In the previous chapter, we introduced Windows Presentation Foundation and XAML, and discussed common layouts and controls, as well as some of the most common features of each of them. We also saw the concept of component-based design and explored its use. In this chapter, we’ll take a deeper dive into how WPF and XAML structure GUIs into an elements tree, and some different ways we can leverage these features for greater control and customization in our programs.

Key Terms

• The Elements Tree
• Styles
• Resources

C# Keywords and Elements

• <Style>
• <Setter>
• StaticResource

Key Skills

In this chapter, you should learn how to navigate the elements tree, declare styles to simplify styling your applications, and declare resources that can be bound to properties of controls.