Navigate to XAML page when tile is pressed

Question

I'm working in WP8 and I would like to know if it's possible to redirect the user to a custom page instead of the default MainPage when the application's tile is pressed.

For example, Toast Notifications have a NavigationUri that let's you enter a custom page to load after it's pressed. On tiles you can only get that information and not set it. So there is any other way or I'm missing something?

Answer 1

This is all covered nicely in this blog post: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/ptorr/archive/2010/08/28/redirecting-an-initial-navigation.aspx?wa=wsignin1.0

Essentially the idea is to cancel the default navigation and then request a navigation to whichever Page you want.

Answer 2

When you are creating the tile, you are specifying the URL to which to navigate. Simply include an additional parameter, such as comingFrom and set it to tile - in the view OnNavigatedTo , check whether the parameter is present ( QueryString is your friend).

If it is - you navigated from a tile. If it's not - you didn't.

Answer 3

Sounds like you need a SecondaryTile . SecondaryTiles allow you to navigate to a different page than your "MainPage" if you so desire.

Here is an example of how to create a secondary tile

ShellTile tileToFind = ShellTile.ActiveTiles.FirstOrDefault(x => x.NavigationUri.ToString().Contains("Page2.xaml"));
if (tileToFind == null) // have not pinned this page yet!
{
    // Create the tile if we didn't find it already exists.
    var tileData = new StandardTileData
    {
        Title = "Navigate To Page2",
    };

    // Create the tile and pin it to Start. This will cause a navigation to Start and a deactivation of our application.
    ShellTile.Create(new Uri("/Page2.xaml", UriKind.Relative), tileData);
}

This will place a new tile on the start screen and when you tap it, it will navigate to Page2.