Creating Custom Windows Phone Button - windows-phone-8

Question

I have created a custom button in my WP app. i want to make it look like a standard windows phone 8 button.
XAML Code
<Grid Name="btnCancle" Height="76" Width="76" Margin="24" ManipulationStarted="btnCancle_ManipulationStarted" ManipulationCompleted="btnCancle_ManipulationCompleted" >
<Ellipse Name="ellipseCancle" Grid.Row="2" Stroke="{StaticResource PhoneForegroundBrush}" StrokeThickness="3" Height="76" Width="76" />
<Canvas x:Name="appbar_close" Width="76" Height="76" Clip="F1 M 0,0L 76,0L 76,76L 0,76L 0,0">
<Path Width="31.6666" Height="31.6667" Canvas.Left="22.1666" Canvas.Top="22.1667" Stretch="Fill" Fill="{StaticResource PhoneForegroundBrush}" Data="F1 M 26.9166,22.1667L 37.9999,33.25L 49.0832,22.1668L 53.8332,26.9168L 42.7499,38L 53.8332,49.0834L 49.0833,53.8334L 37.9999,42.75L 26.9166,53.8334L 22.1666,49.0833L 33.25,38L 22.1667,26.9167L 26.9166,22.1667 Z "/>
</Canvas>
</Grid>
The code for event handlers
private void btnCancle_ManipulationStarted(object sender, System.Windows.Input.ManipulationStartedEventArgs e)
{
Brush br = (Brush)Application.Current.Resources["PhoneAccentBrush"];
ellipseCancle.Fill = br;
}
private void btnCancle_ManipulationCompleted(object sender, System.Windows.Input.ManipulationCompletedEventArgs e)
{
Brush br = (Brush)Application.Current.Resources["PhoneBackgroundBrush"];
ellipseCancle.Fill = br;
}
My problem is that when i click the button, there is a slight delay before the button acts as the notmal button.( The backgrounc changes to the PhoneAccentColor and back). The background color won't change as soon as i touch it. but after one or 2 attempts it behaves normally. Im writing the code to perform the action for that button in the Tap event handler. but i need to make it behave like a normal button as soon as the user touches it. What am i doing wrong and what can i do to fix it? Please help.. Thanks in advance..

Answer 1

Try using the to change the controltemplate/style of a button. This will allow you change the appearance of the button but keeps all the behaviour a user would expect from a button. one of the great upsides from XAML to be able to do this.
So add a button to your phone page, then on the right of the designer select Document Outline go to your button you want to restyle, right click on the button, under Template choose Edit a Copy.... You now can name the style and ad it to the page resource. Now just bellow the VisualStateManager.Groups you will find the source to draw the button and you could replace it with your code:
<phone:PhoneApplicationPage.Resources>
<Style x:Key="ButtonStyle1" TargetType="Button">
<Setter Property="Background" Value="Transparent"/>
<Setter Property="BorderBrush" Value="{StaticResource PhoneForegroundBrush}"/>
<Setter Property="Foreground" Value="{StaticResource PhoneForegroundBrush}"/>
<Setter Property="BorderThickness" Value="{StaticResource PhoneBorderThickness}"/>
<Setter Property="FontFamily" Value="{StaticResource PhoneFontFamilySemiBold}"/>
<Setter Property="FontSize" Value="{StaticResource PhoneFontSizeMedium}"/>
<Setter Property="Padding" Value="10,5,10,6"/>
<Setter Property="Template">
<Setter.Value>
<ControlTemplate TargetType="Button">
<Grid Background="Transparent">
<VisualStateManager.VisualStateGroups>
<VisualStateGroup x:Name="CommonStates">
<VisualState x:Name="Normal"/>
<VisualState x:Name="MouseOver"/>
<VisualState x:Name="Pressed">
<Storyboard>
<ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetProperty="Fill" Storyboard.TargetName="ContentContainer">
<DiscreteObjectKeyFrame KeyTime="0" Value="{StaticResource PhoneButtonBasePressedForegroundBrush}"/>
</ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames>
<ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetProperty="Fill" Storyboard.TargetName="ButtonBackground">
<DiscreteObjectKeyFrame KeyTime="0" Value="{StaticResource PhoneAccentBrush}"/>
</ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames>
</Storyboard>
</VisualState>
<VisualState x:Name="Disabled">
<Storyboard>
<ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetProperty="Fill" Storyboard.TargetName="ContentContainer">
<DiscreteObjectKeyFrame KeyTime="0" Value="{StaticResource PhoneDisabledBrush}"/>
</ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames>
<ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetProperty="Stroke" Storyboard.TargetName="ButtonBackground">
<DiscreteObjectKeyFrame KeyTime="0" Value="{StaticResource PhoneDisabledBrush}"/>
</ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames>
<!--<ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetProperty="Background" Storyboard.TargetName="ButtonBackground">
<DiscreteObjectKeyFrame KeyTime="0" Value="Transparent"/>
</ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames>-->
</Storyboard>
</VisualState>
</VisualStateGroup>
</VisualStateManager.VisualStateGroups>
<Ellipse Name="ButtonBackground" Grid.Row="2" Fill="{TemplateBinding Background}" Stroke="{StaticResource PhoneForegroundBrush}" StrokeThickness="3" Height="76" Width="76" />
<Canvas Clip="F1 M 0,0L 76,0L 76,76L 0,76L 0,0">
<Path x:Name="ContentContainer" Width="31.6666" Height="31.6667" Canvas.Left="22.1666" Canvas.Top="22.1667" Stretch="Fill" Fill="{StaticResource PhoneForegroundBrush}" Data="F1 M 26.9166,22.1667L 37.9999,33.25L 49.0832,22.1668L 53.8332,26.9168L 42.7499,38L 53.8332,49.0834L 49.0833,53.8334L 37.9999,42.75L 26.9166,53.8334L 22.1666,49.0833L 33.25,38L 22.1667,26.9167L 26.9166,22.1667 Z "/>
</Canvas>
</Grid>
</ControlTemplate>
</Setter.Value>
</Setter>
</Style>
</phone:PhoneApplicationPage.Resources>
Here is what the button should look like after this, notice the style gets set to the control template you just created.
<Button Content="Button" HorizontalAlignment="Left" VerticalAlignment="Top" Style="{StaticResource ButtonStyle1}"/>
HTH