New Graphics Framework Built Around .NET, XML

The Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF, formerly code-named Avalon) is a new graphics engine and API that will ship with Windows Vista and as an add-on to current Windows versions. WPF delivers high-end graphics previously available only to game developers and supports Microsoft’s most recent programming languages and tools. WPF will enable ISVs to build improved user interfaces (UIs) for applications on the latest Windows versions, which Microsoft hopes will drive adoption of those versions. However, Microsoft must overcome skepticism on the part of IT developers that such graphics are necessary or even desirable in business applications.

WPF provides basic graphic functions, such as windows, dialog boxes, and menus, currently covered by two elements of the Win32 APIs: USER, which provides functions such as display windows, menus, and dialog boxes, and GDI, which provides APIs for drawing graphics such as lines and bitmaps. Although USER and GDI will continue to be part of Windows and applications built on them will continue to run, Microsoft is encouraging developers to use WPF instead, in part to get the benefits of the .NET Framework Common Language Runtime on which WPF is based. (For an explanation of why Microsoft would consider a new API, see “Why Replace Win32?“.) WPF will be preinstalled in Windows Vista, but will also ship with the WinFX Runtime Components, an add-on for Windows XP SP2 and Windows Server 2003 SP1.