Code Snippets for doing common tasks on your Windows Phone 7

This post is all about the code snippets for doing certain things on your Windows Phone you always wanted to do. When you want to write a piece of code to perform a task on your phone, you need to have a understanding of Launchers & Choosers from the Microsoft.Phone.Tasks Namespace. So, let me explain it in few lines.

Launcher is an API that launches one of the built-in applications on your phone and does nothing else. (Launch media player, maps, SMS Compose etc.)

Unlike Launchers, choosers can return data and status to your application. That's the difference. (Choose a address from address book, contact from the list, choose a photo)

No more story. Launch Visual Studio, Create a small new Windows Phone Application. Add the namespace Microsoft.Phone.Tasks, fold your shirt cuffs and start here.

Launchers

Howto : Compose a SMS

SmsComposeTask smsTask = new SmsComposeTask();
smsTask.To = "9886190002";
smsTask.Body = "This is my new SMS";
smsTask.Show();

Howto : Launch the browser and open a webpage

WebBrowserTask task = new WebBrowserTask();
task.Uri = new Uri("http://google.com", UriKind.Absolute);
task.Show();

Howto : Launch the screen to turn on/off Wifi,Bluetooth or Cellular Data

ConnectionSettingsTask cstask = new ConnectionSettingsTask();
cstask.ConnectionSettingsType = ConnectionSettingsType.WiFi;
cstask.Show();
//Instead of WiFi,  you can also launch AirplaneMode, BlueTooth or Cellular settings screen 
//by setting the appropriate ConnectionSettingsType in the above code.

Howto : Compose a Email

EmailComposeTask ectask = new EmailComposeTask();
ectask.Subject = "your email subject";
ectask.Body = " body of your email";
ectask.To = "john@gmail.com";
ectask.Cc = "frank@gmail.com";
ectask.Bcc = "david@gmail.com";
ectask.Show();

Howto : Share status on the social media website of your choice

ShareStatusTask task = new ShareStatusTask();
task.Status = "I am having my dinner now";
task.Show();

Howto : Launch the web search application

SearchTask stask = new SearchTask();
stask.SearchQuery = "angry birds";
stask.Show();

Howto : Launch the Phone application. Use this to allow users to make a phone call from your application.

PhoneCallTask pctask = new PhoneCallTask();
pctask.PhoneNumber = "9886123456";
pctask.DisplayName = "James";
pctask.Show();

Howto : Launch the Mediaplayer with a config of your choice

MediaPlayerLauncher mpLaunchertask = new MediaPlayerLauncher();
mpLaunchertask.Media = new Uri("tomjerry.wmv", UriKind.Relative);
mpLaunchertask.Location = MediaLocationType.Data;
mpLaunchertask.Controls = MediaPlaybackControls.Pause | MediaPlaybackControls.Stop;
mpLaunchertask.Orientation = MediaPlayerOrientation.Landscape;
mpLaunchertask.Show();

Howto : Launch the Bing Maps with a specified/current location centered

BingMapsTask task = new BingMapsTask();
//Omit the Center property to use the user's current location.
// task.Center = new GeoCoordinate(41.6124, -112.3243);
task.SearchTerm = "pizza";
task.ZoomLevel = 2;
task.Show();

Howto : Launch the screen to share a link on a social media of your choice

ShareLinkTask task = new ShareLinkTask();
task.Title = "Troubleshoot";
task.LinkUri = new Uri("http://abc.com/troubleshoot.aspx", UriKind.Absolute);
task.Message = "Here are some great code samples for Windows Phone.";
task.Show();

Choosers

Howto : Choose Address and Display it

AddressChooserTask task = new AddressChooserTask();
task.Completed+=new EventHandler(addressChooserTask_Completed);
try
{
    task.Show();
}
catch (System.InvalidOperationException ex)
{
    MessageBox.Show("An error occurred.");
}

void addressChooserTask_Completed(object sender, AddressResult e)
{
    if (e.TaskResult == TaskResult.OK)
    {
        MessageBox.Show("The address for " + e.DisplayName + " is " + e.Address);
    }
}

Howto : Capture a photo using the camera and show it to user

CameraCaptureTask task  = new CameraCaptureTask();
task.Completed += new EventHandler(cameraCaptureTask_Completed);
try
{
    task.Show();
}
catch (System.InvalidOperationException ex)
{
    MessageBox.Show("An error occurred.");
}


void cameraCaptureTask_Completed(object sender, PhotoResult e)
{
    if (e.TaskResult == TaskResult.OK)
    {
        //Code to display the photo on the page in an image control named myImage.
        System.Windows.Media.Imaging.BitmapImage bmp = new System.Windows.Media.Imaging.BitmapImage();
        bmp.SetSource(e.ChosenPhoto);
        myImage.Source = bmp;
    }
}

