XAML Unleashed

by Nathan, Adam

• ISBN13: 9780672337222
• ISBN10: 0672337223
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2014-12-21
• Publisher: Sams Publishing

Summary

Full Color: Figures and code appear as they do in Visual Studio.

If you want to write Windows apps with XAML, one person can help you more than anyone else: Adam Nathan. He has built a well-deserved reputation as the world’s #1 expert on putting it to work. Now, he’s written the definitive, practical XAML tutorial and reference: XAML Unleashed.

Nathan answers the questions you’re most likely to ask, walks through the tasks you’re sure to perform, and helps you avoid problems as you use XAML. You’ll learn how to create effective user interfaces for line-of-business apps, consumer apps, reusable controls, or anything else. These techniques will be invaluable whether you’re creating universal Windows apps or working with Silverlight or WPF.

XAML Unleashed is packed with C# and XAML code examples that are fully color-coded to match their appearance in Visual Studio--the same approach that has made Nathan’s previous Unleashed books so popular.

Detailed information on how to...

• Understand and apply XAML’s syntax, namespaces, and keywords
• Organize controls and other elements in a smooth and intuitive user interface
• Make the most of XAML’s rich controls for content, items, images, text, and media
• Build exceptionally powerful user and custom controls
• Master reliable and efficient ways to mix XAML with procedural code
• Extend XAML with type converters, markup extensions, and other third-party desktop classes
• Use data binding to link and synchronize controls with in-memory representations of data
• Leverage XAML’s support for binary and logical resources
• Use styles, templates, and visual states to radically redesign controls without sacrificing their built-in functionality
• Access the Windows animation library to create stunning theme transitions and animations
• Build custom panels to enforce consistency in unusual user interfaces
• Understand subtle changes in XAML’s behavior across different Microsoft UI frameworks

Author Biography

Adam Nathan is a principal software architect for Microsoft, a best-selling technical author, and a prolific developer of apps for Windows. He introduced XAML to countless developers through his books on a variety of Microsoft technologies. Currently a part of the Windows team, Adam has previously worked on Visual Studio and the Common Language Runtime. He was the founding developer and architect of Popfly, Microsoft’s first Silverlight-based product, named by PCWorld as one of its year’s most innovative products. He is also the founder of PINVOKE.NET, the online resource for .NET developers who need to access Win32. His apps have been featured on Lifehacker, Gizmodo, ZDNet, ParentMap, and other enthusiast sites.

Adam’s books are considered required reading by many inside Microsoft and throughout the industry. Adam is the author of Windows 8.1 Apps with XAML and C# Unleashed (Sams, 2013), 101 Windows Phone 7 Apps (Sams, 2011), Silverlight 1.0 Unleashed (Sams, 2008), WPF 4.5 Unleashed (Sams, 2013), .NET and COM: The Complete Interoperability Guide (Sams, 2002), and several others. You can find Adam online at www.adamnathan.net or @adamnathan on Twitter.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Part I: The XAML Language
1. What is XAML?
2. Mixing XAML with Code
3. Extending XAML
4. Improvements in XAML2009

Part II: Graphics
5. Arranging Elements
6. Automatic Layout
7. 2D Graphics
8. 3D Graphics

Part III: Controls
9. Content Controls
10. Items Controls
11. Images
12. Text
13. Audio and Video
14. Other Controls
15. User Controls and Custom Controls

Part IV: Exploiting XAML Features
16. Resources
17. Data Binding
18. Styles and Templates
19. Animation

Part V: Advanced Features
20. Layout with Custom Panels
21. Fun with XAML Readers and Writers