we have several applications in FULL MVVM using the Ribbon from Microsoft. And it works fine, it's a great and flexible component :)
I was surprised to have to build my own templates and bindings to be able to use the ribbon in MVVM (I didn't find those files anywhere).
We are still using the Ribbon DLL from Microsoft (released around 2010 ) and can't switch to the ribbon existing in the Framework because it doesn't work with our Templates/bindings. Nothing happens/appears. Using the XAML description, everything is fine. I'm probably missing something. Does someone use it in full MVVM and which approach did you use to get it working ? Does the Framework contains the Templates and bindings hided somewhere ?
To summarize, how to use the ribbon included in the 4.5 Framework in FULL MVVM ?
Thanks for your help guys :)
If you target .NET Framework 4.5 or later you could add a reference to System.Windows.Controls.Ribbon.dll and use the built-in RibbonControl as-is:
<Ribbon />
You should be able to use this one more or less the exact same way as you use your current version. The templating of a control has nothing to do with MVVM. And of course the control comes with a default template.
Related
Not sure if this an appropriate forum for this, but I need some guidance from those who are further down the road than I am with WPF.
I've used Telerik Winform controls for a years and have mixed feelings about them. They look good, but they are deeply nested, have a steep learning curve, and sometimes don't perform the best. For example, just working with a RadWindow in the WPF designer, it's slow compared with native wpf controls.
I like Caliburn.Micro MVVM framework and MahApps metro styles, but to keep the same look and feel for a ribbon bar I'd need to use another third party tool (like Fluent) or just use the Microsoft Ribbon View control and figure out how to use templates and styles myself (or find an existing metro template for it).
I tried to combine Telerik and Caliburn but had trouble getting them to work. There is a Caliburn Telerik library but its based on Caliburn Micro 1.5.2 and I'm trying to use Caliburn.Micro 2.0.2. Problem is I always get an aero-looking full window title bar and frame wrapped around the Telerik styled window.
I just don't know enough about conventions and such to make it all work together. And frankly, not sure it's worth the trouble. I'm looking for a more streamlined approach that lessens my dependence on pricy and heavy third party controls.
So, I'm looking for guidance on whether I should use straight Telerik, straight caliburn or go through the work of trying to get them to work together.
What I would prefer is to use Caliburn as the mvvm framework with a layer of styling, like what MahhAps provides. And for those controls that aren't styled, like the Ribbon Bar, to either use Microsoft's ribbon bar and find templates and styles that would work or maybe a 3rd party control like Fluent. But would I be getting in over my head in trying to learn templates and styles?
Sorry for the ramble, but I'm frustrated and need some help in working through this. Thanks.
I found a great resource that maybe others new to WPF and struggling with similar questions would benefit from: MarkPad, a Code52 project on CodePlex.
It's written in WPF using Caliburn Micro MVVM framework (although it's version 1.5.2 rather than the current 2.0) and MahApps metro styles with some "roll your own" windows. It's a great looking app with the kind of simple menuing system I was looking for AND an MDI implementation. It's also a good example on how to organize a somewhat complex WPF application, something I was also unsure about.
It answers the question: Do I need to use Telerik? The answer is a definite NO. It's a great learning tool for me and maybe will be useful to others.
I added references to WinRT dlls to a WPF project and I want to use SwapChainPanel inside of a WPF window.
Is it really possible? For now I cant get it work.
The NuGet package description for Microsoft.Toolkit.Wpf.UI.Controls mentions a SwapChainPanel but I have not found any samples using this control in WPF.
SwapChainPanel : Provides a hosting surface, where Microsoft DirectX swap chains provide content that can be rendered into a XAML UI. A SwapChainPanel element is a key component for an app that renders Microsoft DirectX graphics and then presents those visuals within a XAML page.
It's not currently officially supported - might require some private APIs in Windows, though since Stardock could implement its ModernMix - there might be some way to get it working. The thing is though - you don't have to do that. You can render content with DirectX to a WPF window in other ways. I haven't done that and it might be quite a bit of work to do, but so is anything in DirectX. You can look into DirectComposition or D3DImage class. Perhaps the article on using Direct2D with WPF can be a good sample solution.
You dont have to, as says Filip Skakun, but you can ! Just give a try to SlimDX or SharpDX. They're DirectX's implementations in C#.
as easy as it sounds,
How can I use the themes provided in SL SDk 4.0 into WPF project??
It should be easy!! Am I missing something?
While Silverlight and WPF are related they are not identical. Each has namespaces, classes and methods that don't exist in the other.
Simply copying the Silverlight xaml into your WPF project and fixing the compile errors is one approach, but I wouldn't recommend it. There are differences, like Triggers for example, that have no direct equivalent.
Does anybody know of a gallery of controltemplates, that I could use to learn more about what is possible with the different control types?
look at : https://github.com/jogibear9988/wpftoolkit
I've forked the Theming Package from Codeplex and switched to .Net 4.0
I'm not familiar with a gallery of control templates, though there are lots of examples on the internet. If you have a specific control you'd like to template (e.g. a ListBox or a Button), I would search for specific control templates that relate to that control. You will find countless options.
If you want to learn about what is possible with control templates, I'd suggest picking up one of the many great WPF books. A few I'd recommend are:
WPF Unleashed (by Adam Nathan)
Applications = Code + Markup by (Charles Petzold)
WPF Control Development Unleashed (by Pavan Podila and Kevin Hoffman)
You can completely recreate the visual tree of an element with a control template, so the possibilities are limitless. You can also check out the MSDN Help Topics on control styles and templates:
Control Styles and Templates
Using Templates to Customize WPF Controls
Hope that helps.
There's this one
http://www.xamltemplates.net/
There's this one
http://www.reuxables.com/
There's this one
http://www.codeplex.com/Silverlight/Wiki/View.aspx?title=Silverlight%20Toolkit%20Overview%20Part%203&referringTitle=Home
As a word of warning, all templates are not created equal - and not all templates will work across all XAML frameworks. For example if it is written for SL it may not work for WinRT. The same for WPF. But this list will get you started. In the end, you will probably create your own.
Forgive me for being a little naive perhaps, but it seems that System.Windows.Controls.DataVisualization.Charting has vanished from VS2010, and blend 4. I'm trying to make a bar graph with a line overlayed, but can't even get started because I can't find the appropriate controls.
I know I could use an external graphing package, but I'd like to try the inbuilt controls first.
You mention Blend so I assume that you are refering to the WPF/Silverlight chart controls.
The System.Windows.Controls.DataVisualization.Charting namespace is part of the WPF Toolkit. You will have to download this toolkit and reference it from your project.
The question has been clarified to indicate it is about WPF controls. The answer below refers to the Winforms and Asp.net chart controls. I'm leaving it here in case other people find it useful.
The original MS Chart controls were never part of the framework. They are an separate project.
You can download them here.
There is also more info on their project page.
There is an addon to the IDE, (here), but it's for VS2008, I don't know if it will work with 2010. I would assume they are going to update it at some point, but there doesn't seem to be any information on when that will happen.
I stand corrected, .Net 4.0 apparently now has built in chart controls. You shouldn't need to install anything. You'll need to make sure you are targeting framework 4.0.