There is not doubt about it.  I love XAML!  Coming from someone with a web application background, I understand the importance of using markup to define visual traits of an application.  I also understand that the transition from HTML to XAML is very smooth and will lead to a new generation of .NET developers who design user experiences for both the desktop and web.  What I have yet to see, is a complex User Interface written without a lot of unnecessary code-behind.  XAML was designed so that you keep all of your user-interface logic in the markup and your business logic will dominate your code behind and libraries.  Unfortunately, I have yet to see this pattern manifest.

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I started my project wanting to make a very fancy WPF ComboBox.  I learned from my pervious WPF experiences that the framework is look-less and it’s better to use styles and templates to draw out the behavior you want.  After working for hours, I realized that a simple ComboBox that drops down and allows you to start typing the first few letters of what you want would be the coolest.

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I promise this is a short post.  I have recently fallen in love with LINQ, but more recently I have grown to appreciate Lambda expressions.  I don’t know if this is because I find them simple to read, or because I once took a class as an undergraduate student where we built a modern language compiler using just Lambda expressions.  One of the things I notice often is the lack of Lambda expressions in C# 3.0 code that I read at different employers. 

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I rather enjoy this theme.  I find extension methods very useful when you have to repeat the same short group of code again & again.  Here a few other extension methods that I find handy.

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I realize that every time I post code, although I'm still a rookie in this sport, I'm putting my neck out there for some serious criticism.  But, that’s the only way to have fun in the dev world.  Ever since the introduction of Extension Methods in C# 3.0, I find myself writing a lot of utility methods.  By making them Extension methods, I make my code a lot easier to read and I just enjoy the syntax of extension methods anyways.  I’m listing a few of mine that I keep handy for many projects over time.

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