Rob Relyea - Xamlified

# re: Guidance for migrating an app from Windows Forms to WPF?@ Friday, April 04, 2008 12:37 AM

blogs.msdn.com/.../765135.aspx

'WPF for those who know Windows Forms'

blogs.msdn.com/.../765135.ashx

# re: Guidance for migrating an app from Windows Forms to WPF?@ Friday, April 04, 2008 4:56 AM

We did this last year, with an application of about that size.

However, we also used the opportunity to change some other concerns we were having (it was still using datasets and no CAB for instance).

I have to say that those other changes we made, had a higher impact than just changing the user interface.

If it is just the UI you need to change, there is nothing that should really create a problem.

Evaluate all the controls you need and build them in wpf (nowadays there are datepickers! we had to build our own).

Do make use of the viewmodel-model pattern.

The only concern you might have is speed. You will find that a UI build in winform does perform better than one build in wpf. So keep an eye on performance: it is certainly possible to build a UI that's as fast.

# re: Guidance for migrating an app from Windows Forms to WPF?@ Friday, April 04, 2008 9:01 AM

Rob,

I have not yet seen a formal document published.

If their middle tier is designed well, there is a good chance that WPF forms could plug right into it.  Example, WPF 3.5 supports the IDataErrorInfo interface.  If they uses this in their business objects they should be a a good place.

With a 400 form appliction, there is a very good chance that they have a rich and accurate metadata store, so the business entities could easly be regenerated to support the INotifyPropertyChanged interface also and IDataErrorInfo if they have not done so in the past.

Several questions come to mind.

1.  Are they and the customers happy with the application from a feature and stability standpoint?

2.  Are they looking to use the current data layers or are they looking to rewrite with other technologies?

3. Is the application partitioned so that small vertical areas can be converted and rolled out?

4.  Do they have a list of business problems that they want to solve with the new platform that the current WinForm can't?

I would be happy to speak with them.  You can give them my contact info.

Also, you can suggest that they attend the May 17th Code Camp in Charlotte and come to the WPF Line of Business Application track.

Best to you,

Karl

Microsoft MVP

# re: Guidance for migrating an app from Windows Forms to WPF?@ Monday, April 07, 2008 10:05 AM

If feel to be in the same process we are moving from a Delphi Win32 to Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 using C# and WPF.

We are looking forward to get the “Designer” role integrated into our work process. We are looking to get the “Designer” build the user interface and connect the Data to the user interface. So we are also looking to get an integrator (Developer) in the scope at the start of the project to evaluate the list of component missing from a Data/WPF connection stand point (Ex: We need to implement a generic IViewColleciton<T> to get a better Blend desing experience). Here is a list of information that I find out useful:

o www.ekampf.com/.../DevelopingARobustDataDrivenUIUsingWPFIntroduction.aspx

o www.rhizohm.net/papers/the_new_iteration.pdf

o www.blendables.com/files/folders/148/download.aspx

At this point we didn’t really find out any good proof of concept that really exploits the “Designer” role.

On the other hand we need to maintain some of our platform objective so, we are looking at the SCSF “Smart Software Client Factories” framework from Microsoft but is seam that out of the box that this framework does not make a wise usage of the “Designer” role.