XAML Power Toys - Instant Form Generation | The Continuum Show

Karl Shifflett brought one of his favorite Hawaiian shirts and his XAML Power Toys in to the studio and it was time to play. Karl demonstrates how to use his Visual Studio Add-In to instantly generate forms for Line of Business applications.

Since the filming of this video Karl has since updated XAML Power Toys to now support Silverlight 2 as well as WPF. Karl has also recorded 11 videos of his own (available half way down the XAML Power Toys page) to help you get started with this useful and customizable tool.

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ecofriend

Nov 21, 2008 at 11:40 AM

Will this work in the Express editions?

I just finished watching the video and this tool is AWESOME!
magicalclick remember the flow

Nov 21, 2008 at 11:11 PM

Holy cow, that's really really nice. And he is damn smart.
Bas It finds lightbulbs.

Nov 22, 2008 at 7:13 AM

Where can I get that Wumpus sticker?

Edit: not meant as a reply to ecofriend..
darrellp

Nov 22, 2008 at 7:20 AM

Very cool idea and thank goodness somebody realized that there needs to be an insert row/column for grids (when is this going into Blend?). Looks like it was really well executed, too, so thanks for all of that.

On the other hand, I think that whoever edited the video needs to understand that there is zero interest in watching two guys staring at a laptop, and FAR more interest in what is actually going on in the screen of that laptop. After the typing began and before the final "goodbyes", I was extremely frustrated as he did who knows what to actually create the XAML because I was looking at him talking about it rather than the screen when that occurred. Ditto for lots of other key points in the demo. There was never a point where I was really curious about what it looked like to see them talking, so keep the camera on the screen please.
AdamKinney Agent of Change

Nov 22, 2008 at 11:47 AM

I got mine a while ago from Jeff Atwood, but I'm not sure if he gives them out anymore. Its definitely one of my favorites.
AdamKinney Agent of Change

Nov 22, 2008 at 12:01 PM

Well I'm glad you liked the Power Toys, that's the important part

I did edit the video in hotel room with trial software that I haven't used before (and won't be using again). Of the 24-minute demo, 8 minutes and 26 seconds actually showed the talking heads in question. The timing may be questionable depending on your perspective and it sounds like you would love to see Karl's screencasts which are only code. Hopefully you've found them by now on the XAML Power Toys page (halfway down)
darrellp

Nov 22, 2008 at 1:25 PM

I'm sorry to have sounded a little harsh, but as constructive criticism, I really never found myself looking at the screen and wondering about what the commentators were doing at that particular moment. If nothing were going on with the screen and the commentators were addressing the camera, it makes sense to cut back, but as long as they're doing nothing more than staring at the laptop and something is being typed on the screen, I really don't see any reason or interest in cutting away from the screen and devoting a third of the video to a static image of them staring at the screen seems like overkill to me. Just my two cents, and sorry again about sounding harsh. Sometimes I slip into "sarcastic" without even meaning to.
AdamKinney Agent of Change

Nov 22, 2008 at 11:10 PM

No problem, criticism is fine. I'm just happy you found out about XAML Power Toys now.
TommyCarlier Widen your gaze

Nov 23, 2008 at 5:37 AM

Another cool episode of Continuum. I really like this format.
karl1406 Hopeless .NET, WPF fanatic.

Nov 23, 2008 at 2:19 PM

Eco Friend,

Sorry, but Visual Studio Add-In's, do not run on the Express Editions of Visual Studio.

Once I publish Ocean, you will be able to do almost everything, even in Express Editions of VS.

Keep on eye on my blog for Ocean.

Cheers,

Karl
jasuk1970

Nov 24, 2008 at 6:24 AM

I think that these power toys should get integrated into the vs2010 as standard features as they make it much quicker to program using XAML.

And Hurray for VB
Not mentioned enough in my opinion

Jas
karl1406 Hopeless .NET, WPF fanatic.

Nov 26, 2008 at 6:36 AM

Jas,

Thank you for your kind works on XAML Power Toys, I'll pass this along.

I'm a VB

Karl
vesuvius Count Orlock

Nov 26, 2008 at 6:56 AM

Jeepers Karl you really are looking after the business community.

Features like this are what is keeping most windows forms developers away from WPF, and people are right in saying WPF in VS 2010 will be like windows forms in 2005.

I am fast running out of excuses to not use WPF.
karl1406 Hopeless .NET, WPF fanatic.

Nov 26, 2008 at 11:09 AM

Vesuvius,

Thank you for your very kind words on XAML Power Toys.

WPF is the BOMB. I have loved WPF from the fist time I looked at it.

No turning back!

Cheers,

Karl
Pete O'Hanlon

Nov 28, 2008 at 1:21 AM

You can't use PowerToys in the Express Editions. Sorry, but you can't target AddIns at the Express editions - they are feature limited after all.