Index - Important WPF concepts & features

Recently, I came across a scenario where I had to explain the WPF features to one person. I didn't get a common place where I can see a list of all WPF features. Now I would really like to call this as WPF cheat sheet where I can brush up my WPF skills.

• WPF basics
  • Architecture of WPF
  • Designer / Developer /Integrator interaction workflow.
  • Vector graphics
  • Declarative XAML & Compiled BAML
  • WPF build sequence.
  • Rendering - Hardware and Software
• Application models
  • XBAP - WPF app in Browser
  • Paged navigation and Window applications
• New concepts
  • Dispatcher
  • Dependency property
    • Precedence in value calculation
  • Attached properties
  • Routed Events
  • Attached events & usage example.
• User interface
  • Visual tree and logical tree
  • Controls layout
    • Panels
    • MeasureOverride and ArrangeOverride
    • Content model
  • Controls class hierarchy
  • Look-less custom controls
• Databinding
  • Change notification using INotifyPropertyChanged
  • ObservableCollection
  • Binding markup extensions
• Commands
  • Routed Commands
  • ICommand
  • Command Binding
• InputBindings
• Triggers
  • Property Trigger
  • Data
  • Event trigger
• Resources
  • Resource Dictionary
  • Pack uri
• Style
• Templates
  • Control Template
  • Data template
  • ItemsPanelTemplate for ItemsControl
• VSM - Visual State Manager
• Graphics
  • Bitmap effects
  • 2D Transforms
  • Pixel shaders
  • Shape
  • Path
  • Geometry
  • Brushes & Opacity
  • Opacity Mask
  • InkCanvas & InkPresenter
• Animation
  • Easing function for animation
• Viewport3D
  • 3D transforms
• Documents
  • Fixed document
  • Flow document
  • XPS
• Patterns
  • MVVm
  • Composite application guidance Prism
  • Common code base for WPF and Silverlight
• Localization.
  • BAML
  • Using Binding extension
• Printing documents
• Interoperability
  • ElementHost
  • WindowsFormsHost
• Performance optimization
• Tools
  • Snoop
  • WPF Inspector
  • UISpy
  • isXPS
  • WPF Performance suit
    • Perforator
    • Visual Profiler
• Future of WPF
  • WPF XAML in Windows 8

The sad thing I could forecast is, as the WinRT model becomes popular and available in different platforms such as WinRT tablets, surface, windows mobile, Windows 8, future OS and other devices etc...,WPF will decline to desktop computers and rest in history. After naming the tablet as Surface, it seems Microsoft is trying to bring single platform for all devices under the Surface brand same as Google did using Android. Hope you got why I wrote this index post.

How dependency property internally works? A MUST read for WPF and Silverlight developers

A good article which I though of writing when I started WPF. This describes how dependency property concept is implemented on top of .Net 2.0 framework without even adding a .net language keyword.

http://www.abhisheksur.com/2011/07/internals-of-dependency-property-in-wpf.html

A MUST read for WPF and Silverlight developers before they actually write code for clients.

Technology v/s Concepts and architecture

First of all this is not a WPF technology post.I posted this in my WPF blog since it has some relation with WPF.ok let’s start.

Technology here means the implementation languages or mediums for a programming solution such as WPF, Silverlight, Linq,WCF etc…While taking interviews, I have often heard that “I can learn or work in any technology since I know concepts and architecture”.Mostly this is the answer from a candidate when we ask “Do you know WPF or are you able to work in Silverlight?”. Some of my friends,they don’t even ready to rate themselves in the technology.If we ask them how do you rate yourself in WPF out of 10? they will say I am strong in concepts so I can do whatever work assigned to me in WPF.

If we think from an entrepreneur perspective this cannot be accepted every time.A person cannot estimate the work in WPF without the knowledge in WPF whatever strong he is in programming concepts and architectures.Also if the work in WPF or Silverlight is critical companies cannot rely on the statement “I know concepts and architecture”.Lets take one example to prove this.

The driver selection story

You are working in Cochin and on a Friday your CEO decided to go Chennai to attend an important meeting on Saturday.There are no tickets in flights and trains since the trip is decided suddenly.So he decided to go by his new highly sophisticated BMW car.He needs some body with him to drive the whole 700 kilometers since he need to attend the meeting with freshness.

