Microsoft Silverlight Books

Great introduction to WPF

I have had this book for a couple of month now and it was a great book to get started into WPF. I still use it as reference book along with the 'Programming WPF' book.
I can highly recommend this book to all who wants to get started with WPF.

jkr
22 July, 2010

A Must Read

A friend recommended this book. I told him there had to be a better WPF book, because I've never found a SAMS book that I thought was worth reading. But he insisted, so I bought it.

I'm 70 pages in, and I've dog-eared and highlighted roughly 40 of those pages, marking important knowledge I want to remember. That's more annotation than I usually make in an entire book. I've been dabbling in WPF for two years and doing serious WPF development for 6 months; but I understand WPF better now after just 70 pages of WPF Unleashed than from all the blog and MSDN reading I've done before. Adam Nathan has a gift for explaining the Why and the How, whereas most other sources only explain the How (and not as well).

I'm recommending this book to all my developer friends. And to you!

Martin L. Shoemaker
14 April, 2010

Excellent!

This book is excellent for those who want to learn the ropes of WPF programming. Very detailed and cleverly organized. I'd like to see a second edition covering the more recent WPF updates tough.

Emmanuel Gomez
14 April, 2010

Good For A Start

Originally I bought PRO WPF in C# (MacDonald) and after reading it for 200+ pages felt not able to build at least a skeleton of concepts in my mind, I bought this book thinking that this would help.

Well it did help me in building some conceptual understanding about WPF and I don't regret buying this book but there are few things I would like to point out here...

+Ve points:

1. Author connects to us in his writing

2. Tries to ease into the topics

3. Very useful sidebars and learning tips

4. Colorful :)

So I would recommend this book for a fresh start but...

1. It doesn't dwell into all topics in depth. For example doesn't talk much about implementing Dependency and Attached Properties; Doesn't give a full account of implementing Value Converters

2. Binding lesson which is crucial one is good for understanding purpose but there is no consolidation of the various binding commands; I feel it would have been better if author gave a cheat sheet kind of thing for various Binding techniques and the scenarios they need to be used

So I like to give this book 4*

After going through this book I feel that MacDonald's book more sense now and kind of more useful in giving advanced concepts.

So the gist is no WPF book that is present in the market does a complete coverage.


Fact Pandit
14 February, 2010

WPF

This the best book about WPF I have ever had in my hands.
It is really easy to understand all subjects and put them into practice.
Colorful pictures and code listings makes studing this book a pleasure.

Marcin Marciniak
30 October, 2009

Unleash the hounds!

Something about SAM's unleashed lineup, as of late, has me dancing about with a renewed vigor and WPF Unleashed is yet another log on that fire.

Some review the document as being somewhat a general reference as well as being a bit on the extremist side demanding formal training in the WPF realm of discipline. These are somewhat erroneous ascertions as the only real requirement is a basic understanding of WPF to enhance the overall learning curve at times. The text itself delves into the basics all on its own. It reaches down into the dirt to pull up information of a specificity to aid you in understanding the technology -- not how to cut and paste code.

WPF Unleashed is a book for those who want to understand how to use the technology to benefit their UI design goals. The real scope here is to teach the user (reader) how to apply layout and design patterns using WPF on a congenial level with minimal complexity while getting to the core of the libraries' fundamentals. The reading is somewhat fast but, quite insightful with empathy in the delivery as it is NOT in rocket science linguistics.

WPF Unleashed has too many examples to list but, one that struck my fancy with a knockout punch was an in depth excursion into designing a Visual Studio like environment. The exercise covered slide out menu panels and their push-pin buttons and allot more. SAMs gets into the layout and code specifics with sincerity and brevity as the Visual Studio environment example took less than ten pages including illustrations, sidebars, and explicatives.

This tomb has color syntax highlighting, full color illustrations, tips & tricks, call-outs, and practical examples throughout -- phenominal approach and impeccable delivery. This is one of the finest books on any technology that I've had the pleasure of laying eyes upon.

