This is Part B in my "ItemsControl: A to Z" series.  Part A served mostly as an introduction to the ItemsControl class (one of the most abundant classes in many WPF applications).  We looked at several common ItemsControl samples involving controls like ListBox, ListView, TreeView, etc.  In this post, we will build on that introduction in what I hope will be a fun challenge and a good learning experience. 

What's your ICIQ?

You will shortly be presented with a small, interactive quiz called "The ItemsControl Intelligence Quotient (ICIQ) Test".  The purpose of "The ICIQ Test" is to see how well you can recognize different ItemsControl instances in a real WPF application.  You will be shown a screenshot of a WPF application that is used internally by the Microsoft Dynamics Team to build and visualize customer models.  (Special thanks to Microsoft for providing me with the image!)

Full Disclosure:  It's Rigged!

Despite the name, "The ICIQ Test" does not really measure intelligence... rather, it measures your observational and deductive reasoning skills regarding the usage of items controls.  And yes, this test is completely unfair!  Even for the seasoned WPF developer, there will be some visuals in the snapshot that could go either way.  You've been warned!

It's Intended to be a Learning Experience

Ultimately, I hope you will approach this as a learning experience.  (Well, unless you happen to get a really high score, in which case you should run around the office gloating about your extremely high ICIQ and immediately demand a raise from your boss!) 

This test should help reinforce some core concepts regarding the lookless nature of WPF controls and the power of templating to present native controls in ways that are visually meaningful.

When you complete the test, you will have an opportunity to further explore the different ItemsControl examples in the application, as shown below: 

If you are new to WPF, some of the terms like "items host" and "item container" may not make sense yet.  All of these concepts will be covered in detail as this series progresses. 

"Enough already!  Let me take the test!"

Go for it!  Here's your official link to "The ICIQ Test".  I look forward to hearing how unfair it was!!  ;-)

And don't forget to come back for the next installment in this series:  'C' is for Collection.

Cheers,
Dr. WPF