Tools & Utilities

MyXamlLoader

Note: MyXamlLoader expects that the startup form is named "AppMainForm".
Note: The two demonstration XAML files are using MyXaml version 0.93!

MyXamlLoader does several things:

1. it automatically locates any .XAML files in the current folder
2. if there's only one, it loads it
3. if there's more than one, it asks you to pick one
4. if there's no .XAML file association, it prompts you to create one
5. if the .XAML file association is to someone else, it prompts you to change it
6. when you double-click on a .XAML file, it'll automatically load just that file
7. the loader can be placed anywhere and will manage loading "twice-removed" assemblies

Why have a loader?  Because it lets you start up an application from the .XAML file directly!

Things of note:

The demo download includes the RPN Calculator and the current MDI demonstration.

The driving code for the calculator is in an assembly.  Notice how the markup instantiates the Controller class:

<Form Name='AppMainForm' ...>
  <calc:RpnController/>
</Form>

The line "calc:RpnController" is all that's required to fire up the calculator -- the controller class constructor instantiates all the child views, which in turn are initialized using the rest of the markup in the XAML file.  (The source for the calculator will be posted soon).

This shows some of the interesting things you can do with MyXaml -- if you write your assembly so that it has a startup class with a default constructor, you can use that class to initialize the entire application, which is compiled as a DLL rather than an EXE.

Click To Download Source
Click To Download Demo

Form2Xml

This utility parses Visual Studio Designer generated code (the stuff between the "#region Windows Form Designer generated code") and generates a Xaml file for you.  It's still a pre-release of the tool, but for those that simply can't live without a designer, it's at least a stop-gap measure until the VS Designer is integrated to work with MyXaml and/or we have our own designer that can do some smart things like create the MVC stubs for you from your design.

Most importantly, using this tool, did you adhere to the comments in the region:

/// <summary>
/// Required method for Designer support - do not modify
/// the contents of this method with the code editor.
/// </summary>

If so, or the designer still works after you've changed things where you shouldn't have, then the converter should work fine.  If you have any problems, you can report them in the forum.

Click To Download