I want to Learn and Develop but what ?

Question

Hi Experties

I need a little advice. I want learn software development and develop a software in Microsoft Technologies. I am currently working with C# Language. So i prefer C# not VB. I have basic idea of Windows application and XAML. Now my problem:

Overall i am beginner in software development.So i want to start but what ? I have two option:

(1) Windows Application with C#
(2) WPF

Please suggest and guide me to choose one from both of them.

Mahesh Chand · Answer

I thought I closed this thread :)

Sam Hobbs · Answer

Windows Forms is essentially just a UI. The UI features of Windows are consistent with that definition of a legacy.

Vulpes · Answer

I'll say one thing more on this then I'll shut up. As I said earlier when I talk about a legacy technology I mean a technology that is still in use but is not being actively developed. This is consistent with Wikipedia's definition of a 'legacy system' ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legacy_system ). There is nothing derogatory about this - it's just a statement of (apparent) fact. Having used it for the last ten years I certainly don't think that Windows Forms is bad or expect anyone to agree with that or anything else I say. In fact one thing I've always liked about Windows Forms is that even in Visual Studio you can do everything in C# code and don't need to use a 'markup language' as well. However I do think that WPF is better for the reasons which Mahesh outlined and also has a better future. I am therefore of the opinion that Sandeep or any other C# beginner should go with that rather than Windows Forms.

Sandeep Shekhawat · Answer

Thanks all of You and C# Corner for give beautiful advice to me

Sam Hobbs · Answer

Thank you Mahesh. Except for the part about  Windows Forms is not really legacy but it is older way to build Windows applications  I just want to emphasize that Windows is much older. If age is a deficiency then Windows is a very bad operating system.

Mahesh Chand · Answer

Oh BTW you can build a Windows Forms all and use WPF within it and vice versa. I am a Windows Forms developer by heart (since .NET 1.0) but since WPF was announced all my new projects are done in WPF.

Mahesh Chand · Answer

Well... Windows Forms is not really legacy but it is older way to build Windows applications. You can still do everything in Windows Forms. You can still write complete Windows Forms applications. BUT you can write same in WPF PLUS WPF is more flexible more advanced and have many more options and does things in better ways than Windows Forms. It also has many controls/features that are not easy to do in Windows Forms. For example each object in WPF has its own events including a Rectangle. Cheers!

Sam Hobbs · Answer

The word legacy is being used in this context to be derogatory. Do you have any specific objective reason that Windows Forms is bad? Or do you just have the opinon that that is bad and you expect everyone to agree? The only problem with Windows Forms I have heard is that it is legacy and it seems that the only reason that term is used is because there is no other explanation of a problem with it. Note that I am not saying anything such as that about WPF or Silverlight.

Vulpes · Answer

I don't think it follows that if Windows Forms is legacy technology then so is the Windows API itself. MS do add new functions to the latter with every new release of Windows though these new functions may not be used to add functionality to .NET Windows Forms.

Sam Hobbs · Answer

I said  If Windows Forms is legacy technology then Windows is legacy technology . If you say that Windows Forms is legacy technology because it is not being developed then you must say that Windows is legacy technology . My definition of legacy however is different.

Vulpes · Answer

Well I don't know about anyone else but when I talk about 'Windows Forms' I mean the .NET technology of that name and when I describe it as a 'legacy technology' I mean that it's still in use but is not (apparently) being actively developed by Microsoft. All Windows GUI technologies (MFC WF WPF) are ultimately wrappers for the Windows API (as it's now called) though the first two use GDI/GDI+ as their graphics subsystem and WPF uses the newer DirectX.

Sam Hobbs · Answer

The thing that most developers around here are ignoring is that Windows Forms are based on Windows. If Windows Forms is legacy technology then Windows is legacy technology. Unless Windows gets a drastic change then learning Windows Forms will help you understand Windows programming. The thing we cannot know is if Windows will get a drastic change anytime in the near future. It might. It is entirely possible as far as I see for the current Windows UI to soon be replaced with something like WPF. The current UI will continue to be supported for many years but otherwise it might be better to learn WPF. Currently WPF uses the classic Windows API underneath and until that changes learning Windows Forms is useful but for a beginner it is useful to start with WPF and Silverlight.

Mahesh Chand · Answer

Good advice guys! YES! I would recommend WPF. WPF is used to build Windows applications with C# or VB.NET. Buying a beginner book (any) is probably a good idea. After that you can explore C# Corner WPF section Good luck!

Vulpes · Answer

Here are links to arguably the two best books for learning WPF: http://www.amazon.com/WPF-4-Unleashed-Adam-Nathan/dp/0672331195/ref=pd_sim_b_2 http://www.amazon.com/Pro-WPF-2010-Matthew-MacDonald/dp/1430272058/ref=pd_sim_b_1

Sandeep Shekhawat · Answer

Thanx Mayur and Vulpes. Ok I finally decide i will go with WPF. But now where i will go means book that i will can use as begging level to expert level.

Vulpes · Answer

If I were you I'd go with WPF as Windows Forms is becoming a legacy technology now and I don't think MS will develop it further. As you probably know already WPF is far more powerful than WF though it is harder to use. XAML is also the basis for Siverlight and hopefully both WPF and Siverlight will still have a good future under Windows 8 even if the focus for the moment seems to be on the 'terrible twins' of HTML5 and Javascript :)

Mayur Gujrathi · Answer

I think you should start to develop one windows application considering requirements on your own such as payroll management system School management start to develop with this kind of systems you will learn a lot And off-course csharocorner is with you