Adding, Saving and Resizing Text and Image in Expression Blend

Manoj Singh Panwar
Dec 25, 2011

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Hi guys, One of the best feature available in Expression Blend is allowing the binding of any property of one control to relative property of other control. In this article you will learn how to add a text file from the strorage device and resize it and also save it back to the storage device. Apart from this you can also learn how to resize the image manually.

Follow the steps below :

Step 1 : Open Expression Blend.

Open new Project as WPF application
Name it as "resizing"

Step 2 : The page opens up with the design view. In this artboard add two buttons.

Name One button as resizetext and change the content to "Resize Text"
Name other button as resizeimg and change the content to "Resize image"

Step 3 : You can change the background image or color of the artboard also can change the color, Font etc property of the button to give better look and feel of the page. Now select the "Resize Text".

Go to property and click on the event property of the button
Now in I'll redirect this start page to the text resizing page
In front of the Click event type the name of the Click method. Here I have named it as "textopen"
Press Enter and type the following lines of code

public partial class Start_page : Window
{
     public Start_page()
      {
         this.InitializeComponent();
      }

     private void textopen(object sender, System.Windows.RoutedEventArgs e)
      {
          MainWindow mw = new MainWindow(); // here MainWindow is the name of the page used for resizing the text. Go to step 5 to know about this.
          mw.Show();
          this.Close();
       }

}

Step 4 : Similarly select the "Resize image" button.

In the CLick event property type the name of the method
Now in I'll redirect this start page to the image resizing page
Here I have named as "imgopen" and type the following lines of code

private void imgopen(object sender, System.Windows.RoutedEventArgs e)
  {
     image_resizing ir = new image_resizing(); // here image_resizing is the name of the page used for resizing the image. Go to step 5 to know about this.
     ir.Show();
     this.Close();
  }

Step 5 : Now add a page for text resizing and name this page as MainWindow.

Go to File -->New Item-->Window
Name this page as MainWindow

Step 6 : This opens up a page with the artboard and design view. In this page add the following controls.

A Text box and expand it to approximate half the screen size and name it as "tb1"
A button named "addbtn" and change its content to "Add ". This button is to insert a text file in to the textbox for resizing
Add andother button named "savebtn" and change its content to "Save ". This button is to save a text file

Step 7 : Now select the "Add" button.

Go to property
Click on the event button
Type the name of the method in front of the click event. Here I have named it as add()
Now write the following lines to add the text file into the textbox

using System.Windows.Media.Imaging;
using System.Windows.Shapes;
using System.IO;   //Dont forget to include this line
namespace _d
{
       public partial class MainWindow : Window
       {
              public MainWindow()
              {
                     this.InitializeComponent();
              }
              private void add(object sender, System.Windows.RoutedEventArgs e)
              {
              Microsoft.Win32.OpenFileDialog fd = new Microsoft.Win32.OpenFileDialog();
                     fd.InitialDirectory = "D:\\";
                     fd.Filter ="Text files (*.txt)|*.txt";
                     fd.RestoreDirectory = true ;
                     bool? result = fd.ShowDialog();
                    if(result==true)
                     {
                     String mypath = fd.FileName.ToString();
                    if(File.Exists(mypath))
                     tb1.Text = System.IO.File.ReadAllText(mypath);
                     }
                }
         }
}

Step 8 : Now I'll add the line of code for the "Save" button to save the text file to the storage drive again.

Select the "Save" button
Go to property
Type the name of the method in front of the Click event and press Enter
Here I have named this method as save()

  private void save(object sender, System.Windows.RoutedEventArgs e)
              {
                     Microsoft.Win32.SaveFileDialog svfd = new Microsoft.Win32.SaveFileDialog();
                     svfd.InitialDirectory = "D:\\";
                     svfd.Filter ="Text files (*.txt)|*.txt";
                     svfd.RestoreDirectory = true ;
                     bool? result = svfd.ShowDialog();
                     if(result==true)                     {
                           String mypath3 = svfd.FileName.ToString();
                     if(File.Exists(mypath3))
                     {
                           System.IO.File.Delete(mypath3);
                     }
                     using( FileStream fs = File.Create(mypath3))
                     {
                     //here the text content is read byte by byte and saved to the file
                           Byte[] txtcontent = new UTF8Encoding(true).GetBytes(tb1.Text);
                           fs.Write(txtcontent,0,txtcontent.Length);
                     }
                     }
   }

