Pro WPF: Windows Presentation Foundation in .NET 3.0

Pro WPF: Windows Presentation Foundation in .NET 3.0

Publisher: Apress
Number Of Pages: 1000
Publication Date: 2007-05-21
Sales Rank: 12252
ISBN / ASIN: 1590597826
EAN: 9781590597828
Binding: Paperback
Manufacturer: Apress
Studio: Apress
Average Rating: 5

The Microsoft Windows Presentation Foundation (formerly code-named "Avalon") is a key part of .NET 3.0 and provides the foundation for building applications and high-quality user experiences in Windows Vista. WPF blends together application user interface, documents, and media content, while exploiting the full power of your computer.

WPF functionality extends support for Tablet PCs and other forms of input device, and provides a more modern imaging and printing pipeline. It also provides accessibility and UI automation infrastructure, data-driven UI and visualization, and even integration points for weaving the application experience into the Windows shell.

Pro WPF: Windows Presentation Foundation in .NET 3.0 covers WPF from installation to application design and implementation to deployment. One of the most detailed books on new WPF technology, it provides you with the no-nonsense, practical advice you need in order to build high-quality WPF applications quickly and easily. It also digs into the more advance aspects of WPF and how they relate to the other elements of the WinFX stack and the .NET Framework 2.0.

Topics covered include

WPF basics: XAML, layout, control essentials, and data flow
WPF applications: navigation, commands, localization, and deployment
Advanced controls: custom controls, menus, toolbars, and trees
WPF documents: text layout, printing, and document packaging
Graphics and multimedia: drawing shapes, sound and video, animation, geometric transformations, and imaging

Review:

I highly recommend this book for WPF developers or designers

I really didn't need another book on WPF, at least that is what my girlfriend would say. I already own "Applications = Code + Markup" by Charles Petzold, "Essential Windows Presentation Foundation" by Chris Anderson, "Foundations of WPF: An Introduction to Windows Presentation Foundation" by Laurence Moroney, "Windows Presentation Foundation Unleashed" by Adam Nathan, and "Professional WPF Programming: .NET Development with the Windows Presentation Foundation" by an assortment of Wrox authors.

But I saw Pro WPF: Windows Presentation Foundation in .NET 3.0 on Amazon and decided to investigate the possibility that I need to have it. After reviewing the TOC I still wasn't sure. But after downloading the code from Apress I was sold. I have been a fan of Matthew MacDonald for some time. He has definitely worked his magic on this title.

Some of the highlights I like:
His in-depth coverage of printing.
His Custom Elements chapter.
His approach with 3-D drawings makes extensive use of the 3DTools from CodePlex.
The chapter on using ClickOnce with WPF.
Everything is gone into in depth. This is not a brush over the topic book.
The usability of the code makes the book all that much more valuable.

He also has a great site named ProseTech that has a companion site for the book. It contains all the links found in the book

For extreme coverage of Expression Blend you will have to by a book specifically on Blend. Too bad no good ones exist yet. One I have seen that is out has bad reviews. None of the books I have listed above cover Blend in-depth at all. The Wrox book has 2 high level chapters on it, but I have been playing with Blend 2 a lot and find myself in the XAML most of the time because I don't know how to get to what I want to do in Blend. On that note, this book is excellent for showing you how to work XAML to the maximum.

This book also does not cover Silverlight. It is a book about Windows Applications, not Browser Applications.

I highly recommend this book as addition to any developer's or designer's (those who need to know XAML) library. It was definitely worth buying.

Review:

Deep and wide

Pro WPF is quite impressive both in its breadth and in its depth. This tome of nearly 1,000 pages describes seemingly every feature of WPF with enough detail to actually get something done. No book of this size is perfect, but the typos were rare enough to not be distracting, and the writing was easy to read and comprehend. Even the succession of chapters is logical enough to allow sequential reading through the book, despite the varied topics.

Even if you're not of a mind to read the entire book cover to cover as I did, you'll still want this book as a reference for topics that you won't find discussed in the other WPF books, including how to build a custom view for a ListView, the many options for implementing printing in your application, how to create and use classes derived directly from Visual, etc. Highly recommended.

Review:

complete reference

got this book and also wpf unleased by adam nathan. This one seems to be more indepth and have more details. I find myself referring to this one more and more. Of course, it took longer to read, but it was worth it.

http://rapidshare.com/files/56668746/Pro_WPF_Windows_Presentation_Foundation_in_NET_3_0-SOURCE-1590597826.zip

http://rapidshare.com/files/56617826/Apress.Pro.WPF.Windows.Presentation.Foundation.in.dot.NET.3.0.May.2007.eBook-BBL.rar

http://rapidshare.com/files/56665921/Apress.Pro.WPF.Windows.Presentation.Foundation.in.dot.NET.3.0.May.2007.eBook-BBL.rar