Day 15

Hours worked/Total: 0.5/22.5

Day Recap

Began expanding the app by learning how to compose views. Successfully added a sidebar view with a draggable GridSplitter for resizing. Faced minor challenges with layout adjustments but ultimately achieved the desired functionality.

What I Did

• Decided to learn how to compose views and added a Sidebar View.
  
  • Created a new AXAML view file for the sidebar and ensured the namespace was named correctly.
  • Manually loaded the sidebar using the InitializeComponent method in the associated class.
• Explored layout options for combining views:
  • Used a GridSplitter, which provides built-in resizing and dragging functionality between grid columns.
  • Experimented with SplitView as an alternative: While it’s simpler to set up, it doesn’t support dragging, which made GridSplitter the better choice for flexibility.
• Adjusted column definitions in the grid layout:
  • Initially, the grid dragged all the way to the edge of the window.
  • Adding proper ColumnDefinitions fixed this, limiting the splitter’s range and improving usability:

Remarks

Learning to compose views and experimenting with layouts made the app feel more polished. The GridSplitter is a powerful tool for creating resizable UI elements, and adding ColumnDefinitions helped control its behavior. The SplitView is simpler but lacks the interactivity I wanted. This step has given me more confidence in creating modular and interactive UIs.

Next Goals

Learn how to finally play MP3 files.