To start developing for XAML and Windows Presentation
Foundation, you need to have some tools in hand. Do not forget that this
article is written some weeks after the release date of .NET Framework 3.0
RC1. You can start developing XAML and WPF on Windows Vista, Windows XP or
Windows 2003.
You need to download WinFX SDK
and Visual Studio 2005 Extensions for WinFX. Although by
installing WinFX SDK you have a cool tool to develop for XAML, Visual Studio
Extensions can enable a visual designer and Intellisense, and great debugging
features. I recommend downloading VS 2005 Extensions for WinFX if you have it
installed on your system.
Of you do not have it, do not worry because WinFX SDK comes
with an editor for XAML which is named XAMLPad. This editor lets you to type
and edit XAML markup then it generates the UI for you. It also has some
debugging features.
There are some other tools available by Microsoft or
community for XAML development:
·
Microsoft
Expression "Sparkle Interactive Designer"
·
MyXaml
If you are using some tools like XamlPad to write your XAML
codes, you can use MSBuild to compile them, but if Visual Studio is your primary
IDE for this purpose it builds them on the fly for you.