Step 9 : Now the main task of resizing is to be accomplished. For this :

Add a Slider control to the artboard
Resize this slider control by using selection tool
You may change the display color or gradient of this control
Select this slider control
Go to Property window--> Common property--> In the Maximum field type the value = 100;

Step 10 : Now select the Textbox and do the following changes to the properties.

You can change the foreground/ background color/gradient
In the artboard add a row separating the textbox and the slider control. For this run the mouse along the boundary of the artboard and mark a line border between thetextbox and the slider control
Now go to property window --> layout property --> set the VerticalScrolbarVisibility property--> Auto

Step 11 : Next task is to bind the sliding value of the slider control and the text size. For this:

Select the textbox
Go to property --> Text property
In this select the small square shaped advanced option button alongside of the font size property

This opens a window--> In this select the Databinding option
Again a window opens up--> select the Elementary data binding property--> Select Slider control--> In the list of binding properties select--> "value" property of the slider control. Press OK and exit

Now the sliding value of the slider is bind with the font size of the Text in the Textbox

Step 12 : To see the effect just press F5 and check the application. You'll find that the application runs well showing the text font increasing with the slider movement. Also you can add and save the text file.

Step 13 :Now next job is to resize the image. Follow the steps below:

Now add a page for resizing the image and name this page as image_resizing
Go to File -->New Item-->Window
Name this page as image_resizing

Step 14 : This opens up a page with the artboard and design view. In this page add the following controls

A image box and insert and image into this by dragging and dropping an image from the storage drive
Add 4 buttons named "hplus", "hminus", " wplus" and wminus" respectively for increasing and decreasing the height and width of the image
Now change the contents to "+ " and "-" respectively.See the fig to get it more clear:

Add 2 text blocks and change their contents to "Height" and "Width" respectively
Add 2 Textbox name them as "htext" and "wtext" respectively for the height and width value respectively. Change the content to any height or width value
In the artboard add a row separating the imagebox and the height/width control. For this run the mouse along the boundary of the artboard and mark a line border between thetextbox and the slider control

Step 15 : Now select the "+" button in representing the height.

Go to property
Click on the event button
Type the name of the method in front of the click event. Here I have named it as plus()
Now write the following lines to increase the height of the image through button click

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Text;
using System.Windows;
using System.Windows.Controls;
using System.Windows.Data;
using System.Windows.Documents;
using System.Windows.Input;
using System.Windows.Media;
using System.Windows.Media.Imaging;
using System.Windows.Shapes;
namespace _d
{
       /// <summary>
       /// Interaction logic for image_resizing.xaml
       /// </summary>\
       public partial class image_resizing : Window
       {
              public image_resizing()
              {
                     this.InitializeComponent();
                                         // Insert code required on object creation below this point.
              }
              private void plus(object sender, System.Windows.RoutedEventArgs e)
              {
                     // TODO: Add event handler implementation
                     img.Height = System.Convert.ToInt32(htext.Text) + 1;
                     htext.Text =System.Convert.ToString (System.Convert.ToInt32(htext.Text) + 1);
              }

Step 16 : Now select the "-" button in representing the height.

Go to property
Click on the event button
Type the name of the method in front of the click event. Here I have named it as hmin()
Now write the following lines to decrease the height of the image through button click

  private void hmin(object sender, System.Windows.RoutedEventArgs e)
              {
                     img.Height = System.Convert.ToInt32(htext.Text) - 1;
                     htext.Text = System.Convert.ToString (System.Convert.ToInt32(htext.Text) - 1);
              }

Step 17 : Now select the "+" button in representing the width.

