Who says WPF/XAML isn’t ready for Line of Business apps? Well anyway, the XAML Power Toys will help you down that road at least (Think “XAML Meets LoB CRUD” but actually sounds and looks better)

Karl on WPF - XAML Power Toys

“Current Version 3.1.0.2, Last Update 5 October 2008

Introduction

XAML Power Toys is a Visual Studio 2008 SP1 Multi-AppDomain Add-In that empowers WPF & Silverlight developers while working in the XAML editor.  Its Line of Business form generation tools, Grid tools,  DataGrid and ListView generation really shorten the XAML page layout time.

It’s accessed through commands in the XAML editor context menu and the Solution Explorer item context menu.

XAML Power Toys generates .NET 3.5 SP1 WPF compliant XAML and Silverlight RC0 compliant XAML. 

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Requirements

• Visual Studio 2008 with SP1
• For Silverlight Development Silverlight 2 RC0  (if your not doing Silverlight development, this is not required)
• Windows XP, Vista, Server 2003 or Server 2008

Goal

The primary goal of XAML Power Toys is to deliver tools that enable developers to quickly layout and maintain Line of Business Application forms using the UI controls that ship with Visual Studio. 

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Feature Set

• Create WPF or Silverlight DataGrid For Class - quickly create a WPF DataGrid complete with bindings that are easily associated with properties on the source class
• Create WPF ListView For Class - quickly create a ListView complete with bindings that are easily associated with properties on the source class
• Create Business Form For Class - quickly create a form complete with bindings that are easily associated with properties on the source class
• Create Business Form - quickly create a form complete with bindings if desired 
• Show Fields List For Class - display a list of class fields similar to Microsoft Access.  Allows dragging of fields to create controls
• Group Into - allows selecting one or more controls and group them inside a new parent control
• Chainsaw - Minimize Cider Designer XAML - allows selecting of one or more controls and will remove all MinWidth, MinHeight, x:Name, Name, Margin properties and will set all row and column definitions to Auto.
• Remove Margins - allows selecting one or more controls and removes the Margin property from them
• Edit Grid Column and Rows - allows selecting a grid and then add or remove rows and columns
• Set Defaults For Created Controls - allows customizing the initial properties that are set when the software creates a new control
• About Box - see the version of XAML Power Toys installed on your system

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Wow, there’s a ton of coolness in this, free with source, package. Why code it from scratch when you can generate it? As a WPF/XAML noob, I see this as a means to learning WPF/XAML through working, real-world, code (i.e. mine).

And you know, I have this collection class now that I’m binding to a boring WinForm gridview…hum… Do I hear weekend project?  ;)

Make sure you click through for more information, screenshots and videos.

(via XAML, WPF, Silverlight, .NET, Office 2007, Windows - XAML PowerToys for VisualStudio - Speed up Development of Business Apps and Just Edit XAML Faster)