SAMs should really consider modularizing and incorporating this document management styling into every book they publish from this point on. I can not rave aboout this book enough. A+ off the charts. I should also mention, in the event that this fact has been overlooked, that the main author of this formal instruction is also a developer on the WPF team at Microsoft -- so, who you gonna call?!

Yeah, this book is that good. SAMs was definitely upto something when they got this idea in their heads and it worked splendidly.


NOTES:

- Many examples are given in XAML but, are also explained and given in C# right along side in the current context without jumping around.

- Some examples given explain how to use PInvoke with WPF as well as using DLLs.

- One example illustrates how to access Windows themes, primarily Aero, with a lesson in how to create a form that has an all aero-glass background and many more like: shaped forms and gadget style forms.

I actually read this book for fun. Sickening, isn't it? I have truly gone nerd-ville!

Robert D. Rush Jr.
16 June, 2009

Very Good; But beginners be warned

It's a good buy.

The book as a package is a good reference for WPF. However, absolute beginners will have a difficult time through it, or at least I did. The first few chapters left me with a headache. I persisted and I can say I now have a firm understanding of WPF. Overall its a good buy.

Pros:
======
1. Loads and loads of examples.
2. Full color graphics, helps one to quickly grasp the concepts being illustrated.
3. Easy reference. Quite easy to reference

Cons:
=====
1.Beginners be warned. Just keep reading you will understand later on.
2. The Author pulls things out of the hat and starts using them before explaining what they are. If he had explained them immediately after, it would be okay; but he doesn't, until a few chapters later. The chapter that was supposed to introduce XAML ended up confusing me, only after reading half the book did I grasp the concepts of the XAML chapter.
3.The general use of language, too many brackets, too many references to past and later chapters within the text; it is distracting.

Overall I would advice you to buy the book.

Abu H
16 May, 2009

Lot's of information but lacks definitions

Nathan's book is packed full of information but, unfortunately, lacks definitions of terms used (a problem with many computer books).

On pages 20 and 21, for example, Nathan has a section titled "Elements and Attributes." That section includes such terms as "namespace," "type," "property," "event, "element," "attribute," "property attribute," and "event attribute.". Nathan writes about these subjects, but doesn't define what the terms mean. Many of these terms are not listed in the index. Although there is a subsequent section about namespaces, that section doesn't explain what a namespace is.

Lack of definitions is a particular problem in books about WPF because WPF uses many terms the meaning of which is not intuitive and is different from the meaning in everyday usage and some other environments.

I'd like to recommend this book because it contains so much information. I have to caution potential readers, though, that they will be frustrated by the difficulty of understanding precisely what the author means by WPF-specific terms.

I strongly recommend that all computer books contain a glossary of terms or, failing that, index entries that refer to specific definitions of terms. I also recommend that book editors should insist that authors provide concise definitions of terms within their books.

Gordon Padwick



Gordon Padwick
12 April, 2009

Easily the best WPF book available

I bought this book along with the Charles Petzold tome "Applications = Code + Markup". Though Petzold is a legend, with several indispensable titles under his belt, his effort pales in comparison to this title. When reviewing this book people often cite the use of color and the almost PowerPoint feel as major factors. While these are indeed factors to it's appeal, the main asset of this book is the content. The information is conveyed in a very fluid style which translates into an immense amount of information packed into a relatively small amount of pages. As an introduction to a new development platform, this is perhaps the best book I have ever read.

C. Prindle
07 March, 2009

The best

I have read (or tried to read) other WPF books but this one is by far the best one, both in terms of readability (the colors really make a difference) and contents. It feels like each page has a gem of information. If I were to buy only one book about WPF, this would be the one.

Gustavo Cavalcanti
22 December, 2008

Absolute Must For Programming in WPF

I have read may books on WFP and this is the one I go to when I need to figure out how to do something. Mine is full of tape flags, post-it notes and dog-eared pages because it gets used all the time. Another book, Essential Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) (Microsoft .NET Development Series) is also very good, but it isn't a refrence book like this one. If you want to program in WPF you need Windows Presentation Foundation Unleashed bu Adam Nathan!

