Sometimes, if you want to get an early look at a new tool from Microsoft, you must get out your compiler and build it from source. That’s the case with the first public look at the new open source release of XAML Studio, one of its .NET UI design tools, which is transitioning to the stewardship of the .NET Foundation.
XAML Studio is a tool for prototyping .NET user interfaces. Developed in Microsoft’s Garage internal incubation program, it was initially developed to build Universal Windows Platform (UWP) applications. Since its initial launch, UWP has evolved to the more widely applicable WinUI, making XAML Studio less useful, especially when building cross-platform .NET applications.
What came before
If you downloaded the original release, you would see a basic grid view along with a code editor. Edit the code, and changes would be reflected in the grid, allowing you to quickly design new application UIs. It’s a powerful tool, bringing some of the familiar experience of tools like Adobe’s Dreamweaver to XAML and .NET. A library of controls can be dropped into the editor and configured with links to either mock data or real-time data, so you can see how your design works with the data users will be accessing.
