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I've used WPF extensively 10 years ago. It's nowhere near as easy to create a complex GUI as Vue/HTML/CSS. And that just for functionality. If we talk about loo

I've used WPF extensively 10 years ago. It's nowhere near as easy to create a complex GUI as Vue/HTML/CSS. And that just for functionality. If we talk about looks, WPF is very clunky to theme.

turrini 7y ago
There is QML and it can compile natively for many platforms. With the same source code, my applications are natively compiled to: Linux, Windows, MacOS, Android, iOS, QNX, Browser (WebAssembly / WebGL Streaming) And you are free to theme it as you like, one example: https://imgur.com/Ti02n6Y https://imgur.com/Ti02n6Y
pjmlp 7y ago
I happen to have the opposite view, specially with Blend and component libraries into the mix. CSS had to get WPF grid design in order to not be a poor table sibling in what concerns layouts. While WPF is backed by DirectX, CSS requires playing with Z order, so that some browsers might eventually put the rendering into the GPU, but one needs to take care because space is limited. While I can render anything down to pixel level control, if I wish to do so, I am still waiting for Houdini and worlets to actually become available. And the whole template language with events and theming for low level customisation of control behaviours? Nowhere to be seen.
- fasterdom 7y ago
  Using Blend feels to me like using Word to create HTML pages - the resulting output is horrible. CSS layout was indeed a struggle many years ago, but now with flexbox I never failed to put stuff exactly where I wanted, and I barely understand it. And the new shiny thing, CSS Grid, is supposedly even better at controlling layout.
vnorilo 7y ago
Similarly to many MS technologies from that era, WPF/XAML is not half bad at the core, but so verbose. Probably intended to be primarily generated by tooling.
- pjmlp 7y ago
  Having been a Turbo Vision and OWL user, which lacked UI designer support, following up with VB and Delphi/C++ Builder, I never understood the macho attitude of doing GUI design manually without tooling support. Any framework that comes with tooling support out of box is a plus for me. Hence in what concerns Web, I care mostly about WebComponents, CMS middleware with page designers and SPA frameworks like Angular.
  - vnorilo 7y ago
    For me, there's nothing macho about it, more like weary resignation when said tools cannot do what needs to be done. I have never used delphi though.
  - barrkel 7y ago
    I reckon for designers are excellent for forms. The further you go beyond a data crud app, the less benefit you get from visual designers, because more stuff will be animated, contextual, custom, etc. CRUD apps is a really big application space to cede, though, I totally think tooling is worth it.
zamalek 7y ago
It depends very strongly on how you used WPF. It had many footguns, due to a foolish decision to seemingly support the expectations of winforms developers.

I've used WPF extensively 10 years ago. It's nowhere near as easy to create a complex GUI as Vue/HTML/CSS. And that just for functionality. If we talk about looks, WPF is very clunky to theme.

turrini 7y ago

There is QML and it can compile natively for many platforms. With the same source code, my applications are natively compiled to: Linux, Windows, MacOS, Android, iOS, QNX, Browser (WebAssembly / WebGL Streaming) And you are free to theme it as you like, one example: https://imgur.com/Ti02n6Y https://imgur.com/Ti02n6Y

pjmlp 7y ago

I happen to have the opposite view, specially with Blend and component libraries into the mix. CSS had to get WPF grid design in order to not be a poor table sibling in what concerns layouts. While WPF is backed by DirectX, CSS requires playing with Z order, so that some browsers might eventually put the rendering into the GPU, but one needs to take care because space is limited. While I can render anything down to pixel level control, if I wish to do so, I am still waiting for Houdini and worlets to actually become available. And the whole template language with events and theming for low level customisation of control behaviours? Nowhere to be seen.

fasterdom 7y ago
Using Blend feels to me like using Word to create HTML pages - the resulting output is horrible. CSS layout was indeed a struggle many years ago, but now with flexbox I never failed to put stuff exactly where I wanted, and I barely understand it. And the new shiny thing, CSS Grid, is supposedly even better at controlling layout.

vnorilo 7y ago

Similarly to many MS technologies from that era, WPF/XAML is not half bad at the core, but so verbose. Probably intended to be primarily generated by tooling.

pjmlp 7y ago
Having been a Turbo Vision and OWL user, which lacked UI designer support, following up with VB and Delphi/C++ Builder, I never understood the macho attitude of doing GUI design manually without tooling support. Any framework that comes with tooling support out of box is a plus for me. Hence in what concerns Web, I care mostly about WebComponents, CMS middleware with page designers and SPA frameworks like Angular.
- vnorilo 7y ago
  For me, there's nothing macho about it, more like weary resignation when said tools cannot do what needs to be done. I have never used delphi though.
- barrkel 7y ago
  I reckon for designers are excellent for forms. The further you go beyond a data crud app, the less benefit you get from visual designers, because more stuff will be animated, contextual, custom, etc. CRUD apps is a really big application space to cede, though, I totally think tooling is worth it.

zamalek 7y ago

It depends very strongly on how you used WPF. It had many footguns, due to a foolish decision to seemingly support the expectations of winforms developers.