Chapter 5: Windows Presentation Foundation - Do Thi Ngoc Quynh

Chapter 5.
Windows Presentation Foundation
Do Thi Ngoc Quynh
Ha Noi University of Technology

1


Objectives
“The Windows Presentation Foundation is a vital
component to the future of application development,
allowing developers to take control of the sheer power
that is available at the desktop to develop rich,
interactive, media-enhanced user interfaces...”

Microsoft

2


Agenda
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WPF Introduction
XAML
Programming WPF Applications
Building Your First WPF Application
Exploring the Layout Controls
Working with XAML Controls
Working with Graphics, Media and Animations
New in WPF 3.5
Future Directions of WPFSummary

Microsoft

3


Part 1


WPF Introduction…

Microsoft

4


Presentation Layer Architecture: From
Yesterday to Tomorrow

Punch-card request/response
architecture

Microsoft

Terminal-based request/response
architecture
5


Presentation Layer Architecture: From
Yesterday to Tomorrow

Request/response architecture of user graphical user interface (GUI) application
talking to mainframe
Microsoft

6


Presentation Layer Architecture: From
Yesterday to Tomorrow

Web browser–based request/response architecture
Microsoft

Sophisticated browser architecture
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Presentation Layer Architecture: From
Yesterday to Tomorrow

The .NET Framework provides consistent browser, desktop, and server application
programming interfaces (APIs)

Microsoft

8


How you develop your client
applications?


One set of technologies—based on HTML, DHTML,
Asynchronous JavaScript and XML (Ajax), and Microsoft
ASP.NET Atlas


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gives you the same level of sophistication that a “heavy” client
can give you using “light” technologies

The other approach: WPF


Microsoft

including a declarative XML markup language named Extensible
Application Markup Language (XAML) that defines the user
interface, but has an incredibly powerful runtime supporting it

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The Windows SDK
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The Windows SDK contains all the APIs for developing
next-generation Windows applications
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provides the foundation for software development for the
Windows server and client platforms for the foreseeable future

The Windows SDK is centered on the .NET Framework
3.0, sometimes called NetFX


Microsoft

which contains the classes you are familiar with from the .NET
Framework 2.0 in addition to WPF, WCF, and WWF

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Windows Presentation Foundation
(WPF)

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Latest UI development platform from MSFT
Integration of:
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2D graphics
3D graphics
video/audio/animation

Declarative/Procedural programming model:



Microsoft

XAML
C#/Visual Basic/etc…

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WPF Features and Machinery
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Control library
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Layout panels
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canvas, stack, wrap, doc panels
grid – most flexible

Actions

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buttons, sliders, menus, toolbars
tool tips, popups, scroll bars, etc…
user defined as well

events
commands
Triggers

Styles, skins, themes, templates

Microsoft

12


WPF - Architecture

Microsoft

13


Tools of the Trade


If you want to get started developing WPF applications,
you’ll need to download and install the various tools,
runtimes, and SDKs



Visual Studio 2005 or Visual Studio 2008/2010
Microsoft Expression


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

Microsoft

/>
The WinFX Runtime Components
The Windows Software Development Kit (SDK)
Visual Studio Development Tools for WinFX

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Part 2


XAML...

Microsoft

15


What is XAML?


Extensible Application Markup Language


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For describing hierarchies of objects

For:




Microsoft

Developers
Designers
Code generators


Why do we need XAML?
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


Used by WPF, WF
Also usable for your own purposes
No more choosing between C# or VB.NET

Microsoft


XAML vs. Code


XAML and code can do the same thing

Xml tag
creates object

Content=“Hello WPF!”
Width=“100”
Height=“50”
>

Microsoft

Button b = new Button();
b.Content=“Hello WPF!”;
b.Width=100;
b.Height=50;
Xml attribute
sets property
value


Attributes and Events


Install event handler
When button is
clicked

Attributes can also set event handlers

Content=“Hello WPF!”
Width=“100”
Height=“50”
Click=“buttonClick”
>

Microsoft

Button b = new Button();
b.Content=“Hello WPF!”;
b.Width=100;
b.Height=50;
b.Click+= buttonClick;


Nesting elements


Nesting elements means nesting objects

<Canvas>
Content=“Hello WPF!”
Width=“100”
Height=“50”
Click=“buttonClick”
>
</Canvas>

Microsoft

Canvas c= new Canvas();
Button b = new Button();
b.Content=“Hello WPF!”;
b.Width=100;
b.Height=50;
c.Children.Add(b);
Nesting adds one
object
to another object
(if supported)


XAML Namespaces


How does XAML know which Button?
xmlns=“ />Content=“Hello WPF!”
Width=“100”
“using”
Height=“50”
Click=“buttonClick”
“Imports”
>



This namespace gets mapped to



XAML allows mapping Xml namespaces to be mapped
to .NET namespaces

Microsoft


Using other namespaces


WPF uses its own namespace by default




Less typing

XAML has its own namespace with x: prefix
– Used for XAML specific keywords

- x:Type, x:Null, x:Class, x:Name, x:Key, …

Microsoft


Adding your own mapping
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Use your own classes
– Class needs default constructor
Map a xmlns prefix to a CLR namespace

Use prefix with tag

Microsoft

Whatever string you
like!


Mapping Multiple Namespaces


WPF maps several
namespaces as one
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Microsoft

System.Windows
System.Windows.Automation
System.Windows.Controls
System.Windows.Controls.Primitives
System.Windows.Data
System.Windows.Documents
System.Windows.Forms.Integration
System.Windows.Ink
System.Windows.Input
System.Windows.Media
System.Windows.Media.Animation
System.Windows.Media.Effects
System.Windows.Media.Imaging
System.Windows.Media.Media3D
System.Windows.Media.TextFormatting
System.Windows.Navigation
System.Windows.Shapes

xmlns=“ />06/xaml/presentation”

WPF Properties


How does XAML convert strings to …?
String

Content=“Hello WPF!”
Width=“100”
Height=“50”
>
String

Microsoft

String
Button b = new Button();
b.Content=“Hello WPF!”;
b.Width=100;
b.Height=50;
Double