Gary Gumbiner, MCT, MCPD, MCSD .NET

WPF and Windows Forms

While learning WPF, in order to take advantage of its neat features (i.e graphics, animation etc), you will most likely want to get busy using WPF in your projects as soon as possible. You can do this even if you are not up to speed on all WPF features.

It is possible to have both WPF Windows and traditional Windows Forms within the same VS 2005 .NET Framework 3.0 Windows Application (WPF). You can use WPF forms where you feel comfortable, but use Windows Forms for other situations.

For example, suppose that you have not yet got up to speed with WPF data binding -- you could implement that in a Win Form using the traditional data binding techniques, but do other application interfaces using WPF (i.e About Form, Search Form).


In .NET code, both WPF Windows and Windows Forms are objects and can be thought of as a "form"

For example:
Dim f as SomeForm 'could be a WPF or Win Form
f.show

You can show a WPF form from a Windows Form or show a Windows Form from a WPF form.

posted by Gary Gumbiner, MCT, MCPD, MCSD .NET @ 1:08 PM