Go to property
Click on the event button
Type the name of the method in front of the click event. Here I have named it as wp()
Now write the following lines to increase the width of the image through button click

private void wm(object sender, System.Windows.RoutedEventArgs e)
{
                     // TODO: Add event handler implementation here.
                     img.Width = System.Convert.ToInt32(wtext.Text) - 1 ;
                     wtext.Text = System.Convert.ToString (System.Convert.ToInt32(wtext.Text) - 1);
             }

Step 18 : Now select the "-" button in representing the width.

Go to property
Click on the event button
Type the name of the method in front of the click event. Here I have named it as wm()
Now write the following lines to decrease the width of the image through button click

Step 19 : Now select the textbox in representing the height.

Go to property
Click on the event button
Type the name of the method in front of the TextChanged event. Here I have named it as hg()
Now write the following lines to change the height of the image through manually typing the height of the image

  private void hg(object sender, System.Windows.Controls.TextChangedEventArgs e)
              {
                     // TODO: Add event handler implementation here.
                     img.Height = System.Convert.ToInt32(htext.Text) ;
              }

Step 20 : Now select the textbox in representing the height.

Go to property
Click on the event button
Type the name of the method in front of the TextChanged event. Here I have named it as wd()
Now write the following lines to change the width of the image through manually typing the width of the image

private void wd(object sender, System.Windows.Controls.TextChangedEventArgs e)
              {
                     // TODO: Add event handler implementation here.
                     img.Width = System.Convert.ToInt32(wtext.Text) ;
              }

Step 21 : The XAML coding of the MainWindow page is :

<Window
       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"
       x:Class="_d.MainWindow"
       x:Name="Window"
       Title="MainWindow"
       Width="640" Height="480">
<Grid x:Name="LayoutRoot">
    <Grid.RowDefinitions>
      <RowDefinition/>
    </Grid.RowDefinitions>
    <TextBox x:Name="tb1" Margin="8,8,108.947,73.416" TextWrapping="Wrap" Text="HI this is sample Text" FontSize="{Binding Value,
ElementName=slider}" VerticalScrollBarVisibility="Auto" HorizontalScrollBarVisibility="Visible" Grid.IsSharedSizeScope="True" Background="#FF41560A"
BorderBrush="#FF69C61F" Foreground="#FFF9DA46" ScrollViewer.CanContentScroll="True"/>
    <Slider x:Name="slider" Margin="177.5,0,198.947,28.916" Maximum="100" VerticalAlignment="Bottom">
      <Slider.Background>
        <LinearGradientBrush EndPoint="0.5,1" MappingMode="RelativeToBoundingBox" StartPoint="0.5,0">
          <GradientStop Color="Black" Offset="0"/>
          <GradientStop Color="#FFB66F63" Offset="1"/>
        </LinearGradientBrush>
      </Slider.Background>
    </Slider>
    <Button x:Name="addbtn" Content="Add" HorizontalAlignment="Right" Height="30" Margin="0,54,14,0" VerticalAlignment="Top" Width="72"
Click="add" Background="#FF848085" BorderBrush="White" OpacityMask="#FF812C5F" Foreground="#FFF7FBF8"/>
    <Button x:Name="savebtn" Content="Save" HorizontalAlignment="Right" Height="27" Margin="0,106.5,14,0" VerticalAlignment="Top" Width="72"
Click="save" Background="#FF8F8F8F" Foreground="#FFF5E9E9"/>
</Grid>
</Window>

Step 22 : The XAML coding of the image resizing page is :

