We are glad to announce that the Syncfusion WPF item template support for Visual Studio is now available in our Essential Studio 2021 Volume 1 release.
With this new feature, you can add different types of Syncfusion WPF windows into your WPF application with the required references. Our WPF windows also provide an option to quickly customize the window title bar and comes with various built-in themes to provide an appealing user interface.
In this blog, we are going to explain how to install the Syncfusion WPF extensions and then add the Syncfusion WPF window into your application with the new item template support.
Install the Syncfusion WPF extensions
The new WPF item template support is included in the Syncfusion WPF extensions. So to use them, we have to install the Syncfusion WPF extensions in Visual Studio.
Install from the Visual Studio Manage Extensions dialog box
Follow these steps to install the Syncfusion WPF extensions through the Visual Studio Manage Extensions dialog box:
- Open Visual Studio 2019.
- Navigate to Extension ->Manage Extensions.
Note: If you’re using Visual Studio 2017 or older, you have to navigate to Tools -> Extensions and Updates.
- Select the online tab on the left side and search for Syncfusion WPF using the search box.
- Select the WPF Extensions – Syncfusion option from the list and click the Download button.
- Close all Visual Studio instances and click Modify in the VSIX installer to install the extension.
Install from the Visual Studio Marketplace
Follow these steps to install the Syncfusion WPF extensions from the Visual Studio Marketplace:
- Download the Syncfusion WPF Extensions from the Visual Studio Marketplace.
- Close all running Visual Studio instances, if any.
- Double-click on the downloaded extension. The VSIX Installer window will open. In it, click the Install button.
How to use the Syncfusion WPF item template
The Syncfusion WPF item template for Visual Studio has two windows:
- Chromeless Window
- Ribbon Window
With them, you can easily customize the title bar and change the built-in themes. To use the Syncfusion WPF item template, open an existing WPF app or create a new one in Visual Studio.
Here are three different ways you can use Syncfusion WPF item templates in your app.
Option 1: Using Syncfusion WPF item template gallery
Follow these steps to add the Syncfusion window from the Syncfusion WPF item template gallery:
- Right-click on your WPF application in the Solution Explorer window. Select the Add Syncfusion Item option from the menu.
- The Syncfusion WPF Item Template Gallery window will open. In this window, select either ChromelessWindow or RibbonWindow.
- Click the Installed Location radio button in the Reference From section.
- Provide a name for the window and click Add. Refer to the following screenshot.
Option 2: Using the Add New Item dialog and Syncfusion menu
Follow these steps to add the Syncfusion WPF window from the Add New Item dialog and Syncfusion menu:
- Open Visual Studio 2019. Navigate to Extensions ->Syncfusion -> Essential Studio for WPF -> Add Chromeless or Ribbon Window.
Note: In Visual Studio 2017 or older versions, the Syncfusion menu will be in the Visual Studio menu directly.
- The Add New Item – SyncfusionWPF dialog will appear with the selected window. In this dialog box, provide a name for the window and click Add.
Option 3: Using the Add New Item dialog alone
Follow these steps to add the Syncfusion WPF Window from the Add New Item dialog alone:
- Right-click on your WPF application in the Solution Explorer window.
- Select Add -> New Item. Navigate to Visual C# or Visual Basic -> Syncfusion-> WPF. Select the required window and click Add.
- Choose either the Chromeless Window or Ribbon Window.
- Provide a name for the window and click the Add button.
The selected window will be added into your WPF application with the required Syncfusion WPF references as shown in the following screenshot.
How to run the Syncfusion WPF Window
Follow these steps to run the application with the created window:
- Open the App.xaml file in your WPF application.
- Change the StartupUri attribute value to WindowName.xaml. For Example, if the added window name is ChromelessWindow1, then change the value to ChromelessWindow1.xaml as shown here.
- Now, run the application. The added Syncfusion WPF window will open in your application.
Conclusion
Thanks for reading! In this blog, we have seen how to install the Syncfusion WPF extensions and add a WPF window with the new WPF item template support for Visual Studio. For more information, refer to our adding Syncfusion window to WPF app documentation. This feature is available in our 2021 Volume 1 release. You can also check out other new WPF features in our Release Notes and What’s New pages.
The Syncfusion WPF controls include over 100 modern UI controls for building beautiful, high performance line-of-business WPF applications. Use them to boost your application development speed.
If you aren’t a Syncfusion customer yet, you can try our 30-day free trial to check out our wares. Also, we encourage you to try our samples available at this GitHub location.
If you wish to send us feedback, please use the comments section below. If you would like to submit any questions, please feel free to contact us through our support forum, Direct-Trac, or feedback portal. We are always happy to assist you!
