File Accessing in Windows Store App

Introduction

In this article we will learn how to access files in a Windows 8 Metro Style Application. Here, we will explain using an example that shows how to access a file. In this example we will present various points with various functionality such as how to create a new file in text form and writing to a file, reading a file, copying a file, deleting a file.

So, we will use the following steps to make this application as below.

Step 1 : First of all you will create a new Metro Style Application. Let us see the description with images of how you will create it.

• Open Visual Studio 2011
• File -> New -> Project
• Choose Template -> Visual C# -> Windows Metro Style -> Application
• Rename this Application

Step 2 : In the Solution Explorer there are two files that we will primarily work with; MainPage.xaml and MainPage.xaml.cs files. In the images folder add any image to the application but in this application we don't have to add an image.

Step 3 : The MainPage.xaml file is as in the following code.

Code : Let us see the code which is given below: 

<UserControl x:Class="FileAccessSample.MainPage"

    xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"

    xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"

    xmlns:d="http://schemas.microsoft.com/expression/blend/2008"

    xmlns:mc="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/markup-compatibility/2006"

    mc:Ignorable="d"

    d:DesignHeight="968" d:DesignWidth="1466">

 

    <!--App Orientation States-->

    <VisualStateManager.VisualStateGroups>

      <VisualStateGroup x:Name="OrientationStates">

        <VisualState x:Name="Full"/>

        <VisualState x:Name="Fill">

          <Storyboard>

            <ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetProperty="(FrameworkElement.Margin)" Storyboard.TargetName="ContentRoot">

              <DiscreteObjectKeyFrame KeyTime="0">

                <DiscreteObjectKeyFrame.Value>

                  <Thickness>40,20,40,20</Thickness>

                </DiscreteObjectKeyFrame.Value>

              </DiscreteObjectKeyFrame>

            </ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames>

            <ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetProperty="(StackPanel.Orientation)" Storyboard.TargetName="InputPanel">

              <DiscreteObjectKeyFrame KeyTime="0">

                <DiscreteObjectKeyFrame.Value>

                  <Orientation>Horizontal</Orientation>

                </DiscreteObjectKeyFrame.Value>

              </DiscreteObjectKeyFrame>

            </ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames>

            <ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetProperty="(FrameworkElement.MaxWidth)" Storyboard.TargetName="Description">

                <DiscreteObjectKeyFrame KeyTime="0" Value="700">

                </DiscreteObjectKeyFrame>

            </ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames>

          </Storyboard>

        </VisualState>

        <VisualState x:Name="Portrait">

            <Storyboard>

                <ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetProperty="(FrameworkElement.Margin)" Storyboard.TargetName="ContentRoot">

                    <DiscreteObjectKeyFrame KeyTime="0">

                        <DiscreteObjectKeyFrame.Value>

                            <Thickness>40,20,40,20</Thickness>

                        </DiscreteObjectKeyFrame.Value>

                    </DiscreteObjectKeyFrame>

                </ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames>

                <ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetProperty="(FrameworkElement.MaxWidth)" Storyboard.TargetName="Description">

                    <DiscreteObjectKeyFrame KeyTime="0" Value="700">

                    </DiscreteObjectKeyFrame>

                </ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames>

                    </Storyboard>

        </VisualState>

        <VisualState x:Name="Snapped">

          <Storyboard>

            <ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetProperty="(FrameworkElement.Margin)" Storyboard.TargetName="ContentRoot">

              <DiscreteObjectKeyFrame KeyTime="0">

                <DiscreteObjectKeyFrame.Value>

                  <Thickness>20,20,20,20</Thickness>

                </DiscreteObjectKeyFrame.Value>

              </DiscreteObjectKeyFrame>

            </ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames>

            <ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetProperty="(StackPanel.Orientation)" Storyboard.TargetName="InputPanel">

              <DiscreteObjectKeyFrame KeyTime="0">

                <DiscreteObjectKeyFrame.Value>

                  <Orientation>Vertical</Orientation>

                </DiscreteObjectKeyFrame.Value>

              </DiscreteObjectKeyFrame>

            </ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames>

            <ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetProperty="(FrameworkElement.MaxWidth)" Storyboard.TargetName="Description">

