Good primer but lacks the depth of Programming WPF book

books:


	• Essential Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) (Microsoft .NET Development Series) Chris Anderson Addison-Wesley Professional, 2007 - 512 pages average customer review:based on 15 reviews view larger image
	for more information click here

highly recommended

Decent

Essential WPF by Chris Anderson is intuitive and inspiring. The author explains WPF in a baby-step-forward approach with mostly success. Nearly every facet of discussion comes with a clear example. For a 450+ page book, much of WFP is explained in a fashiion that intermediate developers (designers?) can comprehend.

But this does not mean the book provides buy-in for developers to use WFP instantly. For example, every time I attempted to "get my hands dirty", not long was I easily discouraged. I figured that I just needed to keep reading the book before trying again .. and again .. and again .. until I was out of book. From making a Windows application, to ASP.Net, to Silverlight using VS2008 and Expression Blend, nothing was easy enough to finish a small project much less an enterprise application. And then I would have to explain to my colleagues how it works.

In summary, Chris did an impecable job explaining the complexities and modeling of WFP. This book is an acceptable starting point. But do not expect to jump right into WFP during or even after reading this entire book. Rather take note that you *understand* WFP, and then move to the next reference of choice.

for more information click here

Good primer but lacks the depth of Programming WPF book

This book provides a good introduction to the overall architecture of WPF. However, it lacks the depth necessary to feel comfortable performing the more advanced programming activities that you will be tasked with on a real WPF project. This is really a beginners book which does not even advance to the intermediate level. The Programming WPF book by Chris Sells provides more in depth coverage of WPF and is therefore a better buy. Therefore, read this book just to get started but expect to read another to really make some headway into understanding WPF.

for more information click here

A terrific book to really understand WPF

This book is all about the philosophy behind the WPF design and architecture. It delivers a simple but comprehensive understanding about WPF features - given this simple "big picture" it will be easier to learn the details - they will just fit in nicely and effortlessly. The book is an essense of everything that you should know to become a professional WPF developer - everything else is in IntelliSense/online help. Given this knowledge, you'll easily learn how to use any WPF topic.

for more information click here

A fantastic primer on WPF

If you're an experienced programmer and looking for a primer on WPF, Anderson has written a succinct overview that will definitely get you going in the right direction without wasting your time. It will give you not only the basics but provide an insight into what is going on and how you can go further in exploring WPF. Although it lacks in-depth examples (and source code) this book provides a readable reference covering all aspects of WPF- what it is, what it can do, and what makes WPF different.

reviews: page 1, 2, 3

?Chris Anderson was one of the chief architects of the next-generation GUI stack, the Windows Presentation Framework (WPF), which is the subject of this book. Chris?s insights shine a light from the internals of WPF to those standing at the entrance, guiding you through the concepts that form the foundation of his creation.?
?From the foreword by Chris Sells?As one of the architects behind WPF, Chris Anderson skillfully explains not only the ?how,? but also the ?why.? This book is an excellent resource for anyone wanting to understand the design principles and best practices of WPF.?
?Anders Hejlsberg, technical fellow, Microsoft Corporation?If WPF stands as the user interface technology for the next generation of Windows, then Chris Anderson stands as the Charles Petzold for the next generation of Windows user interface developers.?
?Ted Neward, founding editor, TheServerSide.NET?This is an excellent book that does a really great job of introducing you to WPF, and explaining how to unlock the tremendous potential it provides.?
?Scott Guthrie, general manager, Developer Division, Microsoft?WPF is a whole new animal when it comes to creating UI applications, drawing on design principles originating from both Windows Forms and the Web. Chris does a great job of not only explaining how to use the new features and capabilities of WPF (with associated code and XAML based syntax), but also explains why things work the way they do. As one of the architects of WPF, Chris gives great insight into the plumbing and design principles of WPF, as well as the mechanics of writing code using it. This is truly essential if you plan to be a serious WPF developer.?
?Brian Noyes, chief architect, IDesign Inc.; Microsoft Regional Director; Microsoft MVP?I was given the opportunity to take a look at Chris Anderson?s book and found it to be an exceedingly valuable resource, one I can comfortably recommend to others. I can only speak for myself, but when faced with a new technology I like to have an understanding of how it relates to and works in relation to the technology it is supplanting. Chris starts his book by tying the WPF directly into the world of Windows 32-bit UI in C++. Chris demonstrates both a keen understanding of the underlying logic that drives the WPF and how it works and also a skill in helping the reader build on their own knowledge through examples that mimic how you would build your cutting edge applications.?
?Bill Sheldon, principal engineer, InterKnowlogy

Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) replaces Microsoft?s diverse presentation technologies with a unified, state-of-the-art platform for building rich applications. WPF combines the best of Windows and the Web; fully integrates user interfaces, documents, and media; and leverages the full power of XML-based declarative programming.

In Essential Windows Presentation Foundation, former WPF architect Chris Anderson systematically introduces this breakthrough platform, focusing on the concepts and techniques working developers need in order to build robust applications for real users. Drawing on his unique experience as an architect on the team, Anderson thoroughly illuminates the crucial new concepts underlying WPF and reveals how its APIs work together to offer developers unprecedented value.

Through working sample code, you?ll discover how WPF draws on the Web?s simple models for markup and deployment, common frame for applications, and rich server connectivity, and on Windows? rich client model, simple programming model, strong control over look-and-feel, and rich networking. Topics explored in depth include

WPF components and architecture Key WPF design decisions?and why they matter XAML markup language Controls Layouts Visuals and media, including 2D, 3D, video, and animation Data integration Actions Styles WPF Base Services

Essential Windows Presentation Foundation is the definitive, authoritative, code-centric WPF reference: everything Windows developers need to create a whole new generation of rich, graphical applications.

Figures
Foreword by Don Box
Foreword by Chris Sells
Preface
About the Author

Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Applications
Chapter 3: Controls
Chapter 4: Layout
Chapter 5: Visuals
Chapter 6: Data
Chapter 7: Actions
Chapter 8: Styles
Appendix: Base Services
Index

for more information click here

hot