Since the very first thing XamlIl does is conversion of XML to its own AST, we can now create other markup languages relatively cheaply by simply writing a parser that produces the same AST.
Since some people seem to hate XML, here is a non-XML markup proposal:
// Default namespaces for Avalonia, x: and d: are omitted here and added automatically
using local = clr MyNamespace
using lib = xml http://some.lib/xml/namespace
Window
{
StackPanel
{
// Equivalent of <Button>
Button
// Unless followed by = before the end of line, in this case it's a property assignment
Orientation = "Horizontal"
Attached.Property="Value"
// This is an equivalent of <Button Background="Red">Click me</Button>
Button
{
"Click me"
Background = "Red"
}
local:MyControl
lib:LibraryControl
clr:System.Collections.Generic.List<clr:System.Int32> {
1
2
3 4 5 6
}
// Markup extensions are prefixed by $
TextBlock { Text = ${Binding SomeVmProp} }
// $-prefixed strings are a shortcut to {Binding ...}
TextBlock { x:Name = "Name" Text = $"SomeVmProp" }
TextBlock { Text = $"#Name.Text, Mode=TwoWay" }
TextBlock {
"Plain text"
Run { Background="Red" "Text" FontFamily="Tahoma" }
"Plain text"
}
}
Styles =
{
// Styles property is treated in specific way, all root elements are considered to be <Style Selector="{LINE}"> to reduce boilerplate
StackPanel > is:(Control).someClass:pointerover
{
Margin = "0 0 1 4"
}
Button
{
Template =
{
// ControlTemplate is omitted here and is assumed by default. We can probably do the same for regular XAML
ContentPresenter
{
Name = "PART_ContentPresenter"
Background = ${TemplateBinding Background}
TextBlock.Foreground = ${TemplateBinding Foreground}
}
}
}
}
}XAML for comparison:
<Window
xmlns="https://github.com/avaloniaui"
xmlns:local="clr-namespace:MyNamespace"
xmlns:lib="http://some.lib/xml/namespace"
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
xmlns:scg="clr-namespace:System.Collections.Generic;assembly=netstandard">
xmlns:sys="clr-namespace:System;assembly=netstandard">
<StackPanel
Orientation="Horizontal" Attached.Property="Value">
<Button>
<Button Background="Red">
Click me
</Button>
<local:MyControl/>
<lib:LibraryControl/>
<scg:List x:TypeArguments="sys:Int32">
<x:Int32>1</x:Int32>
<x:Int32>2</x:Int32>
<x:Int32>3</x:Int32>
<x:Int32>4</x:Int32>
<x:Int32>5</x:Int32>
<x:Int32>6</x:Int32>
</scg:List>
<TextBlock Text="{Binding SomeVmProp}"/>
<TextBlock x:Name="Name" Text="{Binding SomeVmProp}"/>
<TextBlock Text="{Binding #Name.Text, Mode=TwoWay}"/>
<TextBlock>
Plain text
<Run Background="Red" FontFamily="Tahoma">Text</Run>
Plain text
</TextBlock>
</StackPanel>
<Window.Styles>
<Style Selector="StackPanel > is:(Control).someClass:pointerover">
<Setter Property="Margin" Value="0 0 1 4"/>
</Style>
<Style Selector="Button">
<Setter Property="Template">
<ControlTemplate>
<ContentPresenter
Name="PART_ContentPresenter"
Background = "{TemplateBinding Background}"
TextBlock.Foreground = "{TemplateBinding Foreground}"/>
</ControlTemplate>
</Setter>
</Style>
</Window.Styles>
</Window>
Since the very first thing XamlIl does is conversion of XML to its own AST, we can now create other markup languages relatively cheaply by simply writing a parser that produces the same AST.
Since some people seem to hate XML, here is a non-XML markup proposal:
XAML for comparison: