Why no updates for Windows Forms since .NET 2.0?

[hasu]

Microsoft had stopped improving Windows Forms after version 2.0. Will there be any future updates? What have you heard on this subject?

 

[MrChad]

They shifted towards Windows Presentation Foundation as far as I know.

 

[douglasb]

^ yep

 

[Markbnj]

Windows Forms has been dead for awhile. The whole focus of Windows GUI development shifted to WPF, as mentioned above.

 

[hasu]

Windows Forms has been dead for awhile. The whole focus of Windows GUI development shifted to WPF, as mentioned above.

Is WPF updated regularly? The reason I am asking this is to see if it is safe to start a project using WPF which might have to live for another 10 years!

 

[Train]

Windows Forms has been dead for awhile. The whole focus of Windows GUI development shifted to WPF, as mentioned above.

I wouldn't say it's dead. Just no reason to add anything really. It's PERFECT.

I still prefer WinForms over WPF for most stuff. XAML can go DIAF.

 

[Markbnj]

I wouldn't say it's dead. Just no reason to add anything really. It's PERFECT.

I still prefer WinForms over WPF for most stuff. XAML can go DIAF.

I don't know, I kind of liked the idea of creating native GUI applications using a layered markup + code-behind approach that mimicked the way ASP.NET applications were built at the time. I still think it's a better and more flexible way to create apps for Windows than Windows Forms. Basically I think MS has improved the tools with every evolution. The Win API sucked, MFC sucked a little less, ATL sucked a little less than MFC, Windows Forms sucked a lot less than ATL, and WPF imo sucks a little less than Windows Forms.

 

[Markbnj]

Is WPF updated regularly? The reason I am asking this is to see if it is safe to start a project using WPF which might have to live for another 10 years!

As far as I know they keep it up to date with each version of .NET, but I don't know that it has changed much. Native GUI apps just sort of dropped right off my radar about three years ago.

 

[Train]

I don't know, I kind of liked the idea of creating native GUI applications using a layered markup + code-behind approach that mimicked the way ASP.NET applications were built at the time. I still think it's a better and more flexible way to create apps for Windows than Windows Forms. Basically I think MS has improved the tools with every evolution. The Win API sucked, MFC sucked a little less, ATL sucked a little less than MFC, Windows Forms sucked a lot less than ATL, and WPF imo sucks a little less than Windows Forms.

Don't get me wrong, I can see the benefits of WPF. And I have/will use it if I need a smoother, more graphical desktop app. But nowadays, the only reason I ever make a desktop app is to build some kind of utility or one off business tool. There isn't much of a market for wpf desktop apps, especially now that you can just use HTML 5 and JS moving forward.

 

[nickbits]

I used WPF in my DVR software, since a doing 10 foot UI fit perfectly. Outside of that application, I just use windows forms.

 

[hasu]

Borland used to shine with Rapid Application Development tools for Database intensive applications. As the chief architect of Delphi Anders Hejlsberg certainly liked the idea. Of course even after joining Microsoft he did not forget its beauty. Hence we got Windows forms! But why should it be abandoned while the new owner of Delphi is trying to make a come back with its RAD tools expanded to even smaller devices!