                <DiscreteObjectKeyFrame KeyTime="0" Value="250">

                </DiscreteObjectKeyFrame>

            </ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames>

            <ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames Storyboard.TargetProperty="(FrameworkElement.Margin)" Storyboard.TargetName="LegalPanel">

                <DiscreteObjectKeyFrame KeyTime="0">

                    <DiscreteObjectKeyFrame.Value>

                        <Thickness>0,0,10,0</Thickness>

                    </DiscreteObjectKeyFrame.Value>

                </DiscreteObjectKeyFrame>

            </ObjectAnimationUsingKeyFrames>

            </Storyboard>

        </VisualState>

      </VisualStateGroup>

    </VisualStateManager.VisualStateGroups>

    <Grid x:Name="ContentRoot" Background="PaleGreen" Margin="100,20,100,20">

      <Grid.RowDefinitions>

        <RowDefinition Height="Auto"/>

        <RowDefinition Height="*"/>

        <RowDefinition Height="Auto"/>

      </Grid.RowDefinitions>

 

        <!-- Content -->

      <ScrollViewer VerticalScrollBarVisibility="Auto" HorizontalScrollBarVisibility="Auto" Grid.Row="1" ZoomMode="Disabled">

        <StackPanel x:Name="ContentPanel">

          <StackPanel x:Name="InputPanel" Orientation="Horizontal" HorizontalAlignment="Left">

            <StackPanel>

              <TextBlock Text="Input" Style="{StaticResource H2Style}"/>

              <TextBlock Text="Select Section:" Style="{StaticResource H3Style}"/>

              <ListBox x:Name="SectionList" Margin="0,0,20,0" HorizontalAlignment="Left">

                <ListBox.ItemTemplate >

                  <DataTemplate >

                    <TextBlock Text="{Binding Name}"/>

                  </DataTemplate>

                </ListBox.ItemTemplate>

                <ListBoxItem x:Name="Section1" Background="Bisque">

                  <TextBlock Style="{StaticResource ListBoxTextStyle}" Text="1. Creating a file" />

                </ListBoxItem>

                <ListBoxItem x:Name="Section2" Background="Aquamarine">

                  <TextBlock Style="{StaticResource ListBoxTextStyle}" Text="2. Writing to a file" />

                </ListBoxItem>

                <ListBoxItem x:Name="Section3" Background="BurlyWood">

                  <TextBlock Style="{StaticResource ListBoxTextStyle}" Text="3. Reading a file" />

                </ListBoxItem>

                 <ListBoxItem x:Name="Section4" Background="LightSlateGray">

                  <TextBlock Style="{StaticResource ListBoxTextStyle}" Text="4. Copying a file" />

                </ListBoxItem>

                <ListBoxItem x:Name="Section5" Background="PaleTurquoise">

                  <TextBlock Style="{StaticResource ListBoxTextStyle}" Text="5. Deleting a file" />

                </ListBoxItem>

              </ListBox>

            </StackPanel>

            <StackPanel Margin="0,31,0,0" >

              <TextBlock Text="Description:" Style="{StaticResource H3Style}"/>

              <StackPanel x:Name="Description" MaxWidth="900">

                 

                <!-- Section 1 -->

                <StackPanel x:Name="Section1Input">

                  <TextBlock Style="{StaticResource DescriptionTextStyle}" TextWrapping="Wrap" Text="Create a new file sample.txt to exercise the Sections in this sample." HorizontalAlignment="Left"/>

                  <StackPanel Orientation="Horizontal" Margin="0,50,0,0">

                    <Button x:Name="CreateFileButton" Content="Create File" Margin="0,10,10,0"/>

                  </StackPanel>

                </StackPanel>

 

                <!-- Section 2 -->

                <StackPanel x:Name="Section2Input">

                  <TextBlock Style="{StaticResource DescriptionTextStyle}" TextWrapping="Wrap" Text="To write something to sample.txt type something in the textbox below and click 'Write.'" HorizontalAlignment="Left"/>

