XAML in a Nutshell (In a Nutshell (O'Reilly)) (Paperback)

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Key Phrases: shape hierarchy, using margin, codebehind handler, The Duration, Event Argument Type, Button Width (more...)

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Product Description

When Microsoft releases Windows Vista, the new operating system will support applications that employ graphics now used by computer games--clear, stunning, and active. The cornerstone for building these new user interfaces is XAML ("Zammel"), the XML-based markup language that works with Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF), Vista's new graphics subsystem.

An acronym for Extensible Application Markup Language, XAML offers a wealth of new controls and elements with exciting capabilities, including animation and rendering of 3D graphics. Windows developers are already jazzed by the possibilities of using XAML for fixed and flow format documents like PDF and HTML, 2D and 3D vector-based graphics, form development, animation, audio and video, transparent layering, and a lot more. Many feel that XAML will eliminate the need for multiple file formats or plug-ins (read: Flash), while lowering development costs and reducing time to market.

The problem is, most developers don't know XAML. While it is fairly easy to understand, you still need a quick guide to bring you up to speed before Vista's release, and that's where this book's simple, no nonsense approach comes in.

"XAML in a Nutshell" covers everything necessary to design user interfaces and .NET applications that take advantage of WPF. Prerequisites such as Microsoft's new unified build system, MSBuild, and core XAML constructs and syntax--including shortcuts--are all presented with plenty of examples to get you started. The Core XAML Reference section lets you dig even deeper into syntax rules and attributes for all XAML elements with a series of quick-reference chapters. This section divides XAML elements into logicalcategories of elements, controls, shapes and geometry, layout, animations, and transformations for easy reference.

"XAML in a Nutshell" helps you learn, firsthand, how to use this XML-based markup language to implement the new generation of user interface graphics. As one reviewer noted, "Strong code examples and an efficient, conversational style take the tedium out of learning XAML and make the subject understandable--even interesting."

About the Author

Lori MacVittie is currently a Senior Technology Editor with Network Computing Magazine. In past lives she has been a software developer, a network administrator, and an enterprise architect specializing in web-based technologies. Through the course of her career she has nearly coded her way through the alphabet, starting with Apple BASIC, hitting "L" for LISP while consulting for Autodesk, and is currently on the letter "Y". Lori holds an M.S. in Computer Science from Nova Southeastern University, and lives with her husband and children in the technological mecca of the midwest, Green Bay, Wisconsin.

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Product Details Paperback: 284 pages Publisher: O'Reilly Media; illustrated edition edition (March 27, 2006) Language: English ISBN-10: 0596526733 ISBN-13: 978-0596526733 Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.7 x 0.9 inches Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies) Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #200,824 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
shape hierarchy, using margin, codebehind handler, overflow panel, abbreviated markup, inline progression, markup syntax, inline markup, layout slot, routed event, element changes state, page content area, destination value, undo stack, abbreviated syntax, codebehind class, key frame, attached attributes, codebehind file, key referenced, interpolate the value, interpolate values, designated value, dependency properties, base tile

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
The Duration, Event Argument Type, Button Width, Setter Property, Button Content, Visual Studio, Image Source, Label Canvas, Rectangle Canvas, Trigger Property, Type Button, Routed Event Yes Elements, Reference Include, Getting Started, Menultem Header, Button Style, Button Name, Windows Vista, None Text, Attributes Points, Attributes Click, Button Done, Events Click, Path Stroke, Path Geometry Hierarchy

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	70% buy the item featured on this page: XAML in a Nutshell (In a Nutshell (O'Reilly)) 3.3 out of 5 stars (7) $19.79
	11% buy Programming WPF 4.6 out of 5 stars (60) $31.49
	9% buy Pro WPF in C# 2008: Windows Presentation Foundation with .NET 3.5, Second Edition (Books for Professionals by Professionals) 4.4 out of 5 stars (28) $32.99
	7% buy Windows Presentation Foundation Unleashed (WPF) 4.8 out of 5 stars (68) $34.64

