Live Push Notifications Sample for Windows 8 Metro LOB Apps
September 24, 2012 2 Comments
It’s worth to mention that integrating Push Notifications(Badges, Tiles, Toast Notifications) on Windows 8 Metro LOB apps are indispensible while maintaining live streaming notifications from RSS feed / backend database systems. Badges, Live Tiles, Toast Notifications are integral part of a Metro Business apps (connected with backend Dynamics CRM, Dynamics AX, SQL Azure Feed, Live RSS).
- In order to implement Live Tiles Notifications & Toast notifications , you need to incorporate standard XML codes as follows:
public overridestring GetContent()
{
if (RequireSquareContent && SquareContent == null)
{
throw new NotificationContentValidationException(“Square tile content should be included with each wide tile. “ +
“If this behavior is undesired, use the RequireSquareContent property.”);
}
StringBuilder visualNode = newStringBuilder(String.Empty);
visualNode.AppendFormat(“<visual version='{0}'”, Util.NOTIFICATION_CONTENT_VERSION);
if (!String.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(Lang))
{
visualNode.AppendFormat(” lang='{0}'”, Util.HttpEncode(Lang));
}
if (Branding != TileBranding.Logo)
{
visualNode.AppendFormat(” branding='{0}'”, Branding.ToString().ToLowerInvariant());
}
if (!String.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(BaseUri))
{
visualNode.AppendFormat(” baseUri='{0}'”, Util.HttpEncode(BaseUri));
}
visualNode.Append(“>”);
StringBuilder builder = newStringBuilder(String.Empty);
builder.AppendFormat(“<tile>{0}<binding template='{1}’>{2}</binding>”, visualNode, TemplateName, SerializeProperties(Lang, BaseUri));
if (SquareContent != null)
{
ISquareTileInternal squareBase = SquareContent asISquareTileInternal;
if (squareBase == null)
{
throw new NotificationContentValidationException(“The provided square tile content class is unsupported.”);
}
builder.Append(squareBase.SerializeBinding(Lang, BaseUri, Branding));
}
builder.Append(“</visual></tile>”);
return builder.ToString();
}
private ISquareTileNotificationContent m_SquareContent = null;
private bool m_RequireSquareContent = true;
}
- Put standard logo & Badges sample in Assets folder of your Metro apps & enable Toast Notification on Package.appexmanifest.
- Put some standard codes on your MainPage.xaml.cs in order to enable Live Text & images update, Tile update, Toast Notification & Badges support.
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.IO;
using System.Linq;
using Windows.Foundation;
using Windows.Foundation.Collections;
using Windows.UI.Xaml;
using Windows.UI.Xaml.Controls;
using Windows.UI.Xaml.Controls.Primitives;
using Windows.UI.Xaml.Data;
using Windows.UI.Xaml.Input;
using Windows.UI.Xaml.Media;
using Windows.UI.Xaml.Navigation;
using NotificationsExtensions.BadgeContent;
using NotificationsExtensions.TileContent;
using NotificationsExtensions.ToastContent;
using Windows.Data.Xml.Dom;
using Windows.UI.Notifications;
using Windows.UI.StartScreen;
using Windows.ApplicationModel.DataTransfer.ShareTarget;
using Windows.ApplicationModel.DataTransfer;
namespace LiveTiles
{
///<summary>
/// An empty page that can be used on its own or navigated to within a Frame.
///</summary>
public sealed partial class MainPage : Page
{
privateDataTransferManager _dataTransferManager;
public MainPage()
{
this.InitializeComponent();
}
///<summary>
/// Invoked when this page is about to be displayed in a Frame.
///</summary>
///<param name=”e”>Event data that describes how this page was reached. The Parameter
/// property is typically used to configure the page.</param>
///
privatevoid RegisterForShare()
{
DataTransferManager dataTransferManager = DataTransferManager.GetForCurrentView();
dataTransferManager.DataRequested += newTypedEventHandler<DataTransferManager, DataRequestedEventArgs>(this.MainPage_DataRequested);
}
privatevoid MainPage_DataRequested(DataTransferManager sender, DataRequestedEventArgs args)
{
DataRequest request = args.Request;
request.Data.Properties.Title =
“Sharing Toast Notification”;
request.Data.Properties.Description =“A demonstration on Share Contracts”;
request.Data.SetText(“Toast Notification”);
}
protected override void OnNavigatedTo(NavigationEventArgs e)
{
}
void UpdateTileWithText(string text)
{
XmlDocument tileXml = TileUpdateManager.GetTemplateContent(TileTemplateType.TileWideText03);
XmlNodeList textElements = tileXml.GetElementsByTagName(“text”);
textElements.Item(0).AppendChild(tileXml.CreateTextNode(text));
TileNotification tile = newTileNotification(tileXml);
TileUpdateManager.CreateTileUpdaterForApplication().Update(tile);
}
privatevoid UpdateTextButton_Click_1(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
UpdateTileWithText(“Windows 8 is the Future of Metro Apps”);
}
private void UpdateTextAndImageButton_Click_1(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
