Developer

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Developer Designer collaboration with WPF

• Jaime Rodriguez
• Technical Evangelist
• Microsoft
• http//blogs.msdn.com/jaimer

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Session Prerequisites

• Windows Presentation Foundation knowledge
• This is not an overview

Level 200
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Agenda

• Why software applications need designers.
• Introduction to XAML
• Demo of Dev/designer workflow
• Blend walk through
• Lessons learned from early adopter projects

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Why designers?
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XAMLExtensible Application Markup Language

• Easily toolable, declarative markup
• Code and content are separate
• Can be rendered in the browser / standalone
  application

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Not just another markup
Data binding
Styling
Layout
Templates
HTML
Other
WPF
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Tools
XAML
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The proof is in the pudding
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Too good to be true?
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New team dynamics
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Overlap
Ownership
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Roles based approach
Visuals
Code
Developer(s)
Integrator
Designer(s)
Information Architect
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Roles based ownership with integrator

• Pros
• Efficient sp. first time
• Convenient for designers sp. graphic
• Potentially better software.
• Cons
• Integrator becomes bottleneck
• Integrator ends up with control
• Assets can de-rail from origination

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Asset based approach..
Vector Raster Visuals
Business Objects/Data Model
User Controls Custom Controls
Pages Windows
Resource Dictionaries
Triggers Animations
Styles
Data Templates
Control Templates
Brushes, Colors, Fonts, etc.
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Asset based approach

• Pros
• Framework-based, optimized per instance
• Designer learns on the job
• Better communication/understanding of goals
• Iteration friendly
• Cons
• Requires up-front thinking/planning
• Requires more WPF-aware designers ..
• Nobodys watching, potential to miss some thing
  critical
• False sense of control, when consensus is not
  reached, will need a decision maker

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Build good SOFTWARE
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Data First

• Comps are OK but dont go too far
• Structure
• Layout ?

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Optimize for the designer..
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Designer Tips

• When outside of Blend, work at 96 dpi
• Budget
• Dont go vector happy
• Think of reuse
• XAML is your friend so is XAMLPad, Kaxaml
• Dont load everything at once
• Name your visuals

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Developer tips

• Optimize for the designer
• Write good design-time code
• Open in Blend before check-in
• Expose Dependency Properties
• Use DesignTime checks
• Integrate early and often
• Wire events in code
• Learn snoop
• Use Attached Properties for loose coupling

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Session Summary

• Windows Presentation Foundation offers new
  unprecedented collaboration for
  developers/designers to create visually stunning
  applications.
• The process is not perfect, but it is very
  manageable.

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Next Steps

• Become familiar with WPF and XAML
• Try Microsofts Expression Suite

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Questions and Answers

• Submit text questions using the Ask button.
• Dont forget to fill out the survey.
• For upcoming and previously live webcasts
  www.microsoft.com/webcasts
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• Today's webcast was presented using Microsoft
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  visiting www.microsoft.com/presentlive 

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For More Information

• WPF tools controls
• http//blogs.msdn.com/mswanson/articles/WPFToolsAn
  dControls.aspx
• My blog http//blogs.msdn.com/jaimer
• Expression website http//www.microsoft.com/expres
  sion

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(No Transcript)