I have a Windows Phone 7 app which I'm trying to create a Windows Phone 8 version of it. In the app I have a ResourceDictionary defined in a XAML file as: ``` My App Name ``` This ResourceDictionary is referenced in App.xaml as: ``` ``` And then the easy part of doing: ``` ``` The above works perfectly fine with Windows Phone 7, however, in Windows Phone 8 there is an additional `Applic…

How to use ResourceDictionary as StaticResource in Windows Phone 8

resourcedictionary, valueconverter, windows-phone-8, xaml

Solution

Move the localized strings entry into the top-level application resource dictionary.

<!--Application Resources-->
<Application.Resources>
        <ResourceDictionary x:Key="MainDictionary">
            <ResourceDictionary.MergedDictionaries>
                <ResourceDictionary Source="Assets/Constants.xaml"/>
                <!-- etc. -->
            </ResourceDictionary.MergedDictionaries>
            <myNamespace:LocalizedStrings x:Key="LocalizedStrings"/>
        </ResourceDictionary>
</Application.Resources>

Problem

I have a Windows Phone 7 app which I'm trying to create a Windows Phone 8 version of it. In the app I have a ResourceDictionary defined in a XAML file as: ``` <ResourceDictionary xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation" xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml" xmlns:sys="clr-namespace:System;assembly=mscorlib"> <sys:String x:Key="AppName">My App Name</sys:String>  </ResourceDictionary> ``` This ResourceDictionary is referenced in App.xaml as: ```  <Application.Resources> <ResourceDictionary> <ResourceDictionary.MergedDictionaries> <ResourceDictionary Source="Assets/Constants.xaml"/>  </ResourceDictionary.MergedDictionaries> </ResourceDictionary> </Application.Resources> ``` And then the easy part of doing: ``` <TextBlock x:Name="ApplicationTitle" Text="{StaticResource AppName}"/> ``` The above works perfectly fine with Windows Phone 7, however, in Windows Phone 8 there is an additional `Application.Resources` item which is `<myNamespace:LocalizedStrings x:Key="LocalizedStrings"/>` which when I have my app does not compile as it complains about Each dictionary entry must have an associated key. So I changed by code to be: ```  <Application.Resources> <myNamespace:LocalizedStrings x:Key="LocalizedStrings"/> <ResourceDictionary x:Key="MainDictionary"> <ResourceDictionary.MergedDictionaries> <ResourceDictionary Source="Assets/Constants.xaml"/>  </ResourceDictionary.MergedDictionaries> </ResourceDictionary> </Application.Resources> ``` Now I have another problem. My app compiles but when it runs it throws a `XamlParseException`: Cannot find a Resource with the Name/Key AppName This all happens because of `LocalizedStrings` resource. Can someone help in making that work? By the way, I have the same issue with the Value Converters; if they are done differently I appreciate if someone can help in that as well. Thanks in advance.

Original source