Declarative based UI programming: WPF, Silverlight & Surface

1. Declarative based UI programming: WPF, Silverlight & Surface Tim Huckaby CEO, InterKnowlogy Microsoft RD & MVP

2. About… • InterKnowlogy (www.InterKnowlogy.com) • Tim Huckaby, CEO (TimHuck@InterKnowlogy.com) • Custom Application Development / Consulting / Software & Systems Engineering Firm headquartered in Carlsbad, CA • Design, Architect, Build and Deploy Enterprise Class Applications • Industry Experts: • Most of the employees are published • Microsoft .NET Application development since 2000! • Microsoft .NET Smart Client pioneers / industry leaders • Information Worker Solutions (VSTO & SharePoint) • Integration / Messaging, B2B / B2C, Wireless / Mobility • Leading Edge: Surface, WPF, Silverlight, SharePoint, OBA, Surface • Cutting Edge Solutions on emerging Microsoft technologies • Largest Client: Microsoft

3. Session Agenda Declarative Programming Layout and Controls Events and Commands Working with Data Styles

4. Reference Applications Demo demo Tim Huckaby CEO, InterKnowlogy Microsoft RD & MVP

5. Declarative Programming • XAML replaces code • Attributes control Layout and Style • Event handlers wired-up in XAML • Declarative Data Binding

6. Declarative Programming Gotcha(s) • Not all XAML is created equal • Silverlight was designed to be a small subset of WPF not a direct port • Surface works with gestures so their versions of some controls are needed

7. Declarative Programming Demo demo Tim Huckaby CEO, InterKnowlogy Microsoft RD & MVP

8. Layout Overview • Content rendering flows inside parent • Fixed positioning (Canvas) is seldom used • Panels are used to house content • Margins and Padding over fixed size

9. Panels (ALL) • StackPanel • Arranges child elements into a single line that can be oriented horizontally or vertically. • Grid • A flexible grid area that consists of columns and rows. • Canvas • An area within which you can explicitly position child elements by using coordinates that are relative to the Canvas area.

10. Panels (WPF and Surface) • WrapPanel • Positions child elements in sequential position from left to right, breaking content to the next line at the edge of the containing box. • DockPanel • An area where you can arrange child elements either horizontally or vertically, relative to each other.

11. Positioning • Horizontal and Vertical Alignment • Margin • Padding Padding Margin Text Block Text Block

12. Layout Demo demo Tim Huckaby CEO, InterKnowlogy Microsoft RD & MVP

13. Controls Overview • Not all controls are created equal • Silverlight is a subset of WPF so certain controls have not ported over yet • Surface relies on touch so it has unique versions of some controls

14. Standard Common Controls • TextBox • Button • CheckBox / ComboBox • Image • ListBox • Tab

15. WPF Controls • Menu and Toolbar • TextBlock • InkCanvas / InkPresenter • Expander • TreeView • DocumentViewer • UniformGrid

16. Silverlight Controls • DataGrid • Calendar • ProgressBar

17. Surface Controls • ScatterView • Menu • TagVisualizer • InkCanvas

18. Controls Demo demo Tim Huckaby CEO, InterKnowlogy Microsoft RD & MVP

19. Working with Data • Overview • Simple Data Binding • Complex Data Binding

20. Data Binding Overview • Simple Field level Data Binding • Complex Data Binding to multiple controls at a time (Master/Detail/Detail) • Client-Side Sorting and Filtering • Support for binding to Objects, XML and Relational data sources

21. Simple Data Binding • Simple Data Binding using Business Objects • Support for two-way synchronization in simple objects via the INotifyPropertyChanged interface • Implicit and Declarative binding via the DataContext

22. Complex Data Binding • Binding to Lists • Supports two-way data binding to list if list inherits from ObservableCollection<T> • Data Templates • Sorting • Filtering • Master/Detail/Detail

23. Working with Data Demo demo Tim Huckaby CEO, InterKnowlogy Microsoft RD & MVP

24. Adding Style to Your Application • Overview • Resources * • Triggers * * Partial or no support in Silverlight

25. Styles Overview • What are styles? • Problems they address in WinForms 2.0 • Styling controls one at a time • Unnecessary Custom Control Creation • Similarities to Cascading Style Sheets • Inline declaration • Page level declaration • Separate file declaration

26. Style Examples

27. Resources • Static Resources • Loaded when Window or Page Loads • Leads to slower page loading • Changes to underlining values are not propagated • Dynamic Resources * • More overhead to allow for constant updates • Can only be used to set dependency properties • Can potentially improve Page and Window load time * Not supported in Silverlight

28. Resource Dictionary • Contains hash table of resources • Great way to organize resources • Resource.MergedDictionaries combines many different file based resources * * Not supported in Silverlight

29. Triggers • Setters that are set based on one or more conditions • Three Types of Triggers • Property – Invoked when the value of a dependency property changes • Data – Invoked when the value of a plain .NET property changes • Event – Invoked when a routed event changes Not supported in Silverlight

30. The Silverlight Visual State Manager • Alternative to Triggers in Silverlight • Promotes separation between UI and code • Controls have States and State Groups • States within a State Group are immutable • Fully supported in Blend Not supported in WPF

31. Adding Style to Your Application demo Tim Huckaby CEO, InterKnowlogy Microsoft RD & MVP

32. Summary • Layout in XAML is flexible • Each technology has it’s own set of controls • Data Binding is rich & supports many data types • Styles bring life to your applications • The learning curve can be steep, but is worth it. • Download all my resources and dedicate some time to learn.

33. WPF: Where to go Next Free Resources • WindowsClient.net - this is the official Microsoft community portal for WPF development • http://silverlight.net - this is the official Microsoft community portal for Silverlight development • http://www.microsoft.com/surface- this is the official Microsoft community portal for Surface

34. Where to go NextBooks Windows Presentation Foundation Unleashed (WPF) by Adam Nathan, Daniel Lehenbauer Essential Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) by Chris Anderson Silverlight In Action by Chad Campbell and John Stockton

35. Where to go…soon… • Windows Presentation Foundation A Scenario-Based Approach by Billy Hollis • “Early April…I hope…”B. Hollis, 12/7/07 • “October…”B. Hollis, 6/3/08 • “It’s not going to be done in April.” B. Hollis, 2/24/09

36. Tim Huckaby, InterKnowlogy • More info on InterKnowlogy: • www.InterKnowlogy.com • Contact me: Tim Huckaby • E-mail: TimHuck@InterKnowlogy.com • Phone: 760-444-8640 • Blog: http://blogs.InterKnowlogy.com/TimHuckaby • About Tim Huckaby • CEO, InterKnowlogy • Microsoft® Regional Director – Southern California • Microsoft® .NET Partner Advisory Council Founder / Member • Microsoft® MVP - .NET • Microsoft® Surface Partner Advisory Council • INETA Speaker – International .NET Users Group Association • Windows and .NET Magazine Advisory Board Member • .NET Developers Journal Magazine Advisory Board Member • Author / Speaker