Blend for Visual Studio 2012

Blend for Visual Studio 2012 helps you design and build engaging and sophisticated user interfaces by providing you with an accurate design surface and tools that let you visually create and edit Microsoft Windows applications.

With Blend, you can design and build Windows Phone applications and Windows store apps.

For more information about building Windows Store apps, see Blend for Visual Studio on the Windows Dev Center.

You can create Windows Phone applications quickly and easily by using Blend.

The ability to design Windows Phone projects in Blend is available as a stand-alone application when you install the Windows Phone SDK 8.0.

Windows Phone projects are also available in Blend when you install the Windows Phone SDK 8.0 in addition to an existing installation of Blend.

Using Blend with the Windows Phone SDK 8.0 installed, you can:

• Create Windows Phone applications by using built-in Windows Phone templates.

• Design your application by using built-in user controls designed for Windows Phone.

• Add interactivity to your application by using built-in behaviors for Windows Phone projects.

• Preview your application on either the Windows Phone Emulator or on a Windows Phone device attached to your computer.

Install the Windows Phone SDK 8.0 to start designing Windows Phone projects using Blend.

In This Section

Designing Windows Phone apps with Blend

Blend workspace (Windows Phone)

Create a project (Windows Phone)

Upgrade a project (Windows Phone)

Create content for Windows Phone

Modify the Device panel settings

Windows Phone Emulator overview

Preview a Windows Phone project

Blend for Visual Studio SDK for Windows Phone 8.0, which includes:

• Working with built-in behaviors for Windows Phone

• Creating custom behaviors (Windows Phone)

• Creating custom triggers and actions (Windows Phone)

• Programming reference