As a .NET/XAML developer I am wondering if anybody has started to write a framework which will replace Silverlight and Flex using technologies like TypeScript and XAML to produce HTML5, JavaScript and CSS cross platform desktop apps or RIA’s.
If not, wouldn’t it be great to have a framework which understands XAML (or just XML) to define the user interface and JavaScript or better TypeScript to code the view controller?
I know, Sencha has done a great job building a JavaScript framework called EXT JS to build rich internet- or desktop applications, but from a .NET developer perspective EXT JS sucks.
A .NET developer likes to design the UI’s using tools like Blend or Visual Studio with the ability to hack code in XAML and not in JSON.
There is also a good approach called Zebra which renders completely inside an html-canvas, but it isn’t XAML based and there is no ability to use themes at all.
Also jQuery UI and jQuery Mobile are great frameworks from an HTML developer perspective, but I am looking for a XAML based framework, because you have to code less in XAML than in HTML. There is also the ability to use Blend to design the UI.
I have asked myself this question months ago when Adobe gave away Flex and Microsoft didn’t admit to extend Silverlight 5 and I answered it with:
Microsoft or Adobe should do this for us.
But today I think now it is up to us.
Depending on your feedback I would like to start such a framework as an open source project, but I hope that there is still one on the way^^
there is also rAppid:Js http://www.rappidjs.com which is XAML based, but it’s not made to work with Visual Studio or Expression blend.
A XAML framework for HTML/JS is a fantastic idea, XAML files could be converted in HTML5 or perhaps in JavaScript directly by having an InitializeComponents() method where all objects are instantiated (like in WinForms).
If you decide to start a such project, consider using a C# to JavaScript compiler like Saltarelle or Script#.