As reported by WMPoweruser, Microsoft today announced the release of the Windows Phone 8 version of its Windows Phone Toolkit, which is a set of additional tools alongside the Windows Phone SDK that developers can use to add useful controls to their Windows Phone apps. This new software combines the Windows Phone 7 and Windows Phone 8 toolkits into one package, in addition to providing bug fixes and additional controls and features. The new toolkit is downloadable from CodePlex and is installed exclusively through NuGet.
The list of new controls and features in the updated Windows Phone toolkit is as follows: MapExtensions (limited to Windows Phone 8), Various Effects/Transitions, CustomMessageBox, RatingControl, LongListMultiSelector – List Layout (WP8 only), LongListMultiSelector – Grid Layout (WP8 only), ExpanderView, ListPicker, HubTile, DatePicker, TimePicker, ContextMenu, ToggleSwitch Control and AutoCompleteBox. Microsoft provides installation instructions, screenshots and further details in its official blog post.