The Windows Presentation Foundation elevator pitch

Windows Presentation Foundation provides a unified programming model for building rich Windows smart client user experiences that incorporate UI, media, and documents.

30 second description

Windows Presentation Foundation provides developers with a unified programming model for building rich Windows smart client user experiences that incorporate UI, media, and documents.

Figure 1: Rich UI, graphics and composition features of WPF as shown in
the Patient Blood Sugar Tracker prototype application.

1 minute description

Windows Presentation Foundation provides a unified programming model for building Windows smart client user experiences that incorporate UI, media, and documents. Using Visual Studio, Microsoft Expression and XAML, you can increase developer-designer productivity. Through a flexible deployment mode, you can write code once, and deploy as installed client or in a browser. You can incrementally embrace WPF through interoperability with existing technologies.

2 minute description

Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF), a .NET Framework v3.0 component, is Microsoft’s strategic presentation technology for next-generation Windows smart client user experiences. WPF empowers you to deliver innovative user interfaces through support for UI, media, documents, hardware acceleration, vector graphics, scalability to different form factors, data visualization, and superior content readability. Using Visual Studio, Microsoft Expression and XAML, you can increase developer-designer productivity. Through a flexible deployment mode, you can write code once, and deploy as installed client or in a browser. Interoperability with existing technologies such as Windows Forms and Win32 offers you an incremental path to WPF. WPF development also lets you leverage vested knowledge in .NET Framework, CLR languages and Visual Studio IDE.

Figures 2, 3: High fidelity reading experiences and adaptable paginated
articles in Windows Presentation Foundation in the Times Reader

Figures 4, 5: Another set of screenshots on how the Times Reader uses
WPF features for its adaptable section fronts.

The Windows Presentation Foundation value proposition

1. Deliver Innovative User Interfaces
   • Unified approach to UI, media, and documents
   • Vector-based composition engine, hardware acceleration, resolution independent graphics engine
   • Works on Windows Vista, Windows XP and Windows Server 2003
2. Increase Developer-Designer Productivity; Achieve Flexible Application Development
   • Visual Studio IDE for developers; Microsoft Expression for designers
   • Declarative programming (XAML) for better designer-developer collaboration
   • Common code base and flexible deployment as stand-alone client or in browser
3. Leverage Existing Code Base and Skill Set
   • Interoperability with Windows Forms, Win32, DirectX, MFC, ActiveX
   • Leverage vested knowledge in .NET Framework, CLR languages, and Visual Studio IDE