Pro WPF in C# 2008: Windows Presentation Foundation with .NET 3.5, Second Edition

The Last Word

In this chapter, you took a quick tour of the WPF window model. Compared to previous technologies such as Windows Forms, the WPF window is a streamlined, slimmed-down entity. In many cases, that's a benefit, because other elements take over the responsibility and allow more flexible application designs (such as the navigation-based systems you'll see in the next chapter). But in other cases, it's a reflection of the fact that WPF is a new, not-quite-mature technology, and it lacks support for the previous generation of Windows staples.

For example, there's no built-in way to create an MDI application, tabbed windows, or docked windows. All these details are possible with a little extra work, but they are often difficult to make ...