How to visualize XAML

Question

I have a task to write down a simple viewer that would show how a .xaml file visually looks like(just like the VS editor, but without editing capabilities). Could you give me any references that would help me?

Answer 1

you can use XamlReader.Load method

If you want only viewer, not a designer you can call XamlReader.Load method, and assign the result to ContentControl.Content

StringReader stringReader = new StringReader(strXaml);
XmlReader xmlReader = XmlReader.Create(stringReader);
myContentControl.Content = (Button)XamlReader.Load(xmlReader);

EDIT This code loads window from xaml and show it

string strXaml = "<Window xmlns=\"http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation\" xmlns:x=\"http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml\" Title=\"MainWindow\" Height=\"350\" Width=\"525\">" +
        "<Grid> <Button Content=\"Button123\" Height=\"23\" HorizontalAlignment=\"Left\" Margin=\"174,41,0,0\" Name=\"button1\" VerticalAlignment=\"Top\" Width=\"75\" />"+
        "</Grid></Window>";

StringReader stringReader = new StringReader(strXaml);

XmlReader xmlReader = XmlReader.Create(stringReader);
Window obj = (Window)XamlReader.Load(xmlReader);

obj.Show();

If you are sure that the root element is allways Window, you can skip it. Something like this works for me

StringReader stringReader = new StringReader(strXaml);
var xDoc = XDocument.Load(stringReader).Document.Descendants().First().DescendantNodes().First();

XmlReader xmlReader = xDoc.CreateReader();
uc.Content = XamlReader.Load(xmlReader);

Would be better to check if Window exists or not before skipping it