Datasheet

Choosing and customizing controls
Blend provides you with WPF system controls that are standard for Vista and Windows XP applica-
tions and that you can use to quickly design your user interface, or you can customize controls and
create your own look. The controls available in Blend include the following:
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Menus
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Tabs
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Toolbars
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List boxes
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Combo boxes
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Group boxes
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List views
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Tree views
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Scroll viewers
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Buttons
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Radio buttons
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Check boxes
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Progress bars
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Sliders
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Grid splitters
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Resize grips
Blend allows you to customize your controls by adding borders and backgrounds of different col-
ors, gradients, images, transparency values, opacity masks and bitmap effects. And you can add
text of any size and color in any font you choose.
You can also customize controls by editing styles, as well as editing control parts ( also known as
templates), to give your control an entirely new look, and to change the way your controls react
during different stages of interactivity. For example, Figure 1.9 shows a stack panel with buttons
that have their styles modified so that the buttons animate to a larger size during a mouse-over.
FIGURE 1.9
In Blend it’s easy to create customized controls such as these buttons that enlarge during a mouse-over.
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Exploring New User Interface Techniques
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