XAML Futuresfor Microsoft .NET,Microsoft Silverlight and Tools

Michael.Shim@microsoft.comProgram Manager, http://michaelshim.com/blog

Rob.Relyea@microsoft.comArchitect, http://robrelyea.com/blog

CL24

XAML Status & Futures

> XAML @ 3 year mark> We’ll focus on 5 areas today

> Runtime Parsing> Static Analysis> Compile Time> Design Time> Localization

Design Time

Compile Time Runtime

Static Analysis

Localization

XAML Runtimes

Runtime Improvements (Parsers)

> .NET 4 using System.Xaml.dll> Ready for UI and non-UI> More services available to

MarkupExtensions & TypeConverters> XAML2009 Language Features

> Silverlight XAML Futures> Status> Improvements> Direction

> XAML ready types or frameworks only need: mscorlib, System, System.Xml, System.Xaml

> Removing the XAML engine out of Fx Libraries> XamlReader.Load still in PF.dll

XAML for UI or Non-UI

WF, WCF,

More…

PresentationCore.dll (PC.dll)

PresentationFramework.dll (PF.dll)

XAML engine

3.x

WindowsBase.dll

XamlTypeInfo

Mscorlib, System, System.Xml

BAMLengine

PC.dll

PF.dll

WindowsBase.dll

BAML engine

4

System.Xaml.dll

XamlTypeInfo

XAML engine

Mscorlib, System, System.Xml

WPFWorkflo

w

XOML engin

e

Xoml

TypeInfo

XAML Data Model: O-M-V + Types

O-M-V> Root Object> Objects have Members> Members contain Objects and/or Values> Some Objects are Collections> Collections have a property

to hold their ItemsTypes> Objects are instances of XamlTypes> Members are instances of XamlMembers

Object Member Value

XAML Node Stream

StartObject

Value

StartMember

StartObject StartMember

ValueStartMember

ValueStartObject StartMember

Background

ChildrenCanvas

Button

Button

Content

Content

“Green”

“OK”

“Cancel”

>>FUTURE

Working with XAML Node Streams

Enables:> Scenario: XamlPad that strips event

handlers> Scenario: Adding Script to XAML

> Note: a technology demo, not best practice for most applications.

Adding Script to XAML

demo

>>FUTURE

More Power for MarkupExtensions and TypeConverters> V3 MEs and TCs

> IXamlTypeResolver, IUriContext & IProvideValueTarget

> V4 MEs and TCs> IRootObjectProvider> IXamlNameResolver & IXamlNameProvider

(Save)> IAmbientProvider> IDestinationTypeProvider> IXamlNamespaceProvider &

INamespacePrefixLookup (Save)> IXamlSchemaContextProvider> IXamlObjectWriterFactory

IXamlTypeResolver, IAmbientProvider, IXamlSchemaContextProvider<Style TargetType="Button" > <Setter Property="Background" Value="Red" /> </Style>

3

1

2

1) Type type = xamlTypeResolver.Resolve("Button"); 2) Value of Style.TargetType determined by calling IAmbientProvider to find instances of Style.TargetType up the parse stack. 3)xamlSchemaContext = ixscp.SchemaContext;xamlType = xamlSchemaContext.GetXamlType(typeof(Button));xamlMember = xamlType.GetMember("Background");value=xamlMember.TypeConverter.ConverterInstance.ConvertFrom(…);

IRootObjectProvider, IXamlNameResolver<Button Click=“foo” /><Button Click=“{l:EventWire foo}” /><Button Height=“{l:GetValue tb1.Height}” />

3

1

2

1) Parser looks for foo method on Root object.2) IRootObjectProvider can get root object.3) IXamlNameResolver can find element with Name of tb1 (even it is hasn’t been parsed yet).

>>FUTURE

More Power for MarkupExtensions and TypeConverters> V3 MEs and TCs

> IXamlTypeResolver, IUriContext & IProvideValueTarget

> V4 MEs and TCs> IRootObjectProvider> IXamlNameResolver & IXamlNameProvider

(Save)> IAmbientProvider> IDestinationTypeProvider> IXamlNamespaceProvider &

INamespacePrefixLookup (Save)> IXamlSchemaContextProvider> IXamlObjectWriterFactory

3

1 2

45

6

XAML 2009 Enhancements Recap from PDC08> Improved named references (x:Reference)> Full generics support (x:TypeArguments)> Built-in types (x:String, etc…)> Support arbitrary dictionary key types

(x:Key)> Support events without compilation> Define new properties (x:Members,

x:Property)> Use non-default constructors

(x:Arguments)> Use factory methods (x:FactoryMethod)

Note: Compilers + Designers in .NET 4, VS2010, & Blend won’t have XAML2009 support at RTM.

