DevWeek Day 3 wrapped up my attendance with increasingly advanced sessions. Christian Weyer's talks on SOA development using the Webservice Software Factory (and its limitations) and integrating WPF, WCF, and WF were insightful, showcasing practical applications and upcoming open-source tools. Niels Berglund's LINQ discussion, while informative, left me wanting more technical depth and raised concerns about tight database coupling. Jeff Prosise's WPF/E presentation highlighted its potential for rich web UI but also its current limitations regarding input controls and data binding. The lack of VisualBrush in WPF/E and its similarities with the upcoming Flash 9 release were noteworthy discussion points.
Microsoft has renamed WinFX to .NET Framework 3.0. This new version will include the existing .NET Framework 2.0 components (ASP.NET, WinForms, ADO.NET, additional base class libraries, and the CLR) along with new technologies like WPF, WCF, WF, and WCS. However, there's no mention of C# 3.0 being included, and the author finds this renaming confusing and unnecessary.
I've reinstalled the latest WPF and WCF beta versions and I'm planning to write some blog posts about it very soon. I'm ready to dive back into WPF and share new insights.
Inspired by my recent success binding XAML directly to Amazon's web service, I'm exploring the possibility of extending this approach to other RESTful services. Imagine building applications, like my AJAX Tagger, entirely in XAML, without any C# code. This hinges on WPF's capabilities. Do you think it's feasible?
I'm diving back into XAML after a break and reviewing "Programming: Windows Presentation Foundation." So far, the book is well-written with clear C# and XAML examples. While the initial XAML overview is a bit fast-paced, the layout section (Chapter 2) is excellent, offering helpful examples for each concept.
I've been discussing how to load styles and new UI designs into an Avalon application, specifically focusing on the challenge of connecting the UI to the code-behind class when loading XAML at runtime. While the XAML loader can parse properties, it doesn't automatically handle event delegate generation and element naming like compiled code/BAML. One idea is to have UI designers create BAML, allowing the app to load new compiled XAML and use the same code-behind class. Another approach involves designing multiple layouts sharing the same code-behind class. I'm also exploring loading a XAML file with resources at runtime and assigning them dynamically. More to come on my findings!
I've encountered a crash in XAMLPad (May CTP) when animating the width of a MenuItem. Specifically, if I remove the "From" attribute in a DoubleAnimation within a SetterTimeline, XAMLPad crashes. I expected the animation to start from the MenuItem's default width. Is this the correct way to use DoubleAnimation without specifying "From"? The crash occurs in a specific context: the Timeline is defined within a Style applied to a HeaderTemplate's DataTemplate element for a custom-drawn control. See the linked XAML for a complete example.
I've been experimenting with the Microsoft Avalon CTP (Community Technology Preview) Framework and wanted to share a simple XAML menu example. This example demonstrates how to create a custom style for menu items to make them look like GelButtons. Initially, I tried using a ControlTemplate but later realized a HeaderTemplate within the style was the correct approach. The XAML code provided creates a menu with styled menu items, showcasing how to customize the appearance and behavior of menu items in Avalon.
