Developing Windows applications using C# and WPF

Course Code: GN-301 Duration: 5 Days 

This 5 day course covers the C# language and its use for Windows desktop applications using the Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF). Developing for WPF is interesting as it actually uses 2 languages simultaneously - C# for the functionality and XAML for the UI design. A shorter course can be provided if you are already familiar with C#, and several optional modules can be added to match your particular requirements.

Course Content

Introducing C# and .Net

• Layout and white space.
• Blocks, braces and semicolons.
• Classes, methods and the use of '.'.
• The Main method.
• Basic input and output.
• Compiling and running programs.

Introduction to WPF

• What WPF is for.
• XAML.
• The technologies.
• The tools.
• Patterns and Model-View-ViewModel.
• WPF vs Windows Store Apps.

Designing a user interface with XAML

• What XAML is.
• XAML details.
• Designing a window.
• Basic controls.
• Properties and attached properties.
• Panels and layouts.
• Code-behind and simple events.

Using Variables

• Variable types and sizes.
• Integer versus floating point.
• Local variables and scope.
• Declaring and initializing variables.
• Operators.
• Pre and post increment operators.
• Strings and characters.
• Special characters and escape sequences.
• Verbatim literal strings.

Control Flow

• if and else.
• The for loop.
• while and do while.
• The switch statement.
• Conditional expressions.
• Writing and calling methods.
• Passing arguments.
• Returning values.
• Method overloading.

Object Oriented Programming

• Data types and nullable types.
• Value and reference types.
• Implicit types.
• Classes, objects and the use of 'new'.
• Encapsulation.
• The heap and the stack.
• Strings and StringBuilders.
• Collections, generics and concurrency.
• Arrays, jagged arrays and Indexers.
• Namespaces, 'using' and assemblies.
• Attributes.

Inheritance

• Inheritance and the use of 'virtual' and 'override'.
• Benefits of inheritance.
• Hiding and the other use of 'new'.
• Abstract classes.
• Constructors and initialization.
• Casting, 'as' and 'is'.

Interfaces

• The benefits of interfaces.
• Interfaces vs classes.
• Defining and implementing an interface.
• Common interfaces and the ubiquitous IEnumerable.
• Sorting and finding.

Exception Handling

• How exception handling works.
• try...catch and throw.
• Handling multiple exception types.
• try...finally and 'using'.
• Deriving exception classes.

Files, Streams and Networking

• The .Net Stream architecture.
• Streams, Readers and Writers.
• Serialization and SOAP.
• The Socket and Tcp classes.
• Basic network communication.
• Clients and multithreaded servers.

Event handling

• The event architecture.
• bubbling and routed events.
• Tunnelling and preview events.
• Commands.

Containers and layouts

• Panels.
• Canvas and absolute positioning.
• Wrap and Stack Panels.
• Margins, sizes and alignment.
• DockPanel.
• Grid and UniformGrid.
• Splitting and scrolling.
• Viewbox.
• Controls as containers.

WPF styles and controls

• User controls.
• How WPF controls work.
• Drawing and presentation.
• Resources and resource dictionaries.
• Defining and using styles.
• Dynamic resources.
• Control templates.
• Triggers and animation.

Commands

• 'Built-in' commands.
• Binding to commands.
• Application defined commands.
• Using Prism and DelegateCommand.
• Using MVVM Light and RelayCommand.

Data binding

• Connecting controls.
• Binding to objects.
• Binding modes.
• Syntax alternatives.
• Using data contexts.
• Events and updating.
• Property change notifications.
• Observable and binding collections.
• Data templates.
• Formatting.
• Using Prism and BindableBase.

Binding techniques

• Data grids and column design.
• Items controls and lists.
• Enhancing data templates.
• Value converters.
• XAML namespaces and object creation.
• Binding multiple properties.
• Validation and error handling.
• Custom validation rules.

Model View View-Model (MVVM)

• The architecture.
• Separating the View and the View Model.
• Creating the ViewModel from XAML.
• View first and View Model first.
• Views and data templates.
• Selection controls and enums.
• Dialogs.
• Using Multiple View/ViewModels.
• Building flexible user interfaces using user controls and regions.
• Application controllers and singletons.

LINQ and databases

• Binding to data.
• Databases and POCOs.
• Using Entity Framework.
• Using LINQ in general programming.
• LINQ, binding and data.
• Hierarchy and relationships.
• Hierarchical data templates.

Multitasking

• async and await.
• Parallel execution.
• Parallel For and ForEach.
• Tasks, threads and the thread pool.
• Controlling and synchronizing tasks and threads.
• .Net 4 synchronization mechanisms.
• Monitors.
• Asynchronous methods in .Net. Using callbacks.
• Cross-thread calls and the user interface.

Using Windows Forms

• Using Windows Forms from WPF.
• Using WPF from Windows Forms.
• Compatibility considerations.
• Integrating existing application code.

Graphics

• Shapes and colours.
• Designing a visually interesting user interface.
• Creating graphics dynamically.
• Bitmaps and images.

Optional - Introducing the 3rd dimension

• Coordinate systems and geometry.
• The ubiquitous triangle.
• Cameras and lighting.
• Models, meshes and materials.
• Building shapes.
• Practical examples.

Advanced Language Features

• Optional and named parameters.
• Delegates.
• Anonymous methods and lambda expressions.
• Memory management and the workings of the garbage collector.
• Calling legacy and unmanaged code.
• Using unsafe code.
• The Marshal and IntPtr types.
• Operator overloading and indexers.

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