Question

I am referring to http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/hh464925.aspx#app_activation

    // App is an Application
    public App()
    {
        this.InitializeComponent();

        // Doesn't compile
        //this.Activated += OnActivated;

        this.Suspending += OnSuspending;
    }

    protected override void OnActivated(IActivatedEventArgs args)
    {
        System.Diagnostics.Debug.WriteLine("OnActivated");
    }

    private void OnSuspending(object sender, SuspendingEventArgs e)
    {
        var deferral = e.SuspendingOperation.GetDeferral();
        deferral.Complete();
    }

Note, OnActivated will never be triggered. OnSuspending will be triggered, after I quit the app around 30 seconds.

How can I capture Activated event? It is weird that I do not find Activated event in App, although the documentation says so.

Answer 1

The activation is a little confusing. Take a look at the documentation here:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/br242324.aspx

What you’ll find is that when the user taps the tile, only the OnLaunched event is fired (see documentation here: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/windows.ui.xaml.application.onactivated.aspx )

The OnActivated is only for special cases outside of the ordinary launch. That would be any one of the following:

OnFileActivated
OnSearchActivated
OnShareTargetActivated
OnFileOpenPickerActivated
OnFileSavePickerActivated
OnCachedFileUpdaterActivated

So if you truly want something that is called anytime the app is activated regardless of how, I’d suggest making your own private method, then calling it from both OnLaunched and OnActivated. That should hit all cases for activation.