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Customer Reviews

7 Reviews 5 star:  (2) 4 star:  (2) 3 star:    (0) 2 star:  (2) 1 star:  (1)           Average Customer Review 3.3 out of 5 stars (7 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 20 of 23 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars More instruction than you find in most Nutshell books, April 3, 2006 By  calvinnme "Texan refugee" (Fredericksburg, Va) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)       The idea behind XAML is not new: it is a XML-based language, which describes a UI. A very similar model is Mozilla's XUL. But there is one big difference between XAML and XUL: XAML will not only be used for only one application and some derived programs, XAML will be the basis for the next Windows and all of its underlying programs. XAML (short for Extensible Application Markup Language, and pronounced "Zammel") is the user interface markup language for the Windows Presentation Foundation, which is one of the "pillars" of the WinFX API. In typical usage, XAML files will be produced by a visual design tool, such as Visual Studio. The resulting XML is interpreted on-the-fly by a Longhorn display subsystem which replaces the GDI in previous versions of Windows. XAML was designed to support the classes and methods in the .NET Framework that deal with user interaction, especially screen displays. The acronym XAML originally stood for Extensible Avalon Markup Language, Avalon being the original code name for Windows Presentation Foundation, the name for this group of .NET classes. This book spends more time on basic instruction than most Nutshell books. This is probably because, unlike Java, XAML is a new technology and the publishers correctly decided that most of us need some basic instruction as well as a reference guide. The book takes the time to show plenty of well-commented examples. One of the things that I like most about the book is that it takes time to tell you what XAML is and is not: 1. You do not have to use XAML to define Windows Forms controls in a WPF application, but you can choose to do so. 2. You can choose to strictly use code in the code behind files to define Windows Forms controls in a WPF application. 3. It is generally a better choice to use strictly code for Windows Forms controls. 4. There are limitations in XAML that make it impossible to do some Windows Forms related things using XAML and you will be forced to use code for these exceptions. 5. While you can use XAML to describe Windows Forms controls in a WPF application, you CANNOT use XAML to describe a complete Windows Forms application outside the scope of WPF. A good companion to this book is "Programming Windows Presentation Foundation". Together, they paint a pretty exciting picture of the future of performing graphics tasks on Windows platforms. I notice that Amazon does not show the table of contents so I do that here: I. Introducing XAML 1. Introducing XAML The Benefits of XAML What XAML Is Not XAML Development Resources 2. Getting Started with XAML XAML Prerequisites Defining XAML Applications Building XAML Applications XAML Applications and Visual Studio II. XAML Concepts 3. The Basics of XAML Core XAML Syntax Elements Attributes Attached Properties Binding Properties codebehind 4. Layout and Positioning StackPanel and DockPanel Using Width and Alignment Margins and Padding Grid Absolute Positioning 5. Resources Using Resources Using Styles Triggers 6. Storyboards and Animations Storyboards Controlling Animations Animation Using Key Frames III. Core XAML Reference 7. Elements 8. Controls Base Control Reference Common Event Reference Core Control Reference 9. Shapes and Geometry 10. Layout 11. Animations and Transformations 12. Events Routing Strategies Event Argument Reference Event Reference IV. Appendixes A. System.Windows.Controls B. System.Windows.Documents C. System.Windows.Shapes D. System.Windows E. System.Windows.Media F. System.Windows.Input.ApplicationCommands G. Predefined Colors H. XAML Interface in Code Index 6 of 6 people found the following review helpful: 2.0 out of 5 stars Three months old and obsolete, January 15, 2007 By  Ari Telias (BC, Canada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    I got this book when it was barely three months on the market. Since WPF (aka avalon) is such a new topic, there are barely any books to teach it. This one is relatively clear and consice. The problem is that the WPF version thay are referring to is obsolete. Many concepts and most examples do not work as is. The whole chapter about Storyboards and animations is completely irrelevant. I believe that a new version is needed, and I am sorry that I bought a three months old book which is obsolete, but I can not blame the author, she did a good job. Regards 1 of 1 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars great little book, January 18, 2009 By  Stefan Dekok "form-meets-function evangelist" (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    I use this book as a quick reference in favor of some more bulky books I have on the topic. I found this book to be more to the point where it concerns XAML, and even more complete than some 1400 and 1800 pagers on WPF. The latter seem to skirt on XAML, and the approach of piecewise adding more information works well for a tutorial but makes it difficult to quickly find what you need on the fly. Still I found some tags, even common tags missing altogether from XAML in a Nutshell. It may be that those were introduced in .NET 3.5 and the book was published before then. It is the only reason I do not give 5 stars.		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 4.0 out of 5 stars Basic Introduction to XAML Reading over some of the other reviews listed here, I feel that this book is getting some harsh criticism that is simply not justified. Read more Published on November 2, 2006 by Daniel McKinnon 5.0 out of 5 stars VERY VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! Are you a .NET developer and/or user-interface designer that is familiar with HTML and the basics of XML? If you are, then this book is for you! Read more Published on May 7, 2006 by John R. Vacca 2.0 out of 5 stars Poorly Conceived This is one book that could have benefited from a firm critique while still in proposal form by someone cognizant of the concerns of the potential audience. Read more Published on May 1, 2006 by Brett Merkey 1.0 out of 5 stars Slapped together - Dry and Boring The previous post says nothing about the quality of this book and thus should be considered a definition of the XAML technology rather than a review. Read more Published on April 27, 2006 by xPat Pete Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

