NuGet package: http://nuget.org/packages/RichTextBlock.Html2Xaml

RichTextBlock.Html2Xaml

Introduction

The WinRT RichTextBlock control serves to display read-only rich formatted text. However, it supports a limited subset of XAML, and no HTML.

In scenario's where you want to display a field that contains HTML rich formatted text (e.g. when you have clients on multiple platforms, such as web, WinRT, iOS and Android), this package offers an alternative to using an embedded browser control. Using a browser control impacts performance and limits the UI experience (e.g. the WebView control does not support transparency).

RichTextBlock.Html2Xaml adds an Html extension property to RichTextBlock controls, that you can set (or data bind) to a string containing an Html snippet.

Functionality

The RichTextBlock control only supports a limited set of XAML; this package supports translating an equivalent limited set of HTML markup via an XSLT. The XSLT allows for simple modification or extension of the XAML to HTML conversion. Any unsupported HTML tags will be discarded, but their text content will be displayed.

The extension property is implemented in two simple source files that can be modified easily: one C# and one XSLT source file, no binaries.

Distribution: NuGet

RichTextBlock.Html2Xaml is distributed as a NuGet package. The package is named RichTextBlock.Html2Xaml. The RichTextBlock.Html2Xaml NuGet package places two files in your Windows Store project, in the Common folder:

• Common\RichTextBlockHtml2Xaml.xslt
• Common\RichTextBlockProperties.cs

Usage

1. In a XAML file, declare the namespace of the Common folder in your project, e.g.: xmlns:common="using:WinRT_RichTextBlock.Html2Xaml.Common"

2. In RichTextBlock controls, set or databind the Html property, e.g.:

<RichTextBlock common:Properties.Html="{Binding ...}"/> or <RichTextBlock> <common:Properties.Html> <![CDATA[ <p>This is a list:</p> <ul> <li>Item 1</li> <li>Item 2</li> <li>Item 3</li> </ul> ]]> </common:Properties.Html> </RichTextBlock>