Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) is a .NET Core UI framework for building Windows desktop applications.
WPF addresses the need for a modern, vector-based desktop UI framework on Windows. It uses XAML as a declarative markup language to define application interfaces, enabling developers to separate UI design from business logic. The framework's vector-based rendering allows applications to scale infinitely and display crisply on high-DPI monitors. WPF provides an extensive set of built-in controls, a flexible layout system, data binding capabilities, and support for graphics and documents. Its hosting model is flexible enough to embed rich content like video directly into UI elements. Visual Studio and Visual Studio Blend offer designer tools with drag-and-drop support and direct XAML editing to streamline application development.
Developers should choose WPF for Windows-only desktop applications where modern UI capabilities and high-DPI support matter. The framework suits projects that benefit from XAML's declarative approach and need access to the full range of WPF controls and styling features. The README identifies WinForms as an alternative UI framework for .NET desktop development, though it does not elaborate on how the two compare. WPF applications require Windows and depend on the Microsoft.NET.Sdk.WindowsDesktop SDK. Developers migrating existing .NET Framework WPF applications to .NET Core can reference migration guidance in the documentation.
The project is actively developed for .NET 10. Test coverage remains limited, with the team acknowledging that expanding test coverage will be a progressive effort. Contributing to the project requires Visual Studio 2022 Preview for .NET 8.0 development work. The team actively solicits community engagement through bug reports, design discussions, and issue fixes.
