#183 – Project Types Available from Visual Studio 2010 and Expression Blend 4

January 11, 2011 1 Comment

You can create the following types of WPF-related projects from Visual Studio 2010:

  • WPF Application – Standard Windows WPF client application
  • Class Library – Library of reusable classes
  • WPF Browser Application – Page-based application that runs in browser
  • WPF User Control Library – Template for a new control, deriving from UserControl
  • WPF Custom Control Library – Template for new control, deriving from Control

You can create the following WPF-related projects from Expression Blend 4:

  • WPF Application – Standard Windows WPF client application
  • WPF Control Library – Template for a new control, deriving from UserControl
  • WPF Databound Application – Basic template for an MVVM application
  • WPF SketchFlow Application – Template for an application prototype, using the SketchFlow theming
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#181 – Creating a WPF Development Environment

January 9, 2011 Leave a comment

To start developing WPF applications on Windows, you need to install Visual Studio 2010 on Windows.

The bare minimum setup includes:

A more typical professional development environment would include:

[Click here for a screen-by-screen example of installing Visual Studio C# 2010 Express).

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#128 – Using Code Snippets to Implement a Dependency Property

November 17, 2010 2 Comments

Visual Studio 2010 includes a code snippet that makes it easier to implement a dependency property in your own class.

To start, right-click on an empty line in your class and pick Insert Snippet.

Double-click on the NetFX30 category.

Then select Define a DependencyProperty.

The code for the code snippet will be added.  (Alternatively, just enter “propdp” in the code editor and press TAB twice).

At this point, you can dbl-click on the property name or its type to enter new values.  When you change the value, it will be changed accordingly throughout the rest of the code snippet.

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#4 – WPF Replaces Windows Forms

July 16, 2010 1 Comment

Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) is Microsoft’s replacement for Windows Forms as a platform for developing client applications for Windows.  Windows Forms will continue to be supported, but WPF is the future for Windows client application development.

WPF provides many advantages over Windows Forms and the tooling in Visual Studio for WPF applications is now excellent.  (Visual Studio 2010).

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#3 – Tools for Developing WPF Applications

July 15, 2010 Leave a comment

The only tool that you’ll need for developing WPF (version 4) applications is Visual Studio 2010.  You can download Visual Studio 2010 Express for free.  (For a single development language).

To develop applications in other languages and for other platforms (e.g. 64-bit), or to take advantage of other advanced features, you’ll want a paid version of Visual Studio 2010.

To get more advanced functionality for designing user interfaces, you’ll also want Expression Blend 4.

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