The best Desktop platform to use in 2024

Dimitar Karamfilov 0 Reputation points
2023-10-18T12:13:21.75+00:00

Hi

I need to start developing a new Desktop application and I am wondering which is the recommended platform that I should use. Are WPF and Winforms deprecated? Should I use WinUI? I do not need a cross-platform app at the moment.

Regards

Developer technologies | .NET | Other
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  1. Hui Liu-MSFT 48,681 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff
    2023-10-18T14:04:57.3866667+00:00

    Hi,@Dimitar Karamfilov. Welcome to Microsoft Q&A Forum.

    The recommended desktop platform depends on a variety of factors, such as your application's specific requirements, development experience, and target audience. Here are some considerations for desktop application development:

    WPF (Windows Presentation Foundation):

    WPF is not deprecated, and it remains a solid choice for building Windows desktop applications with rich user interfaces.

    Microsoft has continued to invest in WPF with updates and improvements, so it's a reliable choice for traditional Windows applications.

    WPF has a powerful binding system and supports MVVM (Model-View-ViewModel) for building modern desktop applications.

    If you are comfortable with XAML-based development and want to create Windows-specific applications, WPF is a viable option.

    WinForms (Windows Forms):

    WinForms is also not deprecated and is well-suited for developing straightforward Windows desktop applications.

    While not as modern as WPF, WinForms is suitable for simple desktop applications that don't require complex UI or advanced graphics. It's a mature technology that may be faster to develop with for certain types of applications.

    WinUI:

    Microsoft's WinUI framework provides a way to create modern, native Windows applications. It offers a set of UI controls that work across different versions of Windows. WinUI 3, in particular, allows you to create both Win32 and UWP applications with modern UI elements.

    WinUI provides a flexible, native, and modern UI experience. It's a good choice for applications that want to take advantage of the latest Windows features.

    It's worth considering if you want to future-proof your application, especially if you plan to target Windows 10 and beyond.


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    2 people found this answer helpful.

  2. Castorix31 90,686 Reputation points
    2023-10-20T11:31:39.2766667+00:00

    You can see this recent MSDN article :

    An overview of Windows development options

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