UpdateTileWithImage(“Windows 8 LOB Apps”, “http://icons.iconarchive.com/icons/dakirby309/windows-8-metro/256/Apps-Messaging-alt-Metro-icon.png”);
}
privatevoid UpdateTextWithExtensionsButton_Click_1(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
UpdateTileWithTextExtensions(“Windows 8 App Developer Blog: Live Tiles”);
}
private void UpdateTextAndImageWithExtensionsButton_Click_1(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
UpdateTextAndImageExtensions(“Windows 8 Metro Apps Developer Blog: Live Notifications” , “http://www.stealthsettings.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Windows-8-Start-Page-Manage-Apps.jpg”);
}
privatevoid CreateBadge_Click_1(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
UpdateBadgeWithNumber(3);
}
private void CreateToastNotification_Click_1(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
CreateToast();
}
void UpdateTileWithImage(string text, string imageSrc)
{
XmlDocument tileXml = TileUpdateManager.GetTemplateContent(TileTemplateType.TileWideImageAndText01);
XmlNodeList textElements = tileXml.GetElementsByTagName(“text”);
textElements.Item(0).AppendChild(tileXml.CreateTextNode(text));
XmlNodeList imageElements = tileXml.GetElementsByTagName(“image”);
XmlElement imageElement = (XmlElement)imageElements.Item(0);
imageElement.SetAttribute(“src”, imageSrc);
imageElement.SetAttribute(“alt”, “Image description”);
XmlDocument squareTileXml = TileUpdateManager.GetTemplateContent(TileTemplateType.TileSquareImage);
XmlNodeList squareImageElements = squareTileXml.GetElementsByTagName(“image”);
XmlElement squareImageElement = (XmlElement)squareImageElements.Item(0);
squareImageElement.SetAttribute(“src”, imageSrc);
squareImageElement.SetAttribute(“alt”, “Image description”);
IXmlNode subnode = tileXml.ImportNode(squareTileXml.GetElementsByTagName(“binding”).Item(0), true);
tileXml.GetElementsByTagName(“visual”).Item(0).AppendChild(subnode);
TileNotification tile = newTileNotification(tileXml);
TileUpdateManager.CreateTileUpdaterForApplication().Update(tile);
}
void UpdateTileWithTextExtensions(string text)
{
ITileWideText03 tileContent = TileContentFactory.CreateTileWideText03();
tileContent.TextHeadingWrap.Text = text;
ITileSquareText04 squareContent = TileContentFactory.CreateTileSquareText04();
squareContent.TextBodyWrap.Text = text;
tileContent.SquareContent = squareContent;
TileUpdateManager.CreateTileUpdaterForApplication().Update(tileContent.CreateNotification());
}
void UpdateTextAndImageExtensions(string text, string imageSrc)
{
ITileWideImageAndText01 tileContent = TileContentFactory.CreateTileWideImageAndText01();
tileContent.TextCaptionWrap.Text = text;
tileContent.Image.Src = imageSrc;
tileContent.Image.Alt = “Web Image”;
ITileSquareImage squareContent = TileContentFactory.CreateTileSquareImage();
squareContent.Image.Src = imageSrc;
squareContent.Image.Alt = “Web Image”;
tileContent.SquareContent = squareContent;
TileUpdateManager.CreateTileUpdaterForApplication().Update(tileContent.CreateNotification());
}
private async void CreateSecondaryTile_Click_1(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
Uri logo = newUri(“ms-appx:///assets/small.png”);
Uri smallLogo = newUri(“ms-appx:///assets/secondary.png”);
string tileActivationArguments = “timeTileWasPinned=” + DateTime.Now.ToLocalTime().ToString();
//Create a 1×1 secondary tile
SecondaryTile secondaryTile = newSecondaryTile(“AppSecondaryTile”,
“Windows 8 Enterprise”,
“”,
tileActivationArguments,
TileOptions.ShowNameOnLogo, smallLogo);
secondaryTile.ForegroundText = ForegroundText.Light;
bool isPinned = await secondaryTile.RequestCreateForSelectionAsync(GetElementRect((FrameworkElement)sender), Windows.UI.Popups.Placement.Right);
}
void UpdateBadgeWithNumber(int number)
{
BadgeNumericNotificationContent badgeContent = newBadgeNumericNotificationContent((uint)number);
BadgeUpdateManager.CreateBadgeUpdaterForApplication().Update(badgeContent.CreateNotification());
}
Rect GetElementRect(FrameworkElement element)
{
GeneralTransform buttonTransform = element.TransformToVisual(null);
Point point = buttonTransform.TransformPoint(newPoint());
return new Rect(point, newSize(element.ActualWidth, element.ActualHeight));
}
private void CreateToast()
{
IToastNotificationContent toastContent = null;
IToastText01 templateContent = ToastContentFactory.CreateToastText01();
templateContent.TextBodyWrap.Text = “Windows 8 Metro Apps jump start!”;
toastContent = templateContent;
ToastNotification toast = toastContent.CreateNotification();
ToastNotificationManager.CreateToastNotifier().Show(toast);
}
}
}
Check the Toast Notifications on Live Tiles as follows:
- Update Text & Images on Live Tiles with Toast Notification as follows:
- Update Live Badges with updated text as follows:
- Update images with Live Tiles as follows:
- More information on Live Tiles & App badges Sample is available here.
