#60 – XAML in Expression Blend

You can open WPF solutions in either Visual Studio 2010 or Expression Blend 4.  There is some overlap in functionality, but the tools are meant to be used as follows:

• Visual Studio – Developer – Used for writing code, testing, debugging
• Blend – Designer – Used for designing user interface and user experience

Because you can open a project in Blend, you can also view and edit XAML for the project’s user interface elements in Blend.

Here’s how a solution looks in Blend:

If you double-click on MainWindow.xaml, a designer will open where you can drag/drop UI elements.  This window has a little icon in the upper right corner that you can click to access the object’s XAML:

This will switch the MainWindow.xaml window from a design surface to a XAML editor and you’ll see the XAML for the MainWindow object.