Difference between Window and Page Controls in WPF?

Difference between Window and Page Controls in WPF?

In this article on "Difference between Window and Page Controls in WPF", I will try to explain the difference between window and page controls used in WPF. Both controls have different usage depending on different requirements of the application. Lets try to understand this difference.

1. Window Control (Window.xaml) are used for Windows Application while Page Control (Page.xaml) is used for making Browser Hosted Applications. Page can be implemented as root element in Xaml file and can contain single element similar to window.

<Page x:Class="WpfApplication1.Page1"

      xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"

      xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"

      Title="Page1">

      Welcome to WPF Page Navigation.

</Page>

Similar to normal xaml file you can specify page name StartupUrl inside App.xaml to open specific page.

<Application x:Class="WpfApplication1.App"

             xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"

             xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"

             StartupUri="Page1.xaml">

</Application>

2. Page Control can be contained in Window Control but vice versa is not possible

You can use Page control within the Window control using NavigationWindow and Frame controls. Window is the root control that must be used to hold/host other controls (e.g. Button) as container. Page is a control which can be hosted in other container controls like NavigationWindow or Frame. Page control has its own goal to serve like other controls (e.g. Button). Page is to create browser like applications. So if you host Page in NavigationWindow, you will get the navigation implementation built-in. Pages are intended for use in Navigation applications (usually with Back and Forward buttons, e.g. Internet Explorer). 

WPF provides support for browser style navigation inside standalone application using Page class. User can create multiple pages, navigate between those pages along with data.There are multiple ways available to Navigate through one page to another page.

Frame class provides inbuilt support NavigationFramework. Let’s have a look on below code.

<StackPanel>

    <TextBlock Margin="10">This is Main Window.</TextBlock>

    <Frame Margin="10"

        Source="Page1.xaml"

            JournalOwnership="OwnsJournal"></Frame>

</StackPanel>