Is learning WinForms worthwhile? Is it outdated?

Question

I just completed two WinForm applications as part of an intensive course. Just wondering about the technology overall... should I move onto something new, or is WinForms still viable for the future?

Answer 1

I would say that Windows Forms is great for form-driven applications. WPF/Silverlight is great for animation and graphic-driven applications.

If you need to do some utility work or make a tool, I don't see why Win Forms can't serve that purpose. WPF might be overkill unless you really want it to look pretty. Plus with WPF you have to learn XAML which isn't as easy or intuitive as working with Win Forms designer.

If you are a web developer or designer, working in WPF might seem more similar to designing a web page because you work in XAML and have fine-grain control over the interface.

WPF/Silverlight also have excellent data binding capabilities, plus Silverlight can be run out of browser, so it might even be advantageous to skip WPF for the first version and do a Silverlight version. SL to WPF is much, much easier to port than WPF to SL (since SL is a subset of WPF).

For my project I am working on, it will be done only in SL4 because of the ability to run it out of browser as if it was a desktop app, eliminating the need to port it to WPF. Installing a Silverlight app onto a user's computer is simple, straightforward, and gives you an added benefit of using all your existing code and automatic updating.