Layout elements

Abstract

What this chapter covers:

• The Grid

• The Canvas

• The StackPanel

• The WrapPanel

• The DockPanel

• The ScrollViewer

• The Border

• The UniformGrid

• The ViewBox

As I already discussed, WPF/Silverlight use XAML to create the user interface (UI) layer that provides the “face” of any WPF or Silverlight application. In other words, XAML allows the developer to create the interface that users will see when they use your application. WPF uses layout elements in order to arrange your content such as Images, MediaElements, Buttons, and any other UI FrameWork elements. I tend to think of layout elements much like tables in HTML. Of course, as you may have already guessed, WPF controls are a lot more complex than HTML tables, but the comparison should help to provide you with a starting point of what layout elements are. In this chapter, I will discuss all of the most popular layout elements by talking about what makes them unique and when it is appropriate to use each one. I will also walk you through creating a new project that uses each one.