Advantages of WPF Applications

WPF applications allow you to take advantage of the best attributes of diverse systems, such as DirectX (3-D and hardware acceleration), Adobe Flash (animation support), and HTML (declarative markup and easy deployment).

The advantages of WPF applications include:

• Tight multimedia integration – to use 3-D graphics, video, speech, and rich document viewing in Windows 32 or Windows Forms applications, you would need to learn several independent technologies and blend them together without much built-in support. WPF applications allow you to use all these features with a consistent programming model.
• Resolution independence – WPF lets you shrink or enlarge elements on the screen, independent of the screen’s resolution. It uses vector graphics to make your applications resolution-independent.
• Hardware acceleration – WPF is built on top of Direct3D, which offloads work to graphics processing units (GPUs) instead of central processor units (CPUs). This provides WPF applications with the benefit of hardware acceleration, permitting smoother graphics and enhanced performance.
• Declarative programming – WPF uses Extensible Application Markup Language (XAML) declarative programming to define the layout of application objects and to represent 3-D models, among other things. This allows graphic designers to directly contribute to the look and feel of WPF applications.
• Rich composition and customization – WPF controls are easily customizable. You need not write any code to customize controls in very unique ways. WPF also lets you create skins for applications that have radically different looks.
• Easy deployment – WPF provides options for deploying traditional Windows applications (using Windows Installer or ClickOnce) . This feature is not unique to WPF, but is still an important component of the technology.
• Culturally aware controls – static text in controls and the return data for the String function are modified according to the culture and language specified by the end user's operating system.