Todd Haehn
21 October, 2008

A must-have for the .NET developer.

I had a lot of fun with this book, and it provided me with a fantastic foundation of knowledge for implementing WPF technology in my applications.

It's organized well, in that important tips are easy to find (no digging through paragraphs to find answers to common problems), and conversely thorough in detail; when more information is required. So it is quite versitile, whatever your reading mood. Whether it's casually flipping through, or digging deeper in to advanced topics.

The book's written very well, and most notably with a passion. The writer explains concepts clearly to the reader, and I'd highly recommended it to anyone interested in learning about this technology.

James Houden
20 October, 2008

Great book! But I liked Pro WPF in C# 2008 better!!

I ordered this book and Pro WPF in C# 2008 (Mathew MacDonald) at the same time. I read WPF Unleashed first because I saw the reviews on Amazon.com. I thought, wow, great book. Then I read Pro WPF in C# 2008.

I found Pro WPF in C# 2008 to be a much better book than WPF Unleashed. It's thicker, has more content, and dives much deeper. It also covers .Net 3.5 because it's newer.

Don't get me wrong, they are both excellent books and I recommend them both. But if you really want to understand core WPF concepts, Pro WPF in C# 2008 is the better choice.

J. S. Cox
14 October, 2008

Good coverage but somtimes a bit too much detail

WPF is a remarkably inconsistent tool including contradictory settings, rules that only work some of the time, confusing shortcuts, and other inconsistencies. This book covers so much detail, that the many quirks of WPF sometimes get in the way. It might have been better if the book ignored some of the more arcane details. At times it gives so much information that things are more confusing than necessary.

Still, the book does cover a vast amount of information. If you just want an introduction to WPF, it may be a lot more than you're looking for, but if you want to know all about the weird details, this book includes a lot.

Rod Stephens
12 October, 2008

Windows Presentation Foundation Review

I have read this book. This book is very informative. The author has explained the concepts in detail and in good way. It covers the .NET Framework 3.0. So i don't know is there any changes from .NET 3.0 to .NET 3.5.

adeel hussain
06 October, 2008

An easy book to read!

This book was the easiest book I have ever read. It kept me interested and awake. Not to mention the information was given in a way that was easy to understand. The extra sidebars that were included added very useful linformation as well. They really helped to drive the point home as well as well as provide more functionality to whatever was being discussed. I highly recommend this book to anyone.

Michael J. Pappas
08 September, 2008

Excellent book for WPF-beginners

Book gives an excellent introduction of WPF. However, I think that the 2D/3D-part of the book is a bit over the top if you are looking for basics.

Money well spent.

T. Qvick
27 August, 2008

Great content to match the great presentation!

On first opening this book you are struck by the beautiful full colour pictures and syntax-highlighted code samples. [Though the experience was slightly marred by the tears and damage to the front cover which occurred during shipping, as was also the case with another book in the order.]

I did a quick flip through and thought... "Beautiful presentation, but the content looks a bit over-simplified. Maybe all the reviewers were seduced by the full colour pages."

Then I started working my way through the book. I was blown away. The writing style is simple and to the point. But it doesn't lack depth. There are indications of the little things that are likely to catch you out, as well as discussions of some pretty advanced topics too.

So, Yay! The content of the book was just as good as the way it was presented, if not better. My only criticism is that in some cases there could have been more code examples.

On the other hand this would probably have made the book very bloated and not as useful as a reference book. There's enough information to point you in the right direction, and from there google will get you to all the code samples you need.

So let O'Reilly do the cookbook style books with lots of code snippets. They do that so well. This book takes a novel approach, and it works brilliantly!


Andrew Tweddle
24 June, 2008

Excellent book

All the features of WPF are explained here, with samples and visual codes for your reference. I decided to buy this book and other about Blend 2, but most of my doubts I solved with this edition.
Great book from beginners to experts.

