Playbook WPF 4: Creating Flexible WPF Business Application Screens from Pluralsight

If you want to build great WPF applications, you need to start with good architecture. In this course, you will create some typical business screens using user controls, a message broker, styles, and several other WPF tools to meet this requirement.

Building business applications in WPF is easier if you have a great starting architecture. After that, you need a few tools such as a splash screen, a message broker, and a design pattern for building business screens. In this course, Playbook WPF 4: Creating Flexible WPF Business Application Screens, you will create a design pattern that you can use to develop your WPF business applications. First, you will learn to create a splash screen to display while your application is loading and how to load controls dynamically. Next, you will explore how to use a message broker to display status messages, build two user controls to display login and user feedback screens, and validate data. Finally, you will discover how to create a design pattern for master/detail screens. When you are finished with this course, you will have the skills and knowledge of WPF needed to create any business application. Software required: Visual Studio 2017, .NET 4.5+, SQL Server, WPF.

What's inside

Syllabus

Course Overview

Display a Splash Screen at Application Startup

Load User Controls Dynamically

Use a Message Broker to Display Status Messages

Ask User to Log In

Validate Data and Display Validation Messages

Build a User Feedback Form

A Design Pattern for Creating Master / Detail Screen

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Provides a solid foundation for building WPF business applications, beneficial for those new to WPF

Taught by Paul D. Sheriff, a recognized expert in WPF

Uses up-to-date tools and techniques, including Visual Studio 2017, .NET 4.5+, SQL Server, and WPF

Covers a wide range of topics, including creating splash screens, loading user controls dynamically, using a message broker, and building master/detail screens

Offers hands-on labs and interactive materials to reinforce learning

Suitable for students with some experience in WPF who want to expand their knowledge

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Playbook WPF 4: Creating Flexible WPF Business Application Screens with these activities:

Practice building WPF user controls

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Create several user controls to practice building reusable WPF components.

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Create a new WPF project in Visual Studio.
Add a new user control to the project.
Design the user control's UI.
Write the code-behind for the user control.
Test the user control in the main window.

Follow a tutorial on implementing a message broker in WPF

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Implementing a message broker is essential for decoupling components in WPF applications. This tutorial will guide you through the process step-by-step.

Browse courses on Message Brokers

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Find a reputable tutorial on implementing a message broker in WPF.
Follow the tutorial step-by-step.
Test the message broker in your own WPF application.

Build a WPF application with a custom splash screen

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Customizing the splash screen is an opportunity to enhance the user experience and reinforce your brand. This activity will guide you through the process of creating your own custom splash screen.

Browse courses on Splash Screens

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Create a new WPF project in Visual Studio.
Design the splash screen UI.
Implement the code-behind for the splash screen.
Test the splash screen in your WPF application.

Four other activities

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Validate user input in WPF

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Properly validating user input is critical for ensuring the accuracy and integrity of your data. This activity will teach you how to implement data validation in WPF applications.

Browse courses on Data Validation

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Create a new WPF project in Visual Studio.
Add user input controls to the UI.
Implement data validation rules for each user input control.
Test the data validation in your WPF application.

Use a message broker to display status messages in WPF

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Message brokers provide a convenient way to communicate between different parts of your WPF application. This activity will teach you how to use a message broker to display status messages.

Browse courses on Message Brokers

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Create a new WPF project in Visual Studio.
Add a message broker to your project.
Create a status message view.
Subscribe the status message view to the message broker.
Test the message broker by sending status messages.

Build a simple WPF splash screen

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Build a simple WPF splash screen to help visualize loading status during application startup.

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Create a new WPF application in Visual Studio.
Add a new Window to the project.
Set the window's visibility to false.
Create a new thread to load the main application window.
In the main thread, display the splash screen window and start loading the main application.
Once the main application is loaded, close the splash screen window and set the main application window's visibility to true.

Develop a small WPF application that showcases the concepts learned in the course

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Integrate and apply the concepts covered in the course by creating a complete WPF application as a capstone project.

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Decide on the purpose and features of the application.
Design the UI and data model for the application.
Implement the application logic and functionality.
Test and debug the application.
Deploy the application and get feedback from users.

Career center

Learners who complete Playbook WPF 4: Creating Flexible WPF Business Application Screens will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

User Interface Designer

A User Interface Designer designs and develops the user interfaces of software applications. This role typically requires a bachelor's degree in graphic design or a related field. Playbook WPF 4: Creating Flexible WPF Business Application Screens can help build a foundation in WPF, which is a valuable skill for a User Interface Designer.

