Microsoft Expression Interactive Designer (“Sparkle”)

Is the last Microsoft child aiming to be a Flash concurrent?
Sparkle uses Windows Presentation Foundation, which also introduces Extensible Application Markup Language (XAML), which enables developers and designers to use an XML-based model to declaratively specify the desired user interface (UI) behavior.
I’ve just downloaded it and the first impression is that the graphic UI is really ugly… but it’s just my very first impression 🙂
Then I will try to do some deeper tests…
some tutorials and examples can be found also here:
http://blogs.msdn.com/expression/articles/516697.aspx
http://www.microsoft.com/products/expression/en/interactive_designer/id_free_trial.aspx

Apps are Getting Hot! ;)

Rich applications are really becoming hotter because of a breeze from Macromedia’s latest initiatives related with Flash (also Royale) through Microsoft’s Avalon and XAML (via Longhorn). Recently, one of my buddies (Altan Kalayci from Retek, Inc.) dropped me a line advising to watch following episodes via MSDN regarding Avalon.

Longhorn Avalon
Longhorn Fundamentals
Longhorn Indigo

My interest on XAML and specifically on Avalon is really getting higher! 🙂