Marcio Morais
21 June, 2008

WPF made easy

Hey, a programming book in full colour!! WPF Unleashed really does introduce the concepts and details of WPF programming in a clear and easy manner, and Adam Nathan is to be commended for his efforts. Anyone wanting to learn (more) about WPF will benefit from this book.

D. Oster
14 May, 2008

Great For Learning

This is a well written, well structured book.

Full color with good examples and covers a good range of details.

AJ
09 May, 2008

WPF knowledge = Windows Presentation Foundation Unleashed (WPF) (Unleashed)

What can I say.. I was looking for a book about WPF. I saw many, and many until I found that one. Then I stopped looking for more :)

Boguslaw Faja
29 April, 2008

A good cover-to-cover read

This book stands out as one of the easiest to read technical books. The book is in color, is divided into many chapters and sub-chapters, and written in a casual style, which makes it very enjoyable to read. The coverage of the content is top-notch, save for the chapter on data binding which I think lacked better examples. I think this book falls into the category of a cover-to-cover read; meaning it is easy to get through the book in a couple weeks. There are other books that I would recommend as a reference book that contain more detailed technical information. If you are new to WPF and are the type to read complete chapters and books, then definitely start with this one.

CSharp
11 March, 2008

One of the best technical books ever written?

I have over 25 technical books on my shelf (and those are just the ones I have hung on to). Without a doubt this is one of, if not THE, best technical book I have ever read!

This book really captures the excitement that surrounds WPF and carries that through into a book. They layout is exceptional (colour print is much less tiring to read). The chapters are thorough, especially on the key areas.

As I read through, questions would pop into my head. "Hmmm I wonder how that works?". Then I would turn the page and right there would be a detailed explaination. I was rarely left wondering how things worked, or how pieces fit together.

Don't think - just buy it!

Jack Ukleja
05 March, 2008

Not as professional as expected

I am new to WPF but an experienced ASP.NET and Windows Forms developer. The book contains much information although, naturally, part of it is a little bit old. However, what most annoyed me was the writing style of the book which I experienced somehow clumsy compared to many other IT books. Although my written English is not the best possible (my mother tongue is Finnish and I live in Finland) I am very sensitive about incoherencies in English text.

A very good idea is using full color printing. It is clearer and can delight the reader!

Osmo Saarela, Finland


Osmo Saarela
19 January, 2008

A first class book

So much is alreay said about this great book, so I will be short. I have read plenty of books aimed at developers, and this is truly the one that have made the biggest impression.

This is a must-have for WPF developers, and I'm sure that this book will become a legend in it's field!

Jon Andersen
06 January, 2008

Perfect as "first book on the argument"

This is a very good book about WPF, it is full of examples and cover all the most important features of WPF. THis book is good for people that does not know anything about WPF, but it goes quite deep inside the tricks of WPF.

This is a must have for everyone interested in the argument.

Ricci Gian Maria
14 December, 2007

Good Introduction

Good overview book to explain all the concepts and controls. The colour makes it much easier to read and digest.

B. Zande
02 November, 2007

The best book on WPF

The best one, by far. I have Cris Sells and Petzold's books and I never touched them since I bought this one.

The One
27 October, 2007

This is an excellent book on WPF.

I have not been a fan of Sams or the "Unleashed" series in the past. However with the lack of books in this space I gave it a try. The page layouts are very well done and the book moves through the major topics in a well thought out way. If you are a fan of the "Head First" series you will probably enjoy reading this book.

B. Lunde
25 October, 2007

Best Book Out There

I am starting to wear this book out because I am using it so often as a reference while I program. I own three WPF books and this is the only one I constantly refer to. It's worth every penny. Don't hesitate to buy it.

