The configuration of a Shell based Main Tab configurations has been simplified. For example, the Contacts Main Tab configuration is now:

<l:ShellTabItem x:Name="ContactsMainTab" 

  Header="Contacts" MenuConfigName="Contacts"

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

  <l:ShellMainTabContent

    NavigatorTabItemNames="ContactsNavTab"

    IsLeftHandExpanded="True"

    IsRightHandExpanded="True"/>

</l:ShellTabItem>

A Main Tab Shell configurations consists of three columns, the first containing an Exander and the Navigation area, the second containing the Designer host area where listings are displayed, and the final containing the Preview control where details of the selected item can be displayed and edited.

The properties of ShellMainTabContent control the following aspects of the configuration:

•NavigatorTabItemNames: A comma separated list of Nav Tab names that indicate which NavTabs to load. Use the same value as the one in the NavigatorControl in the original configuration.

•IsLeftHandExpanded: A boolean value indicating whether the expander in the first column containing the Navigator is expanded by default.

•IsRightHandExpanded: A boolean value indicating whether the expander in the last column containing the preview area is expanded by default.

Possibly the approach of a simple Content control encapsulating complex configurations could be extended to other non-shell based Main Tabs.

The standard Shell, Fred and Ted configurations have been updated but requires a build later than 1.5.1543.0 for correct operation.