September 2005 - Posts

Cool XAML node of the day

When I was at the PDC they had a great Hands on Lab for XAML, C# and Ink.  Adding ink ability to a WPF application is super easy.  You just add an InkCanvas element.  Here's the XAML to add ink to your WPF app.  Just cut and paste into XAMLPad.

<Grid>

<InkCanvas Name="inkCanvasArea" Background="LightBlue"/>

</Grid>

 

Strangely enough there's not a XAML example in the MSDN WinFX SDK.  But there is this nugget, a nice "Getting Started with Ink" article where you can find more interesting bits.

 

Enjoy.

posted Friday, September 23, 2005 5:48 PM by Sean Gerety with 2 Comments

XAML Pro's and Con's

One of the things talked about here at the PDC is the User Experience. 

One of the ways to improve your experience is to use 'the technology formerly known as Avalon' now called Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF).  So if you're not just going to create all of your UI using flat out C# code, you're going to use XAML.

Here's my list of Pro's and Con's

 

Pro's
  • Advanced Effects are easy
  • Vector based graphics (no more jagged edges as you zoom in)
  • Self documenting for the UI (read the XML)
  • DirectX powered
  • Easy to create custom controls
  • Multiple deployment options (web know as .wba or wuuba's or Winform)
  • 2D and 3D
  • Storyline animations
  • Richer User Experience!
  • Runs on WindowsXP SP2 OS and up.
Con's
  • No Designer Wait - there's Sparkle!
  • YAXL (Yet Another XML Language for people to learn)(Not really an issue)
  • No Datagrid or other Visual Studio type controls(Yet?)
  • Will not run on pre WindowsXP SP2 OS

Sean

posted Thursday, September 15, 2005 1:21 PM by Sean Gerety with 0 Comments

At the PDC

Here's my first post from PDC.  The event hall is huge and I"m here at internet alley, which is rows and rows of terminals for everyone to use.  So far I've run into DonXML, Marc Fussell and Pablo Fernicola.  Pablo's got some good pic's of the stage.  It's great seeing Don.  I haven't seen him since I traveled/lived in New York.

And everyone here is tight lipped about all of the cool stuff, until Bill Gates is done with the keynote.  I guess you'll find out when I do!

 

posted Monday, September 12, 2005 8:59 PM by Sean Gerety with 0 Comments

PDC - Here we come

Monday we have a whole crew (5 people) shipping out for PDC!  I have to say that the ratio of people going from our dev team is relatively high compared to other folks I've spoken with.  I'm really stoked.  I'll be at the Hilton if anyone wants to meet up and chat about XML, XAML and the presentation platform formerly known as 'Avalon'. 

 

Sean

posted Sunday, September 11, 2005 11:54 AM by Sean Gerety with 0 Comments

Summer Camp

I've been out of pocket for a while.  And I've been away from a keyboard, which can be a wonderful thing.  I attended a Summer Camp which was great fun.  I attended last years camp and this year was just as excellent.  Our training covered working in different environments: field, forest, city and water.  All of the training was top notch with Vladimir covering physical aspects of training and Konstantin covering the psyche. 

I believe that programs should have outside hobbies or interests.  Just watch the video of Bill Hill talk about animal tracking and how that knowledge helped shape the paper that he wrote about Word. 

Here's a picture of the camp.

 Morning at RMA Summer Camp - Image hosted by Photobucket.com

Here's a picture of Vlad taking advantage of the forest during a knife fight.

Image hosted by Photobucket.com

posted Thursday, September 08, 2005 12:00 PM by Sean Gerety with 0 Comments