Build the accessible and adaptive interface

Now ask the assistant to create the page. Name the WinUI controls you want so it doesn't substitute a control from another UI framework.

Ask for the XAML

Use this prompt:

Create MainPage.xaml for TaskTally.

- Use a TextBox with a visible Header and an Add task Button.
- Use ListView for the task collection. Don't wrap it in ScrollViewer.
- In each row, use a CheckBox, task title, and delete Button.
- Use InfoBar for save and error status.
- Use x:Bind and specify Mode for every binding that changes.
- For TextBox.Text, use Mode=TwoWay and
  UpdateSourceTrigger=PropertyChanged.
- Add accessible names and tooltips for icon-only commands.
- Add an empty state.
- At widths below 640 effective pixels, move the Add task button
  below the TextBox and stretch it.
- Use theme resources instead of hard-coded colors.
- Build and fix all XAML compiler and analyzer warnings.

Inspect these details in the generated XAML.

Data entry

<TextBox
    x:Name="NewTaskTextBox"
    Header="New task"
    PlaceholderText="For example, review the generated XAML"
    Text="{x:Bind ViewModel.NewTaskTitle, Mode=TwoWay,
                  UpdateSourceTrigger=PropertyChanged}" />
<Button
    x:Name="AddTaskButton"
    Grid.Column="1"
    VerticalAlignment="Bottom"
    AutomationProperties.Name="Add task"
    Command="{x:Bind ViewModel.AddTaskCommand}"
    Content="Add task" />

The visible Header means the input doesn't rely on placeholder text as its only label. UpdateSourceTrigger=PropertyChanged updates the view model as the user types, so the command can enable immediately.

Task collection

Define a typed data template:

<DataTemplate x:Key="TaskTemplate" x:DataType="models:TaskItem">
    <Grid Padding="8" ColumnSpacing="12">
        <Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
            <ColumnDefinition Width="Auto" />
            <ColumnDefinition Width="*" />
            <ColumnDefinition Width="Auto" />
        </Grid.ColumnDefinitions>

        <CheckBox
            VerticalAlignment="Center"
            AutomationProperties.Name="{x:Bind Title}"
            Click="TaskCheckBox_Click"
            IsChecked="{x:Bind IsComplete, Mode=TwoWay}" />
        <TextBlock
            Grid.Column="1"
            VerticalAlignment="Center"
            Text="{x:Bind Title}" />
        <Button
            Grid.Column="2"
            VerticalAlignment="Center"
            AutomationProperties.Name="{x:Bind local:MainPage.DeleteTaskName(Title),
                                                Mode=OneWay}"
            Click="DeleteButton_Click"
            DataContext="{x:Bind}"
            ToolTipService.ToolTip="Delete task">
            <FontIcon Glyph="&#xE74D;" />
        </Button>
    </Grid>
</DataTemplate>

Use a static function to include the task title in the delete button's automation name, so a screen reader can distinguish between rows:

public static string DeleteTaskName(string title) => $"Delete {title}";

Then bind the collection:

<ListView
    AutomationProperties.Name="Tasks"
    ItemTemplate="{StaticResource TaskTemplate}"
    ItemsSource="{x:Bind ViewModel.Tasks, Mode=OneWay}"
    SelectionMode="None" />

ListView provides scrolling and UI virtualization. Wrapping it in a ScrollViewer interferes with both.

Learn more: ListView and GridView and Data binding with XAML.

Status and empty state

Use InfoBar for a nonblocking status message:

<InfoBar
    IsClosable="True"
    IsOpen="{x:Bind ViewModel.IsStatusOpen, Mode=TwoWay}"
    Message="{x:Bind ViewModel.StatusMessage, Mode=OneWay}"
    Severity="{x:Bind local:MainPage.StatusSeverity(ViewModel.HasError),
                      Mode=OneWay}" />

Use a static function to convert the empty-state Boolean to Visibility without adding a converter class:

public static Visibility BoolToVisibility(bool value) =>
    value ? Visibility.Visible : Visibility.Collapsed;

public static InfoBarSeverity StatusSeverity(bool hasError) =>
    hasError ? InfoBarSeverity.Error : InfoBarSeverity.Success;

<TextBlock
    HorizontalAlignment="Center"
    VerticalAlignment="Center"
    Text="Add a task to get started."
    Visibility="{x:Bind local:MainPage.BoolToVisibility(ViewModel.HasNoTasks),
                        Mode=OneWay}" />

Run the app before adding data and confirm that the empty state is clear and the Add task button is disabled:

Adaptive layout

Use visual states to move the button below the input:

<VisualStateManager.VisualStateGroups>
    <VisualStateGroup>
        <VisualState x:Name="Narrow">
            <VisualState.StateTriggers>
                <AdaptiveTrigger MinWindowWidth="0" />
            </VisualState.StateTriggers>
            <VisualState.Setters>
                <Setter Target="AddTaskButton.(Grid.Row)" Value="1" />
                <Setter Target="AddTaskButton.(Grid.Column)" Value="0" />
                <Setter Target="AddTaskButton.HorizontalAlignment" Value="Stretch" />
            </VisualState.Setters>
        </VisualState>
        <VisualState x:Name="Standard">
            <VisualState.StateTriggers>
                <AdaptiveTrigger MinWindowWidth="640" />
            </VisualState.StateTriggers>
        </VisualState>
    </VisualStateGroup>
</VisualStateManager.VisualStateGroups>

Resize the running app across the breakpoint. A responsive claim in a prompt isn't evidence that the layout works.

Learn more: Responsive layouts with XAML.

Connect view-specific events

The page loads persisted data once and delegates task changes to the view model:

public sealed partial class MainPage : Page
{
    public MainPageViewModel ViewModel { get; } = new();

    public MainPage()
    {
        InitializeComponent();
        Loaded += MainPage_Loaded;
    }

    private async void MainPage_Loaded(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
    {
        Loaded -= MainPage_Loaded;
        await ViewModel.InitializeAsync();
        NewTaskTextBox.Focus(FocusState.Programmatic);
    }

    private async void TaskCheckBox_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
    {
        await ViewModel.TaskCompletionChangedAsync();
    }

    private async void DeleteButton_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
    {
        if (sender is Button { DataContext: TaskItem task })
        {
            await ViewModel.DeleteTaskCommand.ExecuteAsync(task);
        }
    }
}

Event handlers with an async void return type are appropriate here because XAML events require void. Other asynchronous methods in the app return Task.

Build and run

Build the app, launch it through its package, and test every acceptance criterion that is now implemented:

1. Add a task with the mouse.
2. Add a task using only the keyboard.
3. Complete and delete a task.
4. Close and restart the app to verify persistence.
5. Resize the window below and above 640 effective pixels.
6. Switch between light, dark, and a contrast theme.

Catch an AI mistake and verify the finished app