How to Display Text in the System Tray - windows-phone-8

I've seen in some Microsoft WP apps where they display text in the system tray along with the time, and then when the user taps the system tray the text disappears and the normal system tray data (signal, power, etc) comes down and is displayed. An example of this would be the bing weather app on WP8. I'd like to be able to implement the same feature in an app I am creating, where the user always sees some sort of system tray data, such as time with the name of the app, or the full system tray display that can normally be viewed. Is this possible for developers or is this some sort of thing only Microsoft has the ability to do? To note, I do not mean displaying text while a progress bar is shown.

Use this code would work for you:
ProgressIndicator prog = new ProgressIndicator();
prog.IsIndeterminate = false;
prog.Text = "Your text";
prog.IsVisible = true;
SystemTray.SetProgressIndicator(this, prog);
ProgressIndicator would need
using Microsoft.Phone.Shell; namespace

Related

Is a "close" icon necessary in other platforms?

In iOS, one doesn't need to add a close icon for an app. In the rare event that one wants to kill an app they can do it via the OS.
When looking at the cocos2d-x project that is created by default when using the console (v3.1.1), the sample HelloWorld scene places a button on screen to "close" the app.
Is this actually required in ANY platform ? Does it make sense to add this button at all ?
Apple usually rejects on this and Google and Microsoft don't like it.
You can, however, have close buttons on menus or popovers (say, like a pause screen).

Sliding control in wp8

I have developed wp8 app and looking for a control to slide. I am showing single verse in the page and I want the user to slide (forward and backward) to show next verse, verses may reach 286. I have seen this feature in many application in windows phone store, but I don't what wp8 control they are using.
appreciate your feedback!
Panorama is that you have one image in the background you move a little everytime you go to one side, it is what is used in the image app.
But since you need 286, you should not use the panorama control. Then you should rely on the pivot but beware of microsoft not wanting the users to be confused and caught inside 286 pages, so you need to give the user and overview and use a button that can return a person to the start page.

How to navigate within settings flyout in Windows 8.1 Store app?

I am working on my first Win 8.1 Store app and have some trouble understanding the SettingsFlyout.
Thanky to the docs creating Flyouts for my custom settings and adding them to the Settings Charm is not a problem.
However I have not been able to find out how navigate within the Flyout. I would like to create the following behavior as it can be seen in the Mail App:
Swipe from the right to show charms
Click on "Settings" to show the settings pane
Click on Account to show the "Accounts List Flyout"
On the "Accounts List Flyout" click on an account show its settings
The settings of the selected account are shown within the Flyout
Using the Back button brings you back to the accounts list
Steps 1-3 are no problem. But how do I manage the other steps? How can I navigate one lever deeper into the settings and use the Back button to go up again?
For Step 5 you can do something like
var newFlyout = new AccountFlyout(id);
newFlyout.ShowIndependent();
Now you are done with Step 5.
In the AccountFlyout.xaml.cs file hook on the BackClick event (in constructor) and then do something like:
void OnAccountFlyoutBackClick(object sender, BackClickEventArgs e)
{
// go back to the accounts list
var listFlyout = new AccountsListFlyout();
listFlyout.Show();
}
Clicking the Back button being on an Account will now go 'back' to the Accounts List flyout.
Yes, this is not very 'MVVM' friendly (if you perform the navigation in the VM you must know about the Flyouts and if you do it in the 'code-behind' you are not 100% MVVM conform) but it gets the job done without creating unnecessary complexity :)

Allow my app to be opened with camera button

I'm working on a WP8 app that will utilize the camera for a feature. I've read that, as of GDR2, you can now change which app opens with the camera button, but:
it appears that an app needs to be specially written to be used like
this; not every photo or camera app can be configured to launch when
you press the Camera button.
Question: What do I need to do in my app for it to become an available option in the "Pressing the camera button opens: " drop down when navigating to Settings -> Applications -> photos + camera?
Additionally, part 2 of this question would be (if part 1 is possible), when the application is launching, can I determine if the user opened it via the camera button (so that I could go straight to my camera feature)?
I've seen this article but it only describes how to use and handle the shutter button, it doesn't mention how to allow this button to open the app.
Has anyone been able to accomplish this?
This thread (http://forums.wpcentral.com/windows-phone-8/234751-changing-default-camera-app.html) seems to suggest that only manufacturers can create apps that can do this. Not sure if it's definite, but I've never heard of a 3rd party camera app that can do more than register as a lens.

Disable everything else on windows phone tablet

TL;DR;
How do I disable everything on windows phone that a user can use to "get out of my app"
Long version
I'm developing a app for a table running windows phone. This tablet will be available to general public so they can choose which kind of service they want (like "open new account", "talk to the manager" and so on). Because of that I would like to disable everything on the tablet (home button, close button...) so a miss guided user wont be able to close my app.
How do I do that? (Of course I intend to provide a "Close app" button that will require a password of some kind...)
There's no way you can do what you want with Windows Phone. There is no ability to, in software, block access to the start or search buttons.
As indicated in other answers, you can override the back button but if you prevented the app from going to the home screen you would be unable to get the application certified (you could still sideload to the device, or distribute through the company store).
You may be better served considering an RT device (with Windows 8.1 in KIOSK mode) or Windows 8 Embedded Handheld (which is based on Windows Phone 8).
It is possible to change the behavior of the back button by doing the following.
Place this in your phone:PhoneApplicationPage tag ie the header of the page.
XAML
BackKeyPress="PhoneApplicationPage_BackKeyPress"
In the code behind.
C#
private void PhoneApplicationPage_BackKeyPress(object sender, CancelEventArgs e)
{
e.Cancel = true;
}
However it is not possible to capture the home key pressed and search key pressed events. You could try messing with the "Application_Deactivated" method in the App.xaml.cs so that when the application is deactivated...it is not? That could get messy and I've never done it before. Just an idea. Good luck.