Runtime Parser Improvements

> .NET 4 using System.Xaml.dll> Ready for UI and non-UI> More services available to

MarkupExtensions, TypeConverters> XAML2009 Language Features

> Silverlight XAML Futures> Status> Improvements> Direction

>>FUTURE

Silverlight XAML Improvement Plan

Starts working:> Text as content

<Button>Hello</Button>> All MarkupExtensions

work in ObjectElement syntax

> Better debuggability> Better error messages and

locations> Throws on invalid XAML

earlier> …

Invalid XAML stops working:

> Duplicate property setting> …

Will have tools to help improve the validity of your XAML.

>>FUTURE

Silverlight XAML Direction

> In the future, moving the Silverlight XAML parser to the same XAML Node infrastructure

> Better compatibility with .NET XAML and ability to evolve quickly

> Scenarios will drive future addition of > More XAML2006 features> XAML2009 features

XAML Static Analysis

>>FUTURE

XAML Static Analysis

> Declarative UI provides great opportunities for analysis, however, we don’t support FxCop on XAML today.

> We are going to make it easy> XamlDom> FxCop & XAML

> WPF & Silverlight integration

Microsoft XAML Toolkit

Provides Static Analysis, Localization, & XamlDom for .NET/Silverlight XAML

announcing

>>FUTURE

XamlDom Represents the XAML Node stream in a tree• XML nodes (XmlReader ->XDocument)• XAML nodes

(S.X.XamlReader -> XamlDom)

StartObject

Value

StartMember

StartObjectStartMem

ber

ValueStartMem

ber

ValueStartObjectStartMem

ber

Background

ChildrenCanva

s

Button

Button

Content

Content

“Green”

“OK”

“Cancel”

XDObject XDMember

XDObject

XDMember Value

XDMember Value

XDObject XDMember Value

Canvas

Children

Button

Button

Background

“Green”

Content

“OK”

Content

“Cancel”

>>FUTURE

XamlDom

> Like XLinq for XDocument, can use Linq against XamlDom

> XamlDom useful for Tools> XAML Designers (Blend/VS)> Static Analysis> Transformations (Converters)

Querying the XamlDom

demo

XamlDom Functional Construction

new XamlDomObject(typeof(Button), schemaContext, new XamlDomMember("Background", "Red"), new XamlDomMember("Content", "Click Me!"));XamlDomServices.Save(domObject, "myfile.xaml");

XamlXmlWriter xamlXmlWriter = new XamlXmlWriter("myfile.xaml", schemaContext);XamlType buttonType = schemaContext.GetXamlType(typeof(Button));XamlMember backgroundMember = buttonType.GetMember("Background");XamlMember contentMember = buttonType.GetMember("Content");xamlXmlWriter.WriteStartObject(buttonType);xamlXmlWriter.WriteStartMember(backgroundMember);xamlXmlWriter.WriteValue("Red");xamlXmlWriter.WriteEndMember();xamlXmlWriter.WriteStartMember(contentMember);xamlXmlWriter.WriteValue("Click Me!");xamlXmlWriter.WriteEndMember();xamlXmlWriter.WriteEndObject();xamlXmlWriter.Close();

<Button Background="Red">Click Me!</Button>

>>FUTURE

Tooling Silverlight XAML

> .NET & Silverlight metadata are different> ContentPropertyAttribute is in two

different assemblies (System.Xaml.dll vs System.Windows.dll)

> Silverlight > Some markup extensions don’t have CLR

types> Some types are missing metadata (like

TypeConverterAttribute)

> System.Xaml.dll needs a Silverlight XamlSchemaContext> Tools can rely on the

SilverlightSchemaContext

XAML FxCop

demo

BaseXamlRule

public abstract class BaseXamlRule : BaseIntrospectionRule{ public abstract void CheckXaml(XamlDomObject rootObjectNode,