Howto : Allow user to Choose a email adress and display it

EmailAddressChooserTask task = new EmailAddressChooserTask();
task.Completed += new EventHandler(emailAddressChooserTask_Completed);
try
{
    task.Show();
}
catch (System.InvalidOperationException ex)
{
    MessageBox.Show("An error occurred.");
}


void emailAddressChooserTask_Completed(object sender, EmailResult e)
{
    if (e.TaskResult == TaskResult.OK)
    {
        MessageBox.Show("The email for " + e.DisplayName + " is " + e.Email);
    }
}

Howto : Allow user to Choose a Phone Number and display it

PhoneNumberChooserTask task;
task = new PhoneNumberChooserTask();
task.Completed += new EventHandler(phoneNumberChooserTask_Completed);
try
{
    task.Show();
}
catch (System.InvalidOperationException ex)
{
    MessageBox.Show("An error occurred.");
}

void phoneNumberChooserTask_Completed(object sender, PhoneNumberResult e)
{
    if (e.TaskResult == TaskResult.OK)
    {
        MessageBox.Show("The phone number for " + e.DisplayName + " is " + e.PhoneNumber);
    }
}

Howto : Allow user to choose a photo and display it

PhotoChooserTask task = new PhotoChooserTask();
task.Completed += new EventHandler(photoChooserTask_Completed);
try
{
    task.Show();
}
catch (System.InvalidOperationException ex)
{
    MessageBox.Show("An error occurred.");
}

void photoChooserTask_Completed(object sender, PhotoResult e)
{
    if (e.TaskResult == TaskResult.OK)
    {
        // display the photo on the page in an image control named imgctrl.
        System.Windows.Media.Imaging.BitmapImage bmp = new  
        System.Windows.Media.Imaging.BitmapImage();
        bmp.SetSource(e.ChosenPhoto);
        imgctrl.Source = bmp;
    }
}

Howto : Allow user to save a ringtone from your application

SaveRingtoneTask task;
task = new SaveRingtoneTask();
task.Completed += new EventHandler(saveRingtoneChooser_Completed);

try
{
    task.Source = new Uri("appdata:/EminemTone.wma");
    // task.Source = new Uri("isostore:/ EminemTone.wma"); 
    task.DisplayName = "My custom ringtone";
    task.Show();
}
catch (System.InvalidOperationException ex)
{
    MessageBox.Show("An error occurred.");
}

void saveRingtoneChooser_Completed(object sender, TaskEventArgs e)
{
    switch (e.TaskResult)
    {
        //When the ringtone was saved successfully
        case TaskResult.OK:
            MessageBox.Show("Ringtone saved.");
            break;

        //When the task was cancelled by the user
        case TaskResult.Cancel:
            MessageBox.Show("Cancelled.");
            break;

        //When the ringtone could not be saved
        case TaskResult.None:
            MessageBox.Show("Could not be saved.");
            break;
    }
}

Howto : Allow the user to save a contact from the application

SaveContactTask task  = new SaveContactTask();
task.Completed += new EventHandler(saveContactTask_Completed);
try
{
    task.FirstName = "Jessy";
    task.LastName = "Dove";
    task.MobilePhone = "123456789";
    task.Show();
}
catch (System.InvalidOperationException ex)
{
    MessageBox.Show("An error occurred.");
}

void saveContactTask_Completed(object sender, SaveContactResult e)
{
    switch (e.TaskResult)
    {
        //When the contact was saved successfully
        case TaskResult.OK:
            MessageBox.Show("Contact saved.");
            break;

        //When the task was cancelled by the user
        case TaskResult.Cancel:
            MessageBox.Show("Save cancelled.");
            break;

        //When the contact could not be saved
        case TaskResult.None:
            MessageBox.Show("Contact could not be saved.");
            break;
    }
}

Howto : Allow the user to save a phone number to new or existing contact

SavePhoneNumberTask task = new SavePhoneNumberTask();
task.Completed += new EventHandler(savePhoneNumberTask_Completed);
try
{
    task.PhoneNumber = "123456789";
    task.Show();
}
catch (System.InvalidOperationException ex)
{
    MessageBox.Show("An error occurred.");
}

void savePhoneNumberTask_Completed(object sender, TaskEventArgs e)
{
    switch (e.TaskResult)
    {
        //When the number was saved successfully
        case TaskResult.OK:
            MessageBox.Show("Phone number saved.");
            break;

        //When the task was cancelled by the user
        case TaskResult.Cancel:
            MessageBox.Show("Save cancelled.");
            break;

        //When the number could not be saved
        case TaskResult.None:
            MessageBox.Show("Phone number could not be saved.");
            break;
    }
}