You've got your Windows Developer Account, you've downloaded the Windows App Developer Tools and now you're ready to start putting together your first app. But where to start? Let expert Windows developer Colin Melia start you off right by showing you how to create and configure some basic interactive controls and start creating your user interface (UI).
After looking around and getting comfortable with Microsoft Visual Studio, this course starts by teaching you the basics of how to place control objects by dragging and dropping, using XAML and also creating them programmatically using C# code.
Next, you look at how to work with a few different types of text objects before launching into the heart of the course: building the user interface (UI)! Here is where you get to see how to create, configure and combine a number of different button types as well as other interactive objects including check boxes, combo boxes and even slider controls!
Then things get more complex with nested control elements like Grids. You get a chance to manipulate them both in XAML as well as in C#. Once you get a good understanding of the parent-child relationships involved in this type of hierarchy, you also get a chance to extend your knowledge by looking at Stack Panels as well as Canvas controls.
As an added bonus, you also get a quick look at Blend, an alternative UI design tool that comes free with the Windows developer tools. Blend allows you to focus more directly on design and layout rather than coding, giving you the ability to combine and arrange your controls in more complex, powerful and intuitive ways!
Be sure to watch all the courses in our Windows App Development collection!
