How to: Change the Start Page of a Windows 8 App in Visual Studio 2012

when you create a new modern ui(metro) windows 8 project in visual studio , a default start page mainpage.xaml will be created automatically along with other necessary files needed for running the windows 8 app.

if you want to change the default start page of the windows 8 app from mainpage.xaml to another file for example (firstpage.xaml) , you can do that by following the below steps.

the app.xaml.cs has the onlaunched event where the initial start page is defined . by default , the mainpage is included .

how to change the start page of the windows 8 app in visual studio 2012 ?

you can create a new blank xaml page and replace “mainpage” with the newly create page name . for example , if your new pagename is firstpage.xaml , then replace mainpage with the firstpage like the way shown in the below sourcecode sample.

// invoked when the application is launched normally by the end user.  other entry points
// will be used when the application is launched to open a specific file, to display
// search results, and so forth.
//details about the launch request and process.
protected override void onlaunched(launchactivatedeventargs args)
{
            // do not repeat app initialization when already running, just ensure that
            // the window is active
            if (args.previousexecutionstate == applicationexecutionstate.running)
            {
                window.current.activate();
                return;
            }

            if (args.previousexecutionstate == applicationexecutionstate.terminated)
            {
                //todo: load state from previously suspended application
            }

            // create a frame to act navigation context and navigate to the first page
            var rootframe = new frame();
            if (!rootframe.navigate(typeof(firstpage)))
            {
                throw new exception("failed to create initial page");
            }

            // place the frame in the current window and ensure that it is active
            window.current.content = rootframe;
            window.current.activate();
}

now , run the application . you should see the application running with the new start page in the emulator now