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We think - cautiously - that WPF is a better platform for client tool development than Windows Forms. This blog gives 10 reasons why.
- 10 reasons why WPF is better than Windows Forms
- WPF Forms are Quicker to Create (this blog)
- Flow Layout Trumps Absolute Positioning
- WPF Works for Websites
- Styles are Much Better in WPF
- WPF is (I think) the Way of the Future
- Better Data Binding
- Selecting Controls in the Document Outline Window
- Triggers
- StoryBoards and Animations
- Drawing!
Posted by Andy Brown on 25 September 2012
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1 - WPF Forms are Quicker to Create
This should come with a proviso: once you've learnt XAML, it's quicker.
Designing a Form in WinForms
To create the form shown at the start of this blog in Windows Forms, I had to drag controls onto a form, position them correctly and then change their properties:
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Drag controls on ... | ... then change their properties |
Designing a Form in WPF
For the same process in WPF, you type in the XAML:

Provided that you know the main tags and attributes and can type reasonably quickly, creating this button is faster in XAML.
The speed difference particularly shows when you want to copy and paste controls:

The two buttons are similar; I created them by copying the OK button and editing it.
If you're a slow two-fingered typist, you might be better off sticking to WinForms.
- 10 reasons why WPF is better than Windows Forms
- WPF Forms are Quicker to Create (this blog)
- Flow Layout Trumps Absolute Positioning
- WPF Works for Websites
- Styles are Much Better in WPF
- WPF is (I think) the Way of the Future
- Better Data Binding
- Selecting Controls in the Document Outline Window
- Triggers
- StoryBoards and Animations
- Drawing!