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Computer Book Store > Computer books beginning with X
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XAML in a Nutshell (In a Nutshell (O'Reilly)) |
Author: Lori MacVittie
Published: 2006-03-27 |
List price: $29.99
Our price: $21.89
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Usually ships in 24 hours
As of: December 03rd, 2008 08:11:33 PM
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Customer comments on this selection.
 Three months old and obsolete
I got this book when it was barely three months on the market.
Since WPF (aka avalon) is such a new topic, there are barely any books to teach it. This one is relatively clear and consice. The problem is that the WPF version thay are referring to is obsolete. Many concepts and most examples do not work as is. The whole chapter about Storyboards and animations is completely irrelevant.
I believe that a new version is needed, and I am sorry that I bought a three months old book which is obsolete, but I can not blame the author, she did a good job.
Regards
 Basic Introduction to XAML
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
 VERY VERY HIGHLY 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.
Poorly Conceived
This is one book that could have benefited from a firm critique while still in proposal form by someone cognizant of the concerns of the potential audience.
A book about a technology not ready for prime time cannot focus on code snippets. It must be an advocacy book, a book that speaks directly to us skeptics in the coding trenches. It must motivate the hard work entailed in learning a new tech by giving us a glimpse of a better future if we do. This book fails in that.
The first concrete questions a knowledgeable person will want answered by the book is "How is XAML better than XUL? Can it do more or do it more easily?" The only mention of XUL is on page 4, where we are informed "XAML offers similar benefits to other markup-based application interface mechanisms such as XUL..."
Well yes, "similar," except that XAML, unlike XUL, is not cross-platform, not implemented, and not tested in production applications.
This book found me a skeptic and left me an irritated skeptic.
 Slapped together - Dry and Boring
The previous post says nothing about the quality of this book and thus should be considered a definition of the XAML technology rather than a review.
In my opinion this book seemed slapped together. It was as if the tech writer of the documentation paraphrased the MS XAML Help. There was very little usage of metaphor or humour to make the topic interesting or easier to understand.
The code examples are extremely simple and unimaginative. In one of the very few lame attempts at humour the author comments about an animated rotating square and states that, "It may not be very useful, but it sure is fun to watch." I found this attempt at humour insulting. Can you imagine having a conversation with someone who talked like this?
If you are like me and you really like to have a paper version of bleeding edge tech stuff, you can be can be forgiven for purchasing this drivel. If you want to save yourself some hard earned cash, just download the MS Expression Interactive Designer CTP and work through the examples. You will learn more doing this in less time. In fact, unless you are stuck on the bus, you are wasting your time with this book.
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