I've been writing software for over twenty years and I've tried most development system available.

 

Last year I had a look at JavaFX and later last year I spent considerable (unpaid) time working with Adobe's Flex 3. I have liked some of the features of these systems and Adobe should be commended for what they have done. However I found Flex (and in my case AIR) is still not fit for LOB (Line of Business) development.

 

Returning to Visual Studio - I have been amazed how much the development team have advanced WPF! In my opinion it is now way ahead of Sun and Adobe with their offerings in RIA applications. I've also noticed that Microsoft seem to be more engaging with it's developer community (Us small guys!) cetainly I have found that the elitism that existed with them previously has dissapeared! I have been on a crash course since December to learn WPF and I'm addicted! My productivity once I understood how 'Binding' is so important to WPF and developed stratagies for data access, has been excellent.

 

As a project to enhance my WPF skills I decided to re-develop an old hotel booking system, I feel that until you use a system in anger you don't find the real pro's and con's of a development system. Three weeks of development later and I'm not far from finished! Another week or two and I think I will have a reasonably commercial product. I'll let you know how I get on and I'll post blogs of some of the techniques I develop on the way.

 

Early screenshot of Hotel Desk 3

 

 

 

Steve Thornton

Thornton Software UK