WPF

Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) is a UI framework for building Windows desktop applications. It is part of the .NET ecosystem and provides a declarative approach to UI development using XAML, with application logic typically written in C# or another .NET language.

First released with .NET Framework 3.0 in 2006, WPF was designed to deliver advanced graphics, scalable UI, and a clean separation between presentation and behavior. It later became available in .NET Core and is supported in .NET 5 and newer releases, but it remains Windows-only.

Key features include vector-based rendering, resolution independence, and hardware-accelerated graphics via DirectX. It supports rich styling and templating, data binding and animation, 2D and 3D graphics, multimedia, printing, and localization. The framework uses dependency properties, routed events, resource dictionaries, and a powerful styling system with themes.

WPF apps are built with XAML for the user interface and .NET languages for code-behind or view models. The architecture typically leverages the MVVM pattern, binding UI elements to properties and commands, with support for converters and data templates.

Core architecture comprises assemblies such as PresentationCore, PresentationFramework, and WindowsBase. WPF offers a retained-mode rendering system, a composed visual tree, and a robust layout and rendering pipeline that supports virtualization and data virtualization for large collections.

Platform and status: WPF is Windows-only and relies on the Windows Presentation Foundation runtime. It remains actively maintained within the .NET ecosystem and is open-source on GitHub, with ongoing improvements in performance, tooling, and accessibility.