We don’t need no stink’n WPF in our Line of Business apps.. right? Wrong! Here’s ten reasons to consider WPF in your next LOB application

The Joy of Code - 10 reasons you should consider WPF for your next desktop application

“…

I'm going to try and prove this with 10 short posts offering 10 reasons why you should consider WPF for your next desktop application, even a Line of Business one.

Note that I said "Consider" not "Must use". Therefore, let me start with an important disclaimer: 2 reasons why you might consider WinForms over and above WPF.

1. Learning Curve.
   WPF is huge and different. It offers the best of both worlds, taking ideas from both traditional desktop development and the web and combines the two. It then goes further. Much further. It takes a while to get used to all this functionality - don't expect to be as productive with WPF as you are with your current UX platform without putting some effort in first.
2. Tooling.
   Don't expect to open Cider (the Visual Studio WPF designer) and to start banging out forms in exactly the same way as you did with the fantastic WinForms designer. For one, it's just not reached the high standards of the older WinForms designer yet and, as David Chappell points out, these designers currently have a different focus.

Having said all that, I am a fan of WPF and I've found myself to be at least as productive with this platform once I'd cleared the learning curve.

Let the reasons begin...

• Reason 1: Rich Content Model
• Reason 2. Databinding
• Reason 3. DataTemplates
• My dirty little secret from reason 3
• Reason 4. Triggers
• Reason 5. Styles
• Reason 6. Layout
• Reason 7. The ListView
• Reason 8. Interop
• Reason 9. Printing
• Reason 10. Validation

…”

I’m currently fighting a like battle, “We don’t need WPF, all we do are LOB apps…” “WPF? No, we don’t need to spend any time or training on that. Why would you need it? We do internal app’s and WPF isn’t for that…” “How does WPF add to the value of the app? Where’s the payback when we’re not doing a flashy consumer application?” etc, etc.

Personally, with what I’ve heard and read, I think WPF is the future, but I’m just one voice.

Which is why this article caught my eye. Any help I can get to sell WPF, to prove that it’s not just dev porn, but will allow us to provide better applications faster to our users, is welcome.

 

Now to walk the walk and stop using WPF in my personal projects…  :/

(via UK Application Development Consulting - 10 reasons to consider WPF for your next desktop application - Reason 10. Validation)