Visual Studio 2008 and the .NET Framework 3.5
With the release of .NET FX 3.5 and Visual Studio 2008 just around the corner, now is the time to discover the new features that will empower your Client development and make building great Client applications easier than ever.
Learn more about .NET FX 3.5 and Visual Studio 2008:
WPF Improvements
Introducing WPF 3.5
In this paper, David Chappell discusses WPFs unified presentation platform and how it helps designers and developers collaborate more closely to create rich, immersive Windows user interfaces. Discover how the common programming model for standalone and browser user interface applications works in tandem with Windows Forms, Silverlight, and ASP.NET AJAX as well Visual Studio 2008 and Expression Blend, Web, Design, and Media.
Interactive 3D API and 2D on 3D API
Previously, interactive 3D and 2D UI on 3D surfaces were grafted onto WPF with the 3D Tools Codeplex project. These features are now integrated into the WPF classes UIElement3D and Viewport2DVisual3D enabling developers to add interactivity through the standard WPF event model, to add standard 2D WPF controls to 3D items, and to take advantage of other core WPF features. In addition, ContainerUIElement3D and ModelUIElement3D have been provided for developers to easily add interactivity to current 3D models or groups of models without having to write their own subclasses of UIElement3D.
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WPF UI Add-Ins
In the .NET Framework 3.5, the WPF Add-In Model provides a common framework for discoverability, communication contracts, activation, lifetime management, isolation and versioning. The WPF Add-in Model builds upon the capabilities of the CLR Add-In model by providing support for Add-Ins to contribute to the UI of the host application.
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Cookies Integration
In the .NET Framework 3.5,WPF XAML Browser Applications (XBAPs) enjoy increased integration with the browser process to enable unified cookies access. This enables XBAPs to exchange HTTP cookies with web servers, as well as the automatic attaching of cookies to outgoing HTTP web requests. Standalone WPF applications that make HTTP Web requests share the same increased capabilities.
Indic Language Support
WPF 3.5 supports display and editing of most of the languages spoken in India. The scripts supported and languages that map to them are in the table below:
| Script |
Font |
Languages |
| Devangari |
Mangal |
Hindi, Marathi, Sanskrit |
| Bengali |
Vrinda |
Bengali |
| Gujarati |
Shruti |
Gujarati |
| Gurmukhi |
Raavi |
Punjabi |
|
|
|
| Oriya |
Kalinga |
Oriya |
| Tamil |
Latha |
Tamil |
| Telugu |
Gautami |
Telugu |
| Kannada |
Tunga |
Kannada |
| Malayalam |
Kartika |
Malayalam |
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Firefox Support
In the .NET Framework 3.5 XAML browser applications (XBAPs) run cross browser in Firefox in addition to IE 6 and above. Navigate to an .xbap on the web running in Firefox, and the XBAP just works. Shell-execute or click on a hyperlink to a .xbap, and it will open in Firefox, if that is your default browser.
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New Software rendering API
A new API in the .NET Framework 3.5 allows developers to force software rendering in their application (per window) instead of using the GPU. This should provide developers a much better alternative than setting the global ‘Disable HW Acceleration’ registry key. For various scenarios and machine configurations this will improve rendering performance.
What's new in Visual Studio 2008
WPF Designer
The WPF designer in Visual Studio 2008 provides developers with a great environment for developing rich applications with WPF, through its Rich XAML navigation and editing, Split View editor and Visual Design Surface.
- Rich XAML navigation and editing experience
The designer helps you out when you're finding your way into XAML, with full, non-schema-based, Intellisense that understands all your custom types and controls and speeds along your coding. As your solutions get more complex, you'll find a Document Outline and Path Control navigators allow you to quickly find your way around complex XAML files, providing visual previews that help you find and select the right item. Quick navigation between your XAML and the corresponding event handlers in your code behind files, hooks you straight into a familiar and powerful Visual Studio code-editing and editing experience for all your code-behind needs, whether you work in VB.NET or C#.
- Split View Editor
You can see your latest WPF creation take shape as you craft your XAML with the WPF designer's split view editor. It lets you see your XAML and a design view of it simultaneously, so you can see consequences of your XAML edits immediately without having to run your application. You can use the visuals in the design view to navigate to items in the XAML too because selection is synchronized between the two views. Of course, if you want to be fully immersed in your XAML, you can still opt to view XAML only if you wish (per document or as a global setting)
- WYSIWYG Visual Design Surface
If you prefer to create your WPF UI through a visual designer, the visual design surface lets you select, create, move, resize, and reparent controls without having to hand-code any XAML at all. You can select and configure your controls using a familiar property editing panel. Creating your WPF applications layout can be done visually, using rich design support for WPF's Grid, Canvas, and (to a more limited degree) DockPanel or StackPanel layout containers. You can align controls precisely with one another by edge, by contained text, or with gridlines using snapping.