XamlSchemaContext schemaContext,

string resourceName);}

>>FUTURE

XAML FxCop

• Processes all XAML/BAML files in a Resource and calls CheckXaml

• CTP supports WPF, Silverlight, and Workflow

• Considering a visitor pattern as well

>>FUTURE

UISchemaContext

> XamlSchemaContext that works with both WPF & Silverlight> Translates types between both worlds> Write one FxCop rule against WPF or

Silverlight, works against both platforms> Only useful for static analysis

>>FUTURE

FxCop Details

> Working with FxCop team on better integration (resource granularity, suppressions, etc…)

> CTP includes following FxCop support:> BaseXamlRule> Rules to improve Silverlight content> XAML validation rule> UISchemaContext

XAML Compilers

> WPF 4> Fixed some impactful bugs

> Out of memory, incremental build issues, CompilerGenerated attributes for FxCop

> Visual Studio/MSBuild support multi-targeting> Couldn’t afford to support XAML2009 in compiler &

BAML> WPF 3.x Compiler Update

> Port fixes to 3.x XAML compiler coming early next year

> Silverlight 4> Minor bug fixes

> Workflow 4> New XAML compiler

>>FUTURE

WPF/Silverlight Compiler Futures

> Improved compilers on horizon for both

> Goals> Based on System.Xaml Node stream> Better validation

> Additional XAML Validation component that can be used elsewhere (FxCop, Designers, localization, etc…)

> Improve generated files (.g.cs/.g.vb) (XmlnsDefinitionAttribute, RuntimeNameProperty, etc…)> x:Property

> Add XAML2009 support for WPF

XAML Designers

> VS2010/Blend: Integration with designers and runtime parsers> WPF Data/Control Template editing is significantly

faster> Visual Studio 2010

> Added MarkupExtension intellisense> Supports SL & WPF XAML> Better performance for intellisense> Fixed bugs in parser

> Blend> Added intellisense in XAML view> Better incremental parse/update> Better support for attached properties> Fixed bugs in parser

XAML Localization

Approaches to XAML UI Localization

x:Uid> LocBaml

{MarkupExtension}> {Binding}> {StaticResource} to

resources in ResourceDictionaries

> {x:Static} to strongly typed ResX resources

> {my:Loc}

x:Uid vs {MarkupExtension} (1 of 2)x:Uid<Button Click=“handleOk” x:Uid=“button1”> Ok</Button>

{MarkupExtension}<Button Click=“handleOk” Content=“{SomeME contentValue}” />

x:Uid vs {MarkupExtension} (2 of 2)Criteria x:Uid {ME}

Impact on XAML Better Poor

Cider/Blend Value Editing Experience

Better Poor

Runtime Performance Better Ok(lite + heavy)

Post-Build Localization enabled

Yes No

Injection of Values No* -> Yes

No

Support for RichText Yes No

Support for Element Reordering

Yes No

XAML Localization Status

> Silverlight> Build: None> Runtime: {Binding}> PostBuild: None

> .NET> Build: None> Runtime: {Binding}, {SR}, {my:Loc}> PostBuild: LocBaml, 3rd Parties

>>FUTURE

XAML Localization Plan

> Silverlight> Build: Support x:Uid based localization> Runtime: {Binding}> PostBuild: Support x:Uid based

localization> .NET

> Build: Support x:Uid based localization> Runtime: {Binding}, {SR}, {my:Loc}> PostBuild: Improve Pain Points

Prototype of BuildTime Localization of a Silverlight Application

demo

>>FUTURE

Pain points

> Internal and External Pain Points> Assembly dependency> File format (.csv)> Tools support> Visual designer> BamlWriter> Metadata + overriding> Uid generation> Fallback

>>FUTURE

Plans for XAML Localization

> Focus very soon on this area for WPF & Silverlight

> Engage with community for feedback> Deliver Microsoft.Xaml.Localization.dll

as part of a future XAML Toolkit CTP

Call for Action

> Begin using .NET 4 Beta 2 & System.Xaml.dll

> Download Microsoft XAML Toolkit CTP for Static Analysis and XamlDom> http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/XAML> Write tools for .NET/Silverlight XAML> Write FxCop rules> Give feedback on XamlDom

> Give feedback to improve XAML development

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forms online atMicrosoftPDC.com

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