Is the programming paradigm about to change forever?

I received a newsletter from ZDNet the other day, talking about Microsoft's upcoming replacement for the (now deceased) Front Page - Expression Web. Ho Hum. I mean, really, it's boring.

Somehow, they missed the story.

Listed on the same page is another upcoming program called Expression Interactive Designer. All I can say is, "Wow!"

Expression Interactive Designer is about to turn programming on its ear. Boasting an unusual mix of programming, 3D interfaces and the ability to design really cool looking apps, Expression Interactive Designer will allow developers to make apps like the world has never before seen.

The sample movies on the Microsoft website show a very nicely designed application using drag and drop databinding, live 3D models, and flowing layouts using images and other assets imported into its library.

The design is a bit of a mix of Flash and Director. But, while those environments have been nothing more than toys due to their trivial development languages, Interactive Designer is backed by some serious muscle - The .NET 3.0 Framework, using C# or VB.NET.

It's difficult to describe this new paradigm with words only. Take a peek at the Microsoft website for the demo movies. You can even download a free trial (though, I would suggest not running it on your development machine, for obvious reasons). I think what you see will blow your mind.

Microsoft Expression Interactive Design Web Page

By the way, their other Expression titles look impressive, especially Expression Graphic Designer. View all three here.