The document presents a talk by Matt Lacey on modern XAML development, covering the evolution of tools and key differences between WinForms and WPF. It emphasizes the flexibility of XAML as both human and machine-readable code, supported by various tools and advancements in Microsoft and community contributions. The session concludes with assurance that XAML is actively evolving and not dead, despite competition from C#.

1. Modern XAML
Development
Matt Lacey
@MRLacey

2. Plan Of Action
1. Quick history lesson
2. Look at tools
1. Now
2. Coming soon

3. WinForms
•Binary formats hard to
manage
•Hard to style
(owner-drawn
controls)
•Hard to decouple
presentation from logic
•Hard to compose and
WPF
•Text based formats
•Flexible styling
•MVVM & Binding
•Composition
fundamental

4. Windows Forms WPF
✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔ ✔✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
✔ ✔
✔
✔
✔
✔
+Win7

5. <Image
Source="cat.png" />

6. <Ellipse Width="360" Height="360" Margin="218.108,62.5,216.891,0" Fill="Black" />
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RenderTransformOrigin="0.5,0.5">
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RenderTransformOrigin="0.5,0.5">
<Rectangle.RenderTransform>
<TransformGroup>
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RenderTransformOrigin="0.5,0.5">
<Rectangle.RenderTransform>
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RenderTransformOrigin="0.5,0.5">
<Rectangle.RenderTransform>
<TransformGroup>
<RotateTransform Angle="30.927" />
</TransformGroup>
</Rectangle.RenderTransform>
</Rectangle>
<Rectangle Height="100" Margin="443.738,44.574,219.954,277.925" Fill="Gold"
RenderTransformOrigin="0.5,0.5">
<Rectangle.RenderTransform>

7. <Canvas Name="svg34" Width="64" Height="64">
<Canvas.RenderTransform>
<TranslateTransform X="0" Y="0"/>
</Canvas.RenderTransform>
<Canvas.Resources/>
<Path xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml" Name="path2"
Fill="#FF4C5359">
<Path.Data>
<PathGeometry Figures="m4.5 2.2c-3.5 2.2-3.4 25.5.8 33l26.1-16c-4-7.1-23.6-
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</Path.Data>
</Path>
<Path xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml" Name="path4"
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<Path.Data>
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</Path.Data>
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Fill="#FFBFFFAB">
<Path.Data>
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<Path.Data>
<PathGeometry Figures="m23.6 36.2c0 0-2.7 3-6.5 3-4.1 0-6.5-5.9-6.5-5.9s2.7-
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8. <Grid>
<TextBlock Foreground="LimeGreen" Background="Black" FontFamily="Courier New">
<Run xml:space="preserve">
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</Run>
</TextBlock>
</Grid>

9. <TextBlock Text="🐈"
/>
<TextBlock
Text="&#x1f408;" />

10. <controls:AnimatedVisualPlayer>
<lottie:LottieVisualSource
UriSource="ms-appx:///kitten.json"/>
</controls:AnimatedVisualPlayer>

11. What is
XAML?

12. CODE!

13. XAML
is code

14. XAML is code
like
C# is code

15. XAML is code
like
VB is code

16. XAML is code
like
C++ is code

17. XAML is code
like
F# is code

18. XAML is code
like
HTML is code

19. XAML is code
like
CSS is code

20. XAML is code
like
JS is code

21. XAML is code
like
C# is code

22. XAML is code
• Human and machine readable
• Tries to make life easier for developers
• Has some assumptions, restrictions, and constraints
• Highly structured (yet flexible)
• Offers multiple ways of doing things
• Different versions can be used in different places
• Supported by specific tooling

23. Expectations
C# & XAML

24. “Opportunities for improvement”

28. XAML Styler

30. Creation

32. Analysis+

33. Designer extensibility

34. Design Time Data
<TextBlock
Text="Hello"
d:Text="Hi"
dt:DesignTime.Text="Hej" />

35. 3 ways to bind
Text="{Binding Item}"
Text="{x:Bind Item}"
[assembly:
XamlCompilation(XamlCompilationOptions.Compile)]

36. Binding Error Window

37. In app Toolbar & Live Windows

39. + =>
+
=>

40. Compile time XAML Analysis

43. What did we cover today?
• XAML is not dead
• Microsoft are investing in tooling
• 3rd parties & the community are making improvements
• There’s lots to help you (think C#)

44. https://www.mrlacey.com/swetugg-
talk

45. Questions?
What about
Blend?

46. Questions?
What about
XAML
Standard?

47. Questions?
Why not just
do it all in C#?