My latest article for MSDN Magazine is now online. This is the third article in the series on DirectComposition. You can find links to my other articles here.

DirectComposition: A Retained-Mode API to Rule Them All

The choice between immediate-mode and retained-mode traditionally came down to a trade-off between performance and productivity. Developers could pick the Direct2D immediate-mode API for absolute performance or the WPF retained-mode API for productivity or convenience. DirectComposition changes this equation by allowing developers to blend the two far more naturally. It blurs the line between immediate-mode and retained-mode APIs because it provides a retained-mode for graphics, but without imposing any memory or performance overhead.

This is also the first article to include sample code in years, so do take DirectComposition for a spin today. And if that’s not enough, check out my latest online course where I show you how to make the most of DirectComposition and Direct2D.