                  <StackPanel Orientation="Vertical">

                    <TextBox x:Name="Section2Textbox" IsReadOnly="false" HorizontalAlignment="Left" VerticalAlignment="Top" Width="500" Height="150" TextWrapping="Wrap" AcceptsReturn="True" Text=""/>

                    <StackPanel Orientation="Horizontal">

                      <Button x:Name="WriteButton" Content="Write"/>

                    </StackPanel>

                  </StackPanel>

                </StackPanel>

 

                <!-- Section 3 -->

                <StackPanel x:Name="Section3Input">

                  <TextBlock Style="{StaticResource DescriptionTextStyle}" TextWrapping="Wrap" Text="To read from sample.txt click 'Read.'" HorizontalAlignment="Left"/>

                  <StackPanel Orientation="Horizontal" Margin="0,50,0,0">

                    <Button x:Name="ReadButton" Content="Read" Margin="0,10,10,0"/>

                  </StackPanel>

                </StackPanel>

 

                <!—Section 4 -->

                <StackPanel x:Name="Section6Input">

                  <TextBlock Style="{StaticResource DescriptionTextStyle}" TextWrapping="Wrap" Text="To copy sample.txt click 'Copy'" HorizontalAlignment="Left"/>

                  <StackPanel Orientation="Horizontal" Margin="0,50,0,0">

                    <Button x:Name="CopyButton" Content="Copy" Margin="0,10,10,0"/>

                  </StackPanel>

                </StackPanel>

 

                <!-- Section 5 -->

                <StackPanel x:Name="Section7Input">

                  <TextBlock Style="{StaticResource DescriptionTextStyle}" TextWrapping="Wrap" Text="To delete sample.txt click 'Delete'" HorizontalAlignment="Left"/>

                  <StackPanel Orientation="Horizontal" Margin="0,50,0,0">

                    <Button x:Name="DeleteButton" Content="Delete" Margin="0,10,10,0"/>

                  </StackPanel>

                </StackPanel>

              </StackPanel>

            </StackPanel>

          </StackPanel>

         

          <!-- Output section -->

          <TextBlock Text="Output" Margin="0,25,0,20" Style="{StaticResource H2Style}"/>

          <StackPanel x:Name="Output"  HorizontalAlignment="Left">

           

            <!-- Section 1 -->

            <StackPanel x:Name="Section1Output">

              <TextBlock x:Name="Section1Output_textblock" Style="{StaticResource DescriptionTextStyle}" TextWrapping="Wrap" Text="Create a new file above." />

            </StackPanel>

 

            <!-- Section 2 -->

            <StackPanel x:Name="Section2Output">
<TextBlock x:Name ="Section2Output_textblock" Style="{StaticResource DescriptionTextStyle}" TextWrapping="Wrap" Text="Enter text above to be written to sample.txt" />

            </StackPanel>

 

            <!-- Section 3 -->

            <StackPanel x:Name="Section3Output">

              <TextBlock x:Name ="Section3Output_textblock" Style="{StaticResource DescriptionTextStyle}" TextWrapping="Wrap" Text="" />

            </StackPanel>

 

            <!-- Section 4 -->

            <StackPanel x:Name="Section4Output">

              <TextBlock x:Name ="Section4Output_textblock" Style="{StaticResource DescriptionTextStyle}" TextWrapping="Wrap" Text="" />

            </StackPanel>

 

            <!-- Section 5 -->

            <StackPanel x:Name="Section5Output">

              <TextBlock x:Name ="Section5Output_textblock" Style="{StaticResource DescriptionTextStyle}" TextWrapping="Wrap" Text="" />

            </StackPanel>

           </StackPanel>

        </StackPanel>

      </ScrollViewer>       

     </StackPanel>

    </Grid>

  </UserControl>

Step 4 : After running this code we get the following output. Here we have to explain the five different points with various functionality.

Creating a file.

Writing a file.

Reading a file.

Copying a file.

Delete a file.