See salaries and explore the career path for User Interface Designer

Software Developer

A Software Developer designs, develops, and maintains software applications. This role typically requires a bachelor's degree in computer science or a related field. Playbook WPF 4: Creating Flexible WPF Business Application Screens can help build a foundation in WPF, which is a valuable skill for a Software Developer.

See salaries and explore the career path for Software Developer

Web Developer

A Web Developer designs, develops, and maintains websites and web applications. This role typically requires a bachelor's degree in computer science or a related field. Playbook WPF 4: Creating Flexible WPF Business Application Screens can help build a foundation in WPF, which is a valuable skill for a Web Developer.

See salaries and explore the career path for Web Developer

Software Architect

A Software Architect designs and develops the architecture of software applications. This role typically requires a master's degree in computer science or a related field. Playbook WPF 4: Creating Flexible WPF Business Application Screens can help build a foundation in WPF, which is a valuable skill for a Software Architect.

See salaries and explore the career path for Software Architect

User Experience Designer

A User Experience Designer (UX Designer) designs and evaluates the user experience of products and services. This role typically requires a bachelor's degree in human-computer interaction or a related field. Playbook WPF 4: Creating Flexible WPF Business Application Screens can help build a foundation in WPF, which is a valuable skill for a UX Designer.

See salaries and explore the career path for User Experience Designer

Quality Assurance Analyst

A Quality Assurance Analyst tests and evaluates software products to ensure that they meet quality standards. This role typically requires a bachelor's degree in computer science or a related field. Playbook WPF 4: Creating Flexible WPF Business Application Screens may be useful for learning how to test and evaluate WPF applications.

See salaries and explore the career path for Quality Assurance Analyst

Technical Writer

A Technical Writer creates and edits technical documents, such as user manuals, training materials, and marketing collateral. This role typically requires a bachelor's degree in technical writing or a related field. Playbook WPF 4: Creating Flexible WPF Business Application Screens may be useful for learning how to create user documentation for WPF applications.

See salaries and explore the career path for Technical Writer

Project Manager

A Project Manager plans, organizes, and manages projects to achieve specific goals. This role typically requires a bachelor's degree in project management or a related field. Playbook WPF 4: Creating Flexible WPF Business Application Screens may be useful for learning how to manage software development projects.

See salaries and explore the career path for Project Manager

Business Analyst

A Business Analyst helps organizations improve their business processes. This role typically requires a bachelor's degree in business administration or a related field. Playbook WPF 4: Creating Flexible WPF Business Application Screens may be useful for learning how to design and develop user interfaces for business applications.

See salaries and explore the career path for Business Analyst

Data Analyst

A Data Analyst collects, analyzes, and interprets data to help organizations make informed decisions. This role typically requires a bachelor's degree in statistics or a related field. Playbook WPF 4: Creating Flexible WPF Business Application Screens may be useful for learning how to develop user interfaces for data analysis applications.

See salaries and explore the career path for Data Analyst

Network Administrator

A Network Administrator manages the computer networks of an organization. This role typically requires a bachelor's degree in computer science or a related field. Playbook WPF 4: Creating Flexible WPF Business Application Screens may be useful for learning how to develop applications that interact with networks.

See salaries and explore the career path for Network Administrator

IT Manager

An IT Manager plans, organizes, and directs the IT operations of an organization. This role typically requires a bachelor's degree in computer science or a related field. Playbook WPF 4: Creating Flexible WPF Business Application Screens may be useful for learning how to manage and develop IT applications.

See salaries and explore the career path for IT Manager

Systems Analyst

A Systems Analyst analyzes and designs computer systems to meet the needs of an organization. This role typically requires a bachelor's degree in computer science or a related field. Playbook WPF 4: Creating Flexible WPF Business Application Screens may be useful for learning how to design and develop user interfaces for business systems.

See salaries and explore the career path for Systems Analyst

Enterprise Architect

An Enterprise Architect designs and manages the IT infrastructure for an organization. This role typically requires a master's degree in computer science or a related field. Playbook WPF 4: Creating Flexible WPF Business Application Screens may be useful for learning how to design and develop enterprise-scale applications.

See salaries and explore the career path for Enterprise Architect

Graphic designer

A Graphic Designer uses artistic and technical skills to create visual content. This role typically requires a bachelor's degree in graphic design or a related field.

See salaries and explore the career path for Graphic designer