WPF vs Windows Forms

Question

I am very confused about WPF and Windows Forms. What is the usage of WPF over Windows Forms? What is the usage of WPF?

Answer 1

WPF is a new platform for developing applications for Windows (and for browsers). WPF is not necessarily there to replace Windows Forms. With WPF, it is easier to add 3D, video, and animations to your application. Because it is XAML based, it is also easy to bind to XML data, for example, data from a webservice, and dynamically load it as content.

WPF also, in my opinion, better seperates the UI programming from the business logic. It is easier to have an advanced WPF designer build your UI with a tool like Expression Blend, and yourself as a programmer, focus more on the back-end. In that way, it is more like having an HTML and CSS frontender creating a slick design for your site, while you work on the back-end.

Windows Forms has (as for now) more third-party controls available though, and if you don't really have a need for the stuff that WPF brings, then you certainly don't have to switch to WPF.

Answer 2

Have you seen WPF or WinForms, choose wisely ?

In short, WPF is the next UI platform for Microsoft Windows. It learns a lot of lessons from previous technologies, but the risk is immaturity of tooling and third-party components.