Pete Magsig
18 October, 2007

Excellent Reference Guide

Windows Vista is not only a great Operating System but also includes advanced graphics capabilities. Microsoft has developed new languages and frameworks that target Vista. Windows Presentation Foundation (XAML) helps you to build true, classic Vista style applications for Windows and Web environments. Many developers are eager to learn about this new technology and they are in search of good learning material. Adam Nathan has indeed done a good job by examining the complete features and functionalities of WPF in his latest book "Windows Presentation Foundation Unleashed."

The book consists of five parts including an Appendix. The first part provides a solid explanation to WPF, XAML and some of the important concepts in WPF. The second part introduces you to the controls shipped with WPF and various features, such as Sizing, Positioning, Transforming elements, and Panels. The final chapter discusses the deployment aspects of a WPF application. The third part provides a comprehensive overview about the various features, such as Resources, Data Binding, Styles, Templates, Skins and Themes. I feel that these chapters will be of great use for advanced developers.

Some of the interesting features of the book are colored screenshots and source codes, useful tips and FAQs at relevant pages, and additional reference material under the banner Dig Deeper. I feel that colored screenshots help a reader to taste the real essence of the code output. Moreover, the author has labeled certain portions of the source code, such as in Page 289, which will surely help a reader to understand the code much better. I must say that the book is highly code intensive. All the concepts have been examined only with codes and not using any development environment. I believe that tools such as Orcas and Expression Blend were not available at the time of the release of the book.

Part 4 explores the usage of Graphics (2D/3D), Animation and Audio/Video speech capabilities of WPF with the help of complete source code along with relevant explanation. I am amazed to see the kind of effort the author has put in to compile the facts in a meaningful manner. The final part delves deep into some of the advanced topics such as Interoperability, User custom controls and development of layout with custom panels.

The source code for all the examples along with complete table of contents, sample chapter and a list of errata can be accessed from the publisher's website. Moreover, you can also view the related information on the website maintained by the author at http://adamnathan.net/wpf/. The book also includes one Appendix which contains a list of tools and utilities available for WPF development. I would suggest the author publishes information about new tools available currently, such as Expression Blend on the Publisher's website so that readers can know about them as well.

I feel that the book will be of real value for all developers who wish to master the nuances of Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF).

I recently came to know that Adam's Silverlight Unleashed book will be released around the week of October 12. I look forward to read his book.

Anand Narayanaswamy (Microsoft MVP and Chief Technical Editor, ASPAlliance.com) is the author of Community Server Quickly

Community Server Quickly: A Concise and Practical Guide to Installation, Administration, and Customization



Anand Narayanaswamy
09 October, 2007

Great

Great book: a fast and well written introduction to WPF. I think it's a must for anyone is thinking to start with this technology.

Adriano Repetti
25 August, 2007

From basic to advanced topic

This is a complete book on WPF. It start with the basic of XAML and then it introduce the new concept that WPF use (dependency properties, Routed events and Commands).
It give an introduction to the WPF controls and the layouts mode available.
Then it goes deep with databind, theming and skinning, drawing (2d and 3d) and finally animations.
It is The Book for WPF.

DelBono Emanuele
30 July, 2007

Great unleashing of WPF

From Resource binding to databinding and beyond, pretty much every bit of WPF that you need to know to get started well is covered.

The "full color" is awesome. The examples are great. The explanations are very clear with great comparisons to the "old" winforms way of doing things.

Jay R. Wren
16 July, 2007

The only guide to WPF

For beginners or expert developers, this is the only guide you'll need to learn WPF. Excelent print quality, code markup as shown in Visual Studio, and complete information from scratch.
DataBinding, 2D drawning and animations chapters, are really impressive.

Bruno S. Cruz
13 July, 2007

Good Stuff

This is one of the better computer books I've read in a long time. I've read a few of the big yellow "Pro this" and "Pro that" series and they were generally a bad rehash of MSDN documentation. In contrast, this book explains the framework on which WPF is built. It starts with describing XAML itself along with type converters and markup extensions - essential details. Once it gets to the chapter on controls, where most books slide into repetitive descriptions of control after control, this book categorizes them and points out their properties with respect to the framework in which they are embedded. Generally speaking, if you are interested in how the WPF classes fit together this is the book to get. If you are interested first in foremost in gradient brushes then this is not the book for you. It gets to them too but only after some worthwhile work. The only area where this book is weak is its description of the layout system that still has me generally confused. Perhaps that will resolve itself when I have something better than the [...]CTP installed.