- Rich Designer Extensibility
Building custom controls is a great way to get your custom UI components used consistently across applications. The WPF designer provides a rich extensibility model that lets you build custom property editing experiences for your controls (and use them with Expression Blend too). You can create custom design surface adorners for your controls so developers who use them get a tailored design time experience that's customised just the way you want, so they can get the best out of your control. And if you need to you can protect your control investment with a a licensing mechanism too.
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Project Designer Multitargeting Support
Multitargeting lets you target code to a specific .NET Framework version:
- .NET Framework 2.0, which was included with Visual Studio 2005.
- .NET Framework 3.0, which is included with Windows Vista.
- .NET Framework 3.5, which is included with Visual Studio 2008.
To support multitargeting, the Advanced Compiler Settings (Visual Basic) and Advanced Build Settings (C#) dialog boxes have a new Target framework drop-down list that lets you specify these operating systems.
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ClickOnce Deployment
ClickOnce deployment has been enhanced with the following new features:
- ClickOnce supports the deployment of WPF Web Browser Applications. WPF Web Browser Applications are hosted in a Web browser and therefore require special deployment and security settings. When you build and deploy these applications, Visual Studio will provide appropriate user interface and default values.
- ClickOnce gives ISVs the option to re-sign the application manifest with their customer's company name, application name, and deployment/support URL. When end users install the application, the ISV's original company branding still appears on the "Do you want to trust this application?" dialog box.
- You can build and deploy Visual Studio Tools for Office applications by using the Project Designer's Publish page or the Publish Wizard.
- ClickOnce supports manifest generation under User Access Control (UAC) on Windows Vista.
Windows Installer Deployment
Windows Installer deployment has been updated for Windows Vista and the latest .NET Framework versions:
- Windows Installer has been updated so that installation on Windows Vista is smooth, even when it is running under User Account Control (UAC).
- The .NET Framework Launch Condition supports targeting applications for the new .NET Framework 3.0 and 3.5 versions.
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Language-Integrated Query (LINQ)
Language-Integrated Query (LINQ) is a new set of features in Visual Studio 2008 that extend powerful query capabilities into the language syntax of C# and Visual Basic. LINQ introduces standard, easily-learned patterns for querying and transforming data, and can be extended to support potentially any kind of data source. Visual Studio 2008 includes LINQ provider assemblies that enable language-integrated querying of .NET Framework collections (LINQ to Objects), SQL Databases (LINQ to SQL), ADO.NET Datasets (LINQ to ADO.NET), and XML Documents (LINQ to XML).
For more information on LINQ, see:
What's new in the .NET Framework 3.5
ClickOnce Improvements
Several improvements have been made to ClickOnce. Improvements include deployment from multiple locations and third-party branding. ClickOnce also offers alternative browser support and XCopy publishing. The Mage.exe tool, which is sometimes used together with ClickOnce, has been updated for the .NET Framework 3.5.
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Authentication, Roles, and Settings Services
Client application services are new in the .NET Framework 3.5 and enable Windows-based applications (including Windows Forms and Windows Presentation Foundation applications) to easily access the ASP.NET login, roles, and profile services. These services enable you to authenticate users and retrieve user roles and application settings from a shared server.
You can enable client application services by specifying and configuring client service providers in your application configuration file or in the Visual Studio Project Designer. These providers plug into the Web extensibility model and enable you to access the Web services through existing .NET Framework login, roles, and settings APIs. Client application services also support occasional connectivity by storing and retrieving user information from a local data cache when the application is offline.
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Windows Vista Support
Existing Windows Forms applications work seamlessly on Windows Vista, and they are upgraded to have the same appearance as applications written specifically for Windows Vista whenever possible. Common file dialog boxes are automatically updated to the Windows Vista version. The .NET Framework 3.5 also supports the User Account Control (UAC) Shield icon.
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WPF - Windows Forms Support
You can use Windows Forms to host Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) controls and content together with Windows Forms controls. You can also open WPF windows from a Windows Form.
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