There are 5 persons who are free in the week end and ready to accompany CEO.The first person, lets call him A said I have license but have no experience.Person B said I have license and have experience in riding motor cycle.Person C said I had driven my father’s truck.Person D said I have my own car which I am usually driving to come office.But its a 10 year old model.Person E said my uncle owns the same BMW model of yours and I usually drive it in the week ends and holidays.Who will accompany your CEO? obviously person E provided your CEO is smart :)

The case of Person A can be compared like a network guy saying I can do WPF.Person B is like a assembly language programmer saying I can do the WPF without training since I know basics an experience in programming.The case C can be compared as a Java programmer applying for WPF job saying that I am strong in OOPS.The D is like a .Net 1.0 programmer saying I can do WPF since all are .Net.E is the real one who knows WPF.Persons A,B,C & D can do the job provided they get certain time to familiarize the new car and its features.But since the time is limited nobody can be considered for the position.

Do I need to give more importance on technology?

The technology is getting importance over architecture depends on the situation or the demand.If we think from employer perspective ,he needs a technology guy if the work in particular technology is so critical and should be done in time.He don’t have time to give training to the guy he hires. If the requirement is for future project, the choice should give to the guys who are strong in concepts and architecture.Again that depends on the available time.If a WPF project is supposed to come on next month ,.Net guys can be hired and they can get training in WPF.If the time gap is 2 months JAVA or even assembly programming guys can also be included.

Coming to the developer perspective ,he should find some time to the technology as well while learning the architecture.Also while learning technology, learn the technology by comparing with the previous one.Main important thing to consider is “why I should learn a new technology ?”.I know some of my friends doing WPF /Silverlight projects without using data binding.Also they are simply creating controls when and where needed without changing templates.I asked why are you using this technology ? They simply replied “My company/client wants this project to be done in WPF”.

The moral of the story is “Learn technology before architecting your application and get benefits from it’s features”.

MCTS in WPF

It was my great ambition to clear WPF exam and became a MCTS from the day I started developing in WPF.Yesterday I achieved that.After getting the certification I was just thinking what are the benefits of taking such a certification? Even one of my colleague asked me what you are going to earn by writing these exams? Is it just because company is paying me the fees?

Absolutely no.There are some benefits as a developer.One is “We will get full coverage of WPF”.Second we gets some sort of “recognition in the community” .Third ,we can have the MCTS logo in our resume.The last benefit is our certification will help our company to get or retain partnership with Microsoft.

I don’t care about the last 3 points .Normally people does certification for that.If you elaborate the first point we can see the real benefit of certification.The coverage I meant is about the different areas in WPF.The certification includes all most all areas of WPF including 3D. Even if a person is working in WPF from the beginning, the chance for him to work in 3D is very less.That means he may know anything about 3D programming which is a great feature in WPF.By going for certification he needs to have a little knowledge about 3D programming in WPF using ViewPort3D,Camera etc…

Even I learnt different usages of documents only because of the preparation for the MCTS Exam.So try to get certified in the technology and move smoothly in the fast moving tech world.

WPF Training at Orion

I have seen so many times Jim Mangaly giving nice presentations and trainings, when I was working in Identitymine.As a Software engg I never thought that I have to take WPF sessions.

But the earth didn't stop it's rotations.It became weeks,weeks became months and months became years.After 2 years I joined in Orion Inc and at a fine noon ,I was asked to present a WPF session.

Initially I was in big confusion "How to present the new features in WPF ?" It is very easy to work with.But very difficult to make others understand these new features.I had 1 hour left with me to prepare.It is not enough to prepare even about XAML.But I have to convey what is xaml.My audience is from .Net2.0 so finally I decided to present WPF features by relating the drawbacks of .Net 2.0 windows forms, and coresponding solutions in WPF.See some examples below.

• Windows forms developer has to get design(in some format like jpg) from designer and implement himself.This eats a good amount developer's precious time and the work is repetition.WPF has a solution which is called XAML to solve this problem.
• In Windows forms if someone needs to replace a digital clock control by analog clock he has to create a new control and override it's OnPaint method.But WPF provides a mechanism called templating which does this in a shorter time.
• Rotating a button in Windows forms is a 'Job'.But in WPF its a matter of 3 lines of code which specifies a RotateTransform.

Yes.This did the trick.At least they got some words like "XAML","Template","Transform","Styles" etc... which are going to make their life easier in the WPF world.The feedback was good and I decided to continue giving detailed sessions on WPF.2 sessions are over as of now and hope I can complete the other sessions soon...