The Old Hag
09 July, 2007

Designers start here

If you are responsible for the interaction design (front end) of your team's software and Web applications, and you are interested in WPF, this is the book for you.

With WPF, front and back end seem to be merged more than ever, leaving non-programmers feeling overwhelmed by all of the books out there aimed at programmers. Designers who are more comfortable with XHTML and CSS will feel right at home with this book, as it focuses on XAML, which is comfortingly familiar.

I'd recommend picking up VB or C# (or whatever Object Oriented language your team uses) as you develop your WPF skills, but this book will break down the walls surrounding WPF development, and keep you excited about learning more.

T. Brophy
27 June, 2007

Just Ausome!

After previous SVG experience, reading the entire WPF doco on MSDN, & trying all the samples I could find, I did not think there was much left to learn on WPF. This book showed me how wrong I was and how deep & creative WPF is. Kudos to the author. A great resource - buy this book!

Joshua Reuben
17 June, 2007

This is hard stuff to learn but the author makes it as easy as he can

I am a developer with many years of experience but this is some difficult information to grasp. XAML is complex and many of the concepts are new. You have to be willing to change the way you have been used to doing most things. For example, you have to be willing to use XAML binding rather than the usual method of explicitly hydrating your controls.

The author makes this as understandable as you can make while also covering it in the complete through detail you need for it to be useful in the real world. Yes having it in color does make a difference.

M. Washington
10 June, 2007

whoa!...read it like a novel

I have been developing Windows software since 1994 and have had my share of good resources and poor resources. This book is amazing! The wording in the book is very similar to someone talking you through the entire WPF platform. Examples are excellent and so is the "Tips" and additional information. The author anticipates the user reactions specifically by seasoned developers and addresses them. I am reading this book like a novel. I am on page 356 and I can't put it down. This is in my top 3 developer books, if not #1. If you have any thoughts on going down the WPF path, start here.

Stephen J. Sinclair, Jr.
24 May, 2007

Excellent, and highly readable

This book is an excellent example of just what a tutorial should be: readable, accessible, and well illustrated. I am deeply jealous of it being 4-color and it is a vivid demonstration of how much a full color book can convey. A great, must- have book

Jesse Liberty
19 May, 2007

Best book on the market today for WPF

I have used this book for one full project cycle. It was recommended by a company that I was collaborating with for a project and they were right. This book is the state of the art on WPF programming as of this writing. However, there are improvements that could be made. I think the data binding section could be a little stronger. Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone starting an new WPF project.

L. A. Duran
16 May, 2007

"Must buy"

This is one of the few technology or programming texts that I've seen which considers the importance of organization and presentation on learning. The writing is extremely competent and the full color text is both pleasing and clarifying to the text. I highly recommend this for anyone looking to get a handle on this rich technology.

Dustin Campbell
12 May, 2007

Great Book

If you want to start of learning XAML and understanding WPF there is no better source currently available. The books style and format make the material easy to access though the concepts are highly technical not a book for the novice but if you are an experienced programmer who wants to learn XAML then get this book.

Mark Davey
08 May, 2007

Well-Organized and Extremely Comprehensive

Adam Nathan has created the ultimate guide to the Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF), and it should be required reading for any WPF developer. I have been working with the WPF since the early WinFX betas, and I've still learned a lot from this book. I have also read Charles Petzold's "Applications = Code + Markup", and I must say that Adam's book is better organized and more comprehensive. It goes into much greater detail of how things work (i.e. the process by which dependency property values are resolved), and follows up by describing *why* things work the way they do. The color diagams, screenshots, and code samples exemplify the careful thought that went into this publication.

[...]

Michael J. Strobel
01 May, 2007

I wish more development books were structured and printed like this...

