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Hello- I am a C# WinForms developer using regular WinForms DataBinding. Having learned enough to know the benefits, moving forward I'll be taking our development efforts to WPF using MVVM. This will be a sizeable change. Since we use LightSpeed exclusively, running through the application and databing studies in any given book, tutorial, or classroom is kind of an inefficient mechanism since we'll not use those particular bits. For us, the challenge is learning WPF and MVVM from books that don't discuss LightSpeed (but they should, for the record) and thinking in our head how we'd adapt this TO LightSpeed. So what we have are studies of WPF bits, studies of MVVM bits using the WPF bits, and samples of Lightspeed under WinForms and WinForms DataBinding. What we find ourselves thinking would be exceedingly useful is a mash of the WPF fundamentals and MVVM with LightSpeed. We'd get up to speed on Wpf and delve into MVVM with the guidance of LightSpeed as we're familiar with from our WinForms work. This sample would do what "ordinary" (I know, subjective term) business applications need to do with Lightspeed, not with WPF and DataBinding: Run-of-the-mill entity editors, properties of those editors that are represented by ComboBoxes (foreign keys, for example), Wpf Windows and Pages and Ribbons oh my, and so on. These are just specific things that gave us struggles as we study and learn Wpf/MVVM. This is mostly a think-out-loud post after a few days of us working in a room studying how to move our stuff "forward". However, I can't imagine we are the only ones in this situation and facing these challenges. As I mentioned, we uttered more than a few times - "now how does this scenario in this chapter or example translate to Lightspeed". It'd be cool if we could see it in action written by someone in the know. Best regards and I'm very much looking forward to moving in this direction with LightSpeed and beginning work with WpfElements. |
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You may find that a lot of what the books and classes tell you about WPF binding sources "just works" for LightSpeed. Because entities implement INotifyPropertyChanged and entity collections implement IBindingList, they already produce the notifications that WPF needs to keep bound controls in sync* and can serve directly as a model in many situations. That said, a larger application does require a bit more architecture -- we started a WPF sample a while back but it was too simplistic to help you and I think we'll need to take a step back and look at producing something more fully MVVMy. What would be most helpful is if you could make a list of the top three or five things you'd like to see in a "LightSpeed + WPF" sample -- that would give us something to work towards. Thanks! * If you're using the Elements property grid, though, that doesn't support IBindingList, only INotifyCollectionChanged, so that would require a bit more integration work. |
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Thank you very much for your time and responding. I did a little survey and came up with these items as being what gave us the largest of pauses. Before I list them, I'll explain where we are coming from in case that matters to your thoughts. Our applications generally have the LightSpeed model (named LSModel) and our extensions to entities which take the form of a partial class LSModelEx. Regrettably this is not its own project/layer but we've begun moving that as well. Our UIs are rather ordinary MDI applications with data binding exclusively taking the form of the WinForms DataBinding mechanisms. Our UnitOfWork is scoped to the Form. The Form loads, we operate on the data, Form closes, we Save and Dispose of the Work, lather rinse repeat. The items that give us the largest of pauses.
These are the LightSpeed-specific (so to speak) things that we as long-time WinForm DataBind folks struggled with the most thus far.
Once again, I appreciate your time and wilingness to allow us to think out loud.
Regards,
Lionel
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