical/images/conus/MaxT1_conus.png");

// Updates will apply to the application tile. SampleTileSchedule.Start();

}}

Scheduling Secondary Tile Updates

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foreach (ShellTile TileToSchedule in ShellTile.ActiveTiles){

ShellTileSchedule mySchedule = new ShellTileSchedule(TileToSchedule);mySchedule.Interval = UpdateInterval.EveryHour;mySchedule.Recurrence = UpdateRecurrence.Interval;mySchedule.RemoteImageUri = imageURI;mySchedule.Start();

}

• Can also schedule updates for secondary tiles by passing the ShellTileobject into the ShellTileSchedule constructor

Updating Tiles From a Background Agent

• In Windows Phone OS 7.0, only way of updating Live Tiles was from a Tile Schedule or from Push Notifications• Tile Schedule needs to fetch images from a web URI

• Push Notifications require you to implement a backend service

• To have control of shell tiles when the app is not running without using Push Notifications, a good solution is a Background Agent• Use the ShellTile API to locate and update tiles

Demo: Update Tile From Agent

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Lock screen notifications

• End user can now select any app that has been enabled for lock screen notifications to show detailed status

• Select any five apps to show quick status (icon and count)

• For your app to be included in the notifications area, all you have to do is• Create an icon• Declare the app’s intent in the

application manifest file

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Lock Screen on Windows Phone 8

• Create a 24 x 24 pixel PNG image that will be used to identify your app on the lock screen

•Contain only white pixels and transparent background

• Default name is LockIcon.png•Use this name and you do not have to explicitly declare it in the application

manifest

• If you use another name, • Edit WMAppManifest.xml using

the XML editor •Change the DeviceLockImageURI

element which is listed inside the Tokens element:

Creating a lock screen icon

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<Tokens><PrimaryToken TokenID="PhoneApp4Token" TaskName="_default">

<TemplateFlip>…<DeviceLockImageURI>MyLockIcon.png</DeviceLockImageURI>

</TemplateFlip></PrimaryToken>

</Tokens>

• Edit WMAppManifest.xml with the XML editor• Find the <Extensions> element. If not there, create it immediately following the

<Tokens> element.

• Inside the <Extensions> element, create <Extension> elements for each feature you want to support: Icon Count and/or Text

<Extensions><Extension ExtensionName="LockScreen_Notification_IconCount"

ConsumerID="{111DFF24-AA15-4A96-8006-2BFF8122084F}" TaskID="_default" /><Extension ExtensionName="LockScreen_Notification_TextField"

ConsumerID="{111DFF24-AA15-4A96-8006-2BFF8122084F}" TaskID="_default" /></Extensions>

Updating the Application Manifest File

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• Lock Screen Icon Count and Text is taken directly from your applications primary tile

• Secondary tiles are not used for this feature

• Information is only displayed on the lock screen if the tile contains the information

• For example, a count will only be displayed if the tile displays it

• Primary tile does not need to be pinned to the Start Screen for lock screen notifications to be enabled

• Update Primary Tile content in the usual way• Local Shell Tiles API• Push Notifications

How to Update the Icon Count and Text

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• Simulation Dashboard allows you to display the Lock Screen on the emulator

• Access the Simulation Dashboard from the Visual Studio Tools menu

Testing with the Simulation Dashboard

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Demo: Lock Screen

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Lock Screen Background

• End user can choose a background image from their own photos or search for an image on Bing

• In addition, they can choose an app to be the background image provider

• For your app to be a lock screen background provider, all you have to do is

• Declare the app’s intent in the application manifest file

• Write code to change the background image

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Lock Screen Background

• Edit WMAppManifest.xml with the XML editor• Find the <Extensions> element. If not there, create it immediately following the

<Tokens> element.

• Inside the <Extensions> element, create an <Extension> element for LockScreen_Background

<Extensions><Extension ExtensionName="LockScreen_Background"

ConsumerID="{111DFF24-AA15-4A96-8006-2BFF8122084F}" TaskID="_default" /></Extensions>

Updating the Application Manifest File

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Write Code to Change the Lock Screen Backgroundprivate async void lockHelper(Uri backgroundImageUri, string backgroundAction){

try{

//If you're not the provider, this call will prompt the user for permission.//Calling RequestAccessAsync from a background agent is not allowed.var op = await LockScreenManager.RequestAccessAsync();

//Check the status to make sure we were given permission.bool isProvider = LockScreenManager.IsProvidedByCurrentApplication;if (isProvider){

//Do the update.Windows.Phone.System.UserProfile.LockScreen.SetImageUri(backgroundImageUri);System.Diagnostics.Debug.WriteLine("New current image set to {0}", backgroundImageUri.ToString());

}else{

MessageBox.Show("You said no, so I can't update your background.");}

}catch (System.Exception ex){

System.Diagnostics.Debug.WriteLine(ex.ToString());}

}

• Call to LockScreenManager.RequestAccessAsync is required

•Checks if your app is already the selected lock screen background provider

• If not, prompts user for permission to make your app the selected provider

User Confirmation

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//If you're not the provider, this call will prompt the user for permission.//Calling RequestAccessAsync from a background agent is not allowed.var op = await LockScreenManager.RequestAccessAsync();

• To use an image that you shipped in your app, use ms-appx:///Uri imageUri = new Uri("ms-appx:///background1.png",

UriKind.RelativeOrAbsolute);LockScreen.SetImageUri(imageUri);

• To use an image stored in the Local Folder, use ms-appdata:///local/shared/shellcontent

• Must be in or below the /shared/shellcontent subfolder

Uri imageUri = new Uri("ms-appdata:///local/shared/shellcontent/background2.png",

UriKind.RelativeOrAbsolute);LockScreen.SetImageUri(imageUri);

Accessing Local Images

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Demo: DynamicLockScreen

Summary• Shell Tile API allows easy manipulation of tiles from within an application

• Tiles can have a front and a back, and apps can have secondary tiles

• Tiles and Toasts can launch into a specific page within the app

• Only the user can decide to pin an apps’ primary tile to the Start Screen, not from code

• App can declare in the App manifest that it can be a lock screen notification provider

• User must select apps to display lock screen notifications from phone Settings

• Optionally supply count and/or text – these are pulled directly from the primary tile

• App can also declare that it can be a lock screen background provider

• Code used to request permission from the user and to change the lock screen background