XAML in a Nutshell: A Desktop Quick Reference

I use this book as a quick reference in favor of some more bulky books I have on the topic. I found this book to be more to the point where it concerns XAML, and even more complete than some 1400 and 1800 pagers on WPF. The latter seem to skirt on XAML, and the approach of piecewise adding more information works well for a tutorial but makes it difficult to quickly find what you need on the fly. Still I found some tags, even common tags missing altogether from XAML in a Nutshell. It may be that those were introduced in .NET 3.5 and the book was published before then. It is the only reason I do not give 5 stars.

Reading over some of the other reviews listed here, I feel that this book is getting some harsh criticism that is simply not justified. This is an OVERVIEW book folks, not a comprehensive resource that will turn you into an uber XAML programmer overnight! This book touches upon topics quickly and swiftly. Usually I appreciate brevity, but in this case being short doesn't necessarily help or hurt this book. If you want a quick read that will teach you some of the ins and outs of XAML, this is a nice book to do just that. If you need a more extensive look at the technology then pick up another guide but don't bash this book for being what it is. Here's an overview of what to expect: 01. Introducing XAML 02. Getting Started 03. XAML Basics 04. Layout and Positioning 05. Resources 06. Storyboards and Animations 07. Elements 08. Controls 09. Shapes and Geometry 10. Layout 11. Animations and Transformations 12. Events Along with this, you get 8 appendices covering the major parts of the XAML technology. If you want a quick intro the technology, this is a nice pickup. **** RECOMMENDED

Are you a .NET developer and/or user-interface designer that is familiar with HTML and the basics of XML? If you are, then this book is for you! Author Lori MacVittie, has done an outstanding job of writing a book that gives the reader a broader sense of the XAML market. MacVittie, begins by providing you with a quick introduction to XAML and includes a list of references to tools available for developing XAML applications. Then, she details the system prerequisites and basics necessary to begin developing and building XAML applications. The author continues by describing the core XAML syntax and delves into the types of elements used to create XAML applications. Next, she details how to position individual elements using a variety of techniques, including panels and absolute positioning. Then, the author provides an overview of resources, focusing on the use of global resources to create a customized look and feel for your interface. She continues by detailing the mechanisms available for animating XAML elements. Next, she details and provides examples for the basic elements used within XAML, including Brush and Pen, ListItem, and elements used for text decoration, such as Inline, Bold, and Italic. The author continues by detailing the control elements available within XAML, such as Button, CheckBox, ImageViewer, and Expander. Then, she explains the differences between shape and geometry classes and details the Shape and Geometry elements available within XAML. Next, she details the XAML elements used to lay out user interfaces such as Grid and Panel, and describes supporting elements such as Trigger, Style, and Border. The author continues by detailing the types of animations and transformations available to XAML elements. Finally, she explains the WPF event system and details the events available to XAML elements. This most excellent book gives the reader a quick reference to XAML with examples. In other words, this book provides documentation of all core components and presents detailed discussions on features such as animation, resources, and layout that will jump-start you on your way to becoming a XAML developer.