<Window
       xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
       xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
       x:Class="_d.image_resizing"
       x:Name="Window"
       Title="image_resizing"
       Width="640" Height="480">
<Grid x:Name="LayoutRoot">
    <Grid.RowDefinitions>
      <RowDefinition Height="0.824*"/>
      <RowDefinition Height="0.176*"/>
    </Grid.RowDefinitions>
    <Image x:Name="imgbox" Margin="34,18,0,0" HorizontalAlignment="Left" VerticalAlignment="Top" RenderTransformOrigin="0.5,0.5"
Panel.ZIndex="2" ScrollViewer.HorizontalScrollBarVisibility="Auto" ScrollViewer.VerticalScrollBarVisibility="Auto">
      <Image.RenderTransform>
        <TransformGroup>
          <ScaleTransform/>
          <SkewTransform/>
          <RotateTransform/>
          <TranslateTransform X="5" Y="500"/>
        </TransformGroup>
      </Image.RenderTransform>
    </Image>
    <Image x:Name="img" Margin="18,28,0,0" Source="christmas3.jpg" Stretch="Fill" RenderTransformOrigin="0.5,0.5" Panel.ZIndex="100"
HorizontalAlignment="Left" Width="115" Height="88.306" VerticalAlignment="Top"/>
    <TextBlock x:Name="hght" HorizontalAlignment="Left" Margin="10,21.679,0,24.722" TextWrapping="Wrap" Text="Height" Width="59"
Grid.Row="1"/>
    <TextBlock x:Name="wdth" Margin="248,22.2,0,28.542" TextWrapping="Wrap" Text="Width" HorizontalAlignment="Left" Width="59"
Grid.Row="1"/>
    <Button x:Name="wminus" Content="-" Margin="0,0,179,14.722" Click="wm" HorizontalAlignment="Right" Width="16" Height="24.116"
VerticalAlignment="Bottom" Grid.Row="1"/>
    <Button x:Name="wplus" Content="+" Margin="0,6.84,179,0" Click="wp" HorizontalAlignment="Right" Width="16" Height="24.26"
VerticalAlignment="Top" Grid.Row="1"/>
    <Button x:Name="hplus" Content="+" HorizontalAlignment="Left" Margin="180,5.339,0,0" Width="16" Click="plus" Height="24"
VerticalAlignment="Top" Grid.Row="1"/>
    <Button x:Name="hminus" Content="-" HorizontalAlignment="Left" Margin="180,33.339,0,16.062" Width="16" Click="hmin" Grid.Row="1"/>
    <TextBox x:Name="htext" HorizontalAlignment="Left" Margin="74,21.859,0,24.542" TextWrapping="Wrap" Text="50" Width="88"
TextChanged="hg" Grid.Row="1"/>
    <TextBox x:Name="wtext" Margin="0,22.02,213,28.722" TextWrapping="Wrap" Text="150" TextChanged="wd" HorizontalAlignment="Right"
Width="88" Grid.Row="1"/>
</Grid>
</Window>

Step 23 : The XAML coding of the Start page is :

<Window
       xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
       xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
       x:Class="_d.Start_page"
       x:Name="Window"
       Title="Start_page"
       Width="640" Height="480">
<Grid x:Name="LayoutRoot">
    <Image Source="bckgrnd.jpg" Stretch="Fill" Margin="-3,0,3,0">
      <Image.OpacityMask>
        <LinearGradientBrush EndPoint="0.5,1" StartPoint="0.5,0">
          <GradientStop Color="Black" Offset="0"/>
          <GradientStop Color="#FF7C1717" Offset="1"/>
        </LinearGradientBrush>
      </Image.OpacityMask>
    </Image>
    <Button x:Name="resizetxt" Content="Resize Text" Height="38.753" Margin="177,129,184,0" VerticalAlignment="Top" Foreground="#FFEDDE3B"
BorderBrush="#FF5FDC28" Padding="5" FontSize="24" FontFamily="Monotype Corsiva" OpacityMask="Black" Click="textopen">
      <Button.Background>
        <LinearGradientBrush EndPoint="0.5,1" StartPoint="0.5,0">
          <GradientStop Color="#FF188028" Offset="0"/>
          <GradientStop Color="#FF811F1F" Offset="1"/>
        </LinearGradientBrush>
      </Button.Background>
    </Button>
    <Button x:Name="resizeimg" Content="Resize image" Margin="177,196.247,184,207" Foreground="#FFEDDE3B" BorderBrush="#FF5FDC28"
Padding="5" FontSize="24" FontFamily="Monotype Corsiva" OpacityMask="Black" Click="imgopen" ClickMode="Press">
      <Button.Background>
        <LinearGradientBrush EndPoint="0.5,1" StartPoint="0.5,0">
          <GradientStop Color="#FF188028" Offset="0"/>
          <GradientStop Color="#FF892727" Offset="1"/>
        </LinearGradientBrush>
      </Button.Background>
    </Button>
</Grid>
</Window>