Getting Started with the Silverlight for Windows Phone Toolkit
The Silverlight for Windows Phone Toolkit is a critical extension library for mobile developers targeting classic Windows Phone platforms. While the standard Silverlight framework provides a solid foundation of essential UI controls, the Toolkit injects highly optimized, touch-friendly components that mimic native OS behaviors. Integrating this toolkit into your project enhances your app’s user experience with minimal coding effort. Essential Toolkit Controls
The Toolkit introduces several specialized controls that address gaps in the stock SDK:
ToggleSwitch: A touch-optimized on/off switch matching the native settings app interface.
ContextMenu: A pop-up menu that appears upon a tap-and-hold gesture, offering contextual actions.
DatePicker and TimePicker: Full-screen, wheel-based selectors designed for easy thumb scrolling.
HubTile: An animated tile control that flips, fades, or slides to display dynamic data.
WrapPanel: A layout container that automatically flows child elements to the next line when space runs out. Installation and Setup
Adding the Toolkit to a Silverlight for Windows Phone project requires a few straightforward steps:
Open NuGet Package Manager: Right-click your project in Visual Studio and select Manage NuGet Packages.
Search and Install: Search for WPtoolkit or Silverlight for Windows Phone Toolkit and click install.
Declare the Namespace: Open your main XAML file (e.g., MainPage.xaml) and add the Toolkit XML namespace mapping to the root element:
xmlns:toolkit=“clr-namespace:Microsoft.Phone.Controls;assembly=Microsoft.Phone.Controls.Toolkit” Use code with caution. Implementing Controls in XAML
Once the namespace is declared, you can instantly start instantiating Toolkit controls inside your layouts.
To build a basic user settings layout with a toggle and a date selector, use the following XAML structure:
Beyond static controls, the Toolkit includes the TransitionService, which automates complex page-turn animations. Windows Phone apps feel significantly more polished when navigating between pages using turnstile, slide, or roll effects.
To apply a native turnstile navigation effect, wrap your page metadata declarations with the transition parameters:
toolkit:TransitionService.NavigationInTransition toolkit:NavigationInTransition toolkit:NavigationInTransition.Backward Use code with caution.
Leveraging the Silverlight for Windows Phone Toolkit ensures your applications remain fluid, responsive, and visually cohesive with the underlying mobile operating system design language.
To tailor this implementation code to your current project, please let me know:
Which version of Windows Phone you are targeting (OS 7.1, 8.0, or 8.1 Silverlight)? Which specific UI control you plan to build first?
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