Windows Presentation Foundation Unleashed

Adam Nathan9780672328916, 0-672-32891-7

Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) is a key component of the .NET Framework 3.0, giving you the power to create richer and more compelling applications than you dreamed possible. Whether you want to develop traditional user interfaces or integrate 3D graphics, audio/video, animation, dynamic skinning, rich document support, speech recognition, or more, WPF enables you to do so in a seamless, resolution-independent manner. Windows Presentation Foundation Unleashed is the authoritative book that covers it all, in a practical and approachable fashion, authored by .NET guru and Microsoft developer Adam Nathan.· Covers everything you need to know about Extensible Application Markup Language (XAML)· Examines the WPF feature areas in incredible depth: controls, layout, resources, data binding, styling, graphics, animation, and more· Features a chapter on 3D graphics by Daniel Lehenbauer, lead developer responsible for WPF 3D· Delves into non-mainstream topics: speech, audio/video, documents, bitmap effects, and more· Shows how to create popular UI elements, such as features introduced in the 2007 Microsoft Office System: Galleries, ScreenTips, custom control layouts, and more· Demonstrates how to create sophisticated UI mechanisms, such as Visual Studio-like collapsible/dockable panes· Explains how to develop and deploy all types of applications, including navigation-based applications, applications hosted in a Web browser, and applications with great-looking non-rectangular windows· Explains how to create first-class custom controls for WPF· Demonstrates how to create hybrid WPF software that leverages Windows Forms, ActiveX, or other non-WPF technologies· Explains how to exploit new Windows Vista features in WPF applications

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Table of contents :
Windows Presentation Foundation Unleashed……Page 1
Table of Contents……Page 5
Introduction……Page 18
Who Should Read This Book?……Page 19
Software Requirements……Page 20
Part II: Building a WPF Application……Page 21
Part V: Advanced Topics……Page 22
Conventions Used in This Book……Page 23
Part I: Background……Page 24
1 Why Windows Presentation Foundation?……Page 26
A Look at the Past……Page 27
Enter WPF……Page 28
Part of the .NET Framework……Page 33
Conclusion……Page 35
2 XAML Demystified……Page 36
Elements and Attributes……Page 37
Namespaces……Page 39
Property Elements……Page 41
Type Converters……Page 42
Markup Extensions……Page 43
Children of Object Elements……Page 46
Compilation: Mixing XAML with Procedural Code……Page 51
Conclusion……Page 60
Logical and Visual Trees……Page 62
Dependency Properties……Page 68
Routed Events……Page 81
Commands……Page 90
A Tour of the Class Hierarchy……Page 96
Conclusion……Page 98
Part II: Building a WPF Application……Page 100
4 Introducing WPF’s Controls……Page 102
Content Controls……Page 103
Items Controls……Page 114
Range Controls……Page 137
Text and Ink Controls……Page 139
Conclusion……Page 143
5 Sizing, Positioning, and Transforming Elements……Page 144
Controlling Size……Page 145
Controlling Position……Page 150
Applying Transforms……Page 153
Conclusion……Page 162
6 Layout with Panels……Page 164
Canvas……Page 165
StackPanel……Page 168
WrapPanel……Page 169
DockPanel……Page 172
Grid……Page 174
Primitive Panels……Page 186
Handling Content Overflow……Page 187
Putting It All Together: Creating a Visual Studio-Like Collapsible, Dockable, Resizable Pane……Page 196
Conclusion……Page 206
Standard Windows Applications……Page 208
Navigation-Based Windows Applications……Page 223
Applications with a Windows Vista Look and Feel……Page 235
Gadget-Style Applications……Page 242
XAML Browser Applications……Page 244
Loose XAML Pages……Page 252
Conclusion……Page 253
Part III: Features for Professional Developers……Page 254
Binary Resources……Page 256
Logical Resources……Page 264
Conclusion……Page 273
Introducing the Binding Object……Page 276
Controlling Rendering……Page 288
Customizing the View of a Collection……Page 296
Data Providers……Page 305
Advanced Topics……Page 313
Putting It All Together: The Pure-XAML RSS Reader……Page 320
Conclusion……Page 322
10 Styles, Templates, Skins, and Themes……Page 324
Styles……Page 325
Templates……Page 338
Skins……Page 357
Themes……Page 363
Conclusion……Page 368
Part IV: Going Beyond Today’s Applications with Rich Media……Page 370
11 2D Graphics……Page 372
Drawings……Page 373
Visuals……Page 389
Shapes……Page 402
Brushes……Page 409
Bitmap Effects……Page 426
Conclusion……Page 430
12 3D Graphics……Page 432
Getting Started with 3D Graphics……Page 433
Cameras and Coordinate Systems……Page 437
Transform3Ds……Page 447
Model3Ds……Page 456
Visual3Ds……Page 479
The Viewport3D Element……Page 482
Conclusion……Page 485
13 Animation……Page 486
Animations in Procedural Code……Page 487
Animations in XAML……Page 500
Keyframe Animations……Page 509
Conclusion……Page 516
Audio……Page 518
Video……Page 523
Speech……Page 529
Documents……Page 536
Conclusion……Page 552
Part V: Advanced Topics……Page 554
15 Interoperability with Win32, Windows Forms, and ActiveX……Page 556
Embedding Win32 Controls in WPF Applications……Page 558
Embedding WPF Controls in Win32 Applications……Page 573
Embedding Windows Forms Controls in WPF Applications……Page 580
Embedding WPF Controls in Windows Forms Applications……Page 584
Embedding ActiveX Controls in WPF Applications……Page 589
Conclusion……Page 593
16 User Controls and Custom Controls……Page 596
Creating a User Control……Page 598
Creating a Custom Control……Page 607
Conclusion……Page 621
17 Layout with Custom Panels……Page 622
Communication Between Parents and Children……Page 623
Creating a 2007 Office-Like RibbonPanel……Page 626
Conclusion……Page 631
Part VI: Appendix……Page 632
Professional Development Tools……Page 634
Free Utilities……Page 635
Professional Design Tools……Page 637
Index……Page 638
A……Page 639
C……Page 640
D……Page 642
G……Page 644
I……Page 645
J–L……Page 646
M……Page 647
O……Page 648
Q–R……Page 649
S……Page 650
T……Page 652
V……Page 653
W……Page 654
X–Z……Page 655