I program in WPF in C# with absolutely no XAML. I used to use dependency properties/data binding a lot, I even made a wrapper [1] so you could write things like:
w0.Right.Bind = w1.Left + w2.Width;
And that would automatically generate a one way data binding in WPF (so if w1's left property, w2's width property, or w0's width property changes, w0's left property is automatically recomputed).
I've since moved on to my own dependency management (rebranded hence forth as managed time) system called Glitch [2], but that's because I'm trying to invent what's next.
I'm an MS employee but I have no idea what what is being done in this area. I do have lots of respect for WPF, it was weird that the other platforms couldn't put forward a decent UI platform for so long (well, JavaFX, but it didn't go anywhere).
I should have mentioned that I don't actually have a problem with WPF or Xaml from a technical standpoint (I've been watching several Pluralsight and MSVA courses and the binding certainly looks very powerful). My wavering between WPF/C# vs HTML/JS/C# is more about where I think development will be going in the future and how that works out for me professionally. That is why I really was hoping WinJS would take off so I could get the best of both worlds, being able to develop for an OS (WP/Win8) I actually enjoy but also not letting my web dev skills atrophy. I'm very curious to see if WinJS gets mentioned at Build this year or if it will fade quietly into the background.
I've since moved on to my own dependency management (rebranded hence forth as managed time) system called Glitch [2], but that's because I'm trying to invent what's next.
I'm an MS employee but I have no idea what what is being done in this area. I do have lots of respect for WPF, it was weird that the other platforms couldn't put forward a decent UI platform for so long (well, JavaFX, but it didn't go anywhere).
[1] http://bling.codeplex.com/
[2] http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/people/smcdirm/managedti...