UWP Core API Reference

This section provides essential information about the core APIs and concepts that form the foundation of Universal Windows Platform (UWP) development. Understanding these building blocks is crucial for creating robust and modern Windows applications.

Key Concepts

Application Lifecycle Management

UWP applications have a well-defined lifecycle managed by the Windows operating system. This includes states like Activated, Background, Suspended, and Closed. Proper handling of these states ensures a smooth user experience and efficient resource management.

Activation: How your app is launched and starts running.
Suspension: When your app is put in the background and its resources are potentially reclaimed.
Resuming: Restoring your app's state when it's brought back to the foreground.

Threading and Concurrency

UWP applications are typically single-threaded (UI thread), but asynchronous operations are vital for maintaining a responsive user interface. The Task Parallel Library (TPL) and async/await patterns are heavily used.

Use the CoreDispatcher to interact with the UI thread from background threads:

await Dispatcher.RunAsync(CoreDispatcherPriority.Normal, () => { /* UI updates */ });

Resources and Localization

UWP applications can be easily localized for different languages and regions. Resource files (.resw) store strings, images, and other assets that can be changed based on the user's locale.

Accessing resources is straightforward:

var localizedString = Windows.ApplicationModel.Resources.ResourceLoader.GetForCurrentView("Resources").GetString("MyStringKey");

Navigation

Navigating between pages within a UWP application is handled by the Frame control. The Frame.Navigate() method is used to switch to different XAML pages.

Frame.Navigate(typeof(MySecondPage), parameter);

Parameters can be passed to the navigated page, and the OnNavigatedTo event handler is used to receive them.

Data Binding

Data binding is a fundamental UWP concept that connects your UI elements to your data sources. It allows for automatic synchronization between the UI and the underlying data, reducing boilerplate code.

Key components include:

INotifyPropertyChanged interface for observable data.
DependencyObject and DependencyProperty for UI properties.
Binding class for creating explicit bindings.

Input Handling

UWP provides a rich set of input handling capabilities for various devices, including touch, mouse, keyboard, and pen.

Common events include:

Pointer events (PointerPressed, PointerMoved, PointerReleased) for touch and mouse.
Key events (KeyDown, KeyUp) for keyboard input.

Universal App Platform Features

The UWP core APIs expose features that leverage the underlying Windows platform, such as:

Windows.Storage for file system access.
Windows.Networking for network operations.
Windows.System.UserProfile for user information.

Note: Always prioritize asynchronous operations for I/O and long-running tasks to keep your UI thread responsive.

Warning: Direct manipulation of UI elements from non-UI threads is not allowed and will result in exceptions. Use the CoreDispatcher.