Also included, but given less weight, are examples of .NET code, which can be used to interact with a XAML-based GUI. Most of the .NET code examples focus on how to connect your XAML application to the code-behind files, and on how to consume events that are fired from a XAML front end. Of course, the book is XAML in a Nutshell, not C# in a Nutshell, but because a front end is pretty useless without business logic behind it, more detail on the various ways that .NET can interact with XAML would have been helpful.

The second part of the book is a core XAML reference. All of the XAML elements, controls, shapes, and layout elements are covered along with all their various properties. Finally, the animation elements are described in detail, as are the various events that can be fired in XAML. One important thing to remember however is that XAML as a language and its syntax have not been finalized, and so parts of this reference may quickly become obsolete as newer technical previews become available from Microsoft.

Microsoft has come out in strong support of the current .NET Windows Forms framework, and has said that even after Vista has been released, developers will be able to choose between the current Windows Forms technologies, and the Windows Presentation Framework. Depending on the needs of your application and your development team, Windows Forms may still be the best option for you. But with the impressive set of features that WPF and XAML bring to the table, and the ease with which they can be utilized, it is important to stay up to date and learn about them. XAML in a Nutshell is an excellent book for this purpose.