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Product Details

• Paperback: 284 pages
• Publisher: O'Reilly Media; illustrated edition edition (March 27, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0596526733
• ISBN-13: 978-0596526733
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #200,824 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More instruction than you find in most Nutshell books, April 3, 2006

By	calvinnme "Texan refugee" (Fredericksburg, Va) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)

The idea behind XAML is not new: it is a XML-based language, which describes a UI. A very similar model is Mozilla's XUL. But there is one big difference between XAML and XUL: XAML will not only be used for only one application and some derived programs, XAML will be the basis for the next Windows and all of its underlying programs. XAML (short for Extensible Application Markup Language, and pronounced "Zammel") is the user interface markup language for the Windows Presentation Foundation, which is one of the "pillars" of the WinFX API.
In typical usage, XAML files will be produced by a visual design tool, such as Visual Studio. The resulting XML is interpreted on-the-fly by a Longhorn display subsystem which replaces the GDI in previous versions of Windows. XAML was designed to support the classes and methods in the .NET Framework that deal with user interaction, especially screen displays. The acronym XAML originally stood for Extensible Avalon Markup Language, Avalon being the original code name for Windows Presentation Foundation, the name for this group of .NET classes.
This book spends more time on basic instruction than most Nutshell books. This is probably because, unlike Java, XAML is a new technology and the publishers correctly decided that most of us need some basic instruction as well as a reference guide. The book takes the time to show plenty of well-commented examples. One of the things that I like most about the book is that it takes time to tell you what XAML is and is not:
1. You do not have to use XAML to define Windows Forms controls in a WPF application, but you can choose to do so.
2. You can choose to strictly use code in the code behind files to define Windows Forms controls in a WPF application.
3. It is generally a better choice to use strictly code for Windows Forms controls.
4. There are limitations in XAML that make it impossible to do some Windows Forms related things using XAML and you will be forced to use code for these exceptions.
5. While you can use XAML to describe Windows Forms controls in a WPF application, you CANNOT use XAML to describe a complete Windows Forms application outside the scope of WPF.
A good companion to this book is "Programming Windows Presentation Foundation". Together, they paint a pretty exciting picture of the future of performing graphics tasks on Windows platforms. I notice that Amazon does not show the table of contents so I do that here:
I. Introducing XAML
1. Introducing XAML
The Benefits of XAML
What XAML Is Not
XAML Development Resources
2. Getting Started with XAML
XAML Prerequisites
Defining XAML Applications
Building XAML Applications
XAML Applications and Visual Studio
II. XAML Concepts
3. The Basics of XAML
Core XAML Syntax
Elements
Attributes
Attached Properties
Binding Properties
codebehind
4. Layout and Positioning
StackPanel and DockPanel
Using Width and Alignment
Margins and Padding
Grid
Absolute Positioning
5. Resources
Using Resources
Using Styles
Triggers
6. Storyboards and Animations
Storyboards
Controlling Animations
Animation Using Key Frames
III. Core XAML Reference
7. Elements
8. Controls
Base Control Reference
Common Event Reference
Core Control Reference
9. Shapes and Geometry
10. Layout
11. Animations and Transformations
12. Events
Routing Strategies
Event Argument Reference
Event Reference
IV. Appendixes
A. System.Windows.Controls
B. System.Windows.Documents
C. System.Windows.Shapes
D. System.Windows
E. System.Windows.Media
F. System.Windows.Input.ApplicationCommands
G. Predefined Colors
H. XAML Interface in Code
Index

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Three months old and obsolete, January 15, 2007

By	Ari Telias (BC, Canada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I got this book when it was barely three months on the market.
Since WPF (aka avalon) is such a new topic, there are barely any books to teach it. This one is relatively clear and consice. The problem is that the WPF version thay are referring to is obsolete. Many concepts and most examples do not work as is. The whole chapter about Storyboards and animations is completely irrelevant.
I believe that a new version is needed, and I am sorry that I bought a three months old book which is obsolete, but I can not blame the author, she did a good job.

Regards

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars great little book, January 18, 2009

By	Stefan Dekok "form-meets-function evangelist" (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I use this book as a quick reference in favor of some more bulky books I have on the topic.

I found this book to be more to the point where it concerns XAML, and even more complete than some 1400 and 1800 pagers on WPF. The latter seem to skirt on XAML, and the approach of piecewise adding more information works well for a tutorial but makes it difficult to quickly find what you need on the fly.

Still I found some tags, even common tags missing altogether from XAML in a Nutshell. It may be that those were introduced in .NET 3.5 and the book was published before then. It is the only reason I do not give 5 stars.