Part 1. Past, Present, and Future

Before we get into the nuts and bolts of WPF, we think it’s important to explain where WPF came from and why. That is the topic of chapter 1, “The road to Avalon (WPF).” This background will help developers using existing technologies—Windows or web—understand the whys and wherefores of WPF and, in particular, some of the bigger differences.

We’ll also explain where WPF fits in the grand scheme of things (at least relative to the latest version of .NET) and provide a breakdown of the technology and tools that make up WPF. That’s the topic of chapter 3, “WPF from 723 feet.” This overview will provide a framework for understanding how all the bits and pieces tie together and, if nothing else, will provide the keywords you’ll need when searching Google!

Part 1 isn’t entirely devoid of code. In chapter 2, “Getting started with WPF and Visual Studio 2008,” we’ll provide an obligatory (if much reviled) Hello, World! to give you an idea of what WPF development looks like. That chapter also includes a tour of Visual Studio 2008, focusing on the features built specifically to support WPF.