It seems like a never-ending task to keep up with Microsoft's latest and greatest application design software. But such is the life of a software developer... I got a chance to look at Windows Presentation Foundation Unleashed by Adam Nathan, and I'm impressed on a couple of levels. This is how I wish all software books were written and published...

Content:
Part 1 - Background: Why Windows Presentation Foundation?; XAML Demystified; Important New Concepts in WPF
Part 2 - Building a WPF Application: Introducing WPF's Controls; Sizing, Positioning, and Transforming Elements; Layout with Panels; Structuring and Deploying an Application
Part 3 - Features for Professional Developers: Resources; Data Binding; Styles, Templates, Skins, and Themes
Part 4 - Going Beyond Today's Applications with Rich Media: 2D Graphics; 3D Graphics; Animations; Audio, Video, Speech, and Documents
Part 5 - Advanced Topics: Interoperability with Win32, Windows Forms, and ActiveX; User Controls and Custom Controls; Layout with Custom Panels
Part 6 - Appendix: Helpful Tools
Index

Nathan aims the book at developers focused on user interfaces using, of course, the Windows Presentation Foundation software. It's meant to span the continuum from .NET newbies to experienced WPF developers. I can say he succeeded from the newbie perspective. I came away with a good basic understanding of WPF, how it works, and an idea as to all the features that can be used to create very nice applications from the user interface perspective. I appreciated the historical coverage of how we got to this point, and it set the table for everything that followed.

Beyond the content, the style and layout of the book was phenomenal. The most obvious difference is that this is a full-color book. All the code samples are color-coded, and more importantly, all the screen shot examples are as they would appear on your monitor. While this is important for user interface books, it's critical for a book like this. Many of the subtleties of WPF involve things that don't translate well to black and white print, like transparent windowing. Having those examples in color allows you to understand exactly what can be expected. Add in the numerous sidebars of tips, faqs, warnings, and so forth, and you've got a book that can take you from beginner to journeyman in short order.

I really wish more development books would go to full-color printing. It can take a very good book and make it truly outstanding, like this one...


Thomas Duff
29 April, 2007

Excellent book

The book covers the intricacies of WPF in a concise way (unlike Petzold's book, which goes on page after page). The topics covered are very practical - whenever I got stuck, this book had a solution. Surprisingly, the colored examples did not make too much of a difference, although colored text provided for better readability.

Ravindra Okade
27 April, 2007

Awesome WPF Book!

Right now there are limited training resources for learning WPF and pretty much a non-existence of proven patterns and practices. All of these assets will eventually come to the developer community as more people adopt the technology. For right now, I would recommend this book for learning and as a keeper for a decent reference book.

Some of the things that I really appreciated out of this book:

· This is truly a value-add, especially for a "visual" technology. There are other WPF books that don't have a single screenshot and it is extremely helpful to have the visual side of WPF represented throughout the book.

· XAML Demystified and Important New Concepts Chapters -- I'm really happy that he did this at the beginning of the book and is where any beginner of WPF or Silverlight (formerly WPF/E) should start the learning process.

- Organized Extremely Well: It's great if you want to read it from cover to cover or hit a particular topic. I always give a book the "Index Text" and check to make sure I can easily find the most common WPF topics.


E. Blankenship
24 April, 2007

The "What" plus the "how" and "why"!

I'm only in chapter 4 but I had to come here to say why this book is a success.

Before confusing you with xaml's often misunderstood declaritive syntax, Adam tells you what it is you're about to see and why WPF does it that way. Then he shows you the xaml and follows it up with C# procedural code doing the same thing.

Finally, i can understand the real reason the syntax is the way it is, not just knowing "that is the way it is done", something that certain authors failed to do in their wpf books. This gives me the power to do my own thing without having to keep asking "now how do i do THIS winforms type of thing in xaml?" to everyone on msdn.

MSDN thanks you, Adam and I hope your wife has forgiven you!

James D. Peckham
18 April, 2007