WPF/XAML Web News – 2006/09/09

I do a ton of reading web posts about WPF/XAML.  I’m going to start doing occasional posts summarizing things I found interesting.

Samples in WPF

• Martin Grayson, A Pane In The Glass – posts sample showing a WPF application using Windows Vista Glass.
• Gill Cleeren, WPF tutorial: use reflections, shadows and rotations to create 3D effects – Code Project article.
• Bob’s Delphi Stuff, Avalon/WPF/.Net 3.0 RC1 – Posts an example showing how to use Delphi with WPF.

Book Reviews – Applications = Code + Markup, Charles Petzold

• Snowball, Yes, it’s here – One of the first copies in Europe.  Says it looks complete.  Will post review later.
• Marc My Word, Petzold’s Applications = Code + Markup – Gives brief early review.  Definitely recommends a copy.
• Lab 49, New Petzold Book On WPF – Calls the book "a great read".  Says WPF has "many great features, but many missing ones as well."
• IRhetoric – Karsten Januszewski,  On Petzold’s Applications = Code + Markup – Karsten calls the book "pedagogically brilliant…Highly recommended reading for learning WPF and for a downright good read"

See my WPF Books list.

Notable

• The Braidy Tester, Fantasy Island? – Microsoft EID tester discusses how tests don’t need to change when you reskin WPF apps (even on the fly).  Discusses Logical Functional Model, automation stack, focusing on User Actions.
• Simon Middlemiss, It’s over! – Shows an application that he wrote, Regatta Manager.  Sounds like he already used it in production.
• WiredPrarie, Progress on my simple WPF Media Center… – Aaron is building a Media Center like interface in WPF.
• WPF: Another darned revolution – Mike Gunderloy says "it’s not baked yet…it’s too big…it’s too microsoft centric…it’s just too soon."
• BM Bloggers, Great Channel9 video in GUI testing – points to Ifeanyi Echeruo’s C9 video and discusses the accessibility API in WPF.
• Nigel, WPF Demo Reel and My Code from Tech.ed – Great WMV available showcasing a bunch of WPF demos!
• IRhetoric – Karsten Januszewski, Some Additional Pointers and Thoughts on RC1 – Calls the new Cider XAML/Designer split view…"like XAMLPad but with intellisense, color coding and more"
• Coding Horror, The Power of "View Source" – Jeff Atwood has a great piece about how "Code Darwinism" helps developers.  How should WPF developers share source?  For published apps like Foo.xbap and Foo.application, should developers pick a well defined location to look for Foo.zip?  Actually, downloading, organizing, building, running all these apps could use a little utility app…

Early Opinions of WPF

• Incemental Blogger, Thoughts on WPF Development – C++ Dev, coding WPF for the last month, likes it.  Not many details about WPF, but writes about C++ and language choice.
• Rory Primrose, WPF – The beginning – Developer for Australian Federal Police beginning a prototype with WPF.  Not many details yet…
• Bob.NET 2005, Revolutionary WPF – Developer calls WPF revolutionary and talks highly of XAML, FlowDocument, and XPS.