News
Infragistics Ships WPF Tools
Component vendor
Infragistics on
Monday, April 23 released NetAdvantage for WPF 2007 Volume 1, a set of tools
that take advantage of the capabilities of Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF),
the graphical subsystem built into the .NET Framework 3.0.
The new Infragistics tools include a data grid that uses WPF's UI virtualization
technology, enabling it to handle thousands of records, according to Infragistics.
Other tools blend core functionality with visual innovation. For example, a
developer can create a UI that displays records in a carousel-like 3-D view
instead of a tabular grid.
The release also includes 15 "ThemePacks," which let users unify
their controls' look with one property setting. The themes include ones inspired
by Windows XP, Windows Vista and Office 2007, as well as proprietary designs.
Product Manager Andrew Flick said the company introduced a number of improvements
in the shipping version of the tools, based on user feedback to a beta released
earlier this year. The
beta was covered in the March issue of Redmond Developer News.
Infragistics particularly sought to boost the tools' performance, adding support
for aggressive UI element caching and reuse, according to Flick. Other product
improvements include better documentation and a number of flashy "showcase
samples," Flick said.
One question is whether the .NET development community is taking to WPF as
rapidly as vendors. The beta has been downloaded some 4,100 times, according
to Infragistics. Flick said that number reflects "a pretty good mix"
of users, from small shops to larger enterprises.
Pricing for the tools starts at $395.
About the Author
Chris Kanaracus is the news editor for Redmond Developer News.