Windows Forms Designer and WPF Designer for .NET Core

Question

I have recently heard that the alpha version of .NET Core (.NET Core 3.0) supports Windows Forms and WPF. But the Visual Studio Designer (and Visual Studio) doesn\'t

Answer 1

For the WinForms project you can refer to this video

How to fix WinForms Designer not support .net core 3.0 visual studio 2019

Since this video give more details we need, we can be followed step by step. It is also based on Microsoft official github project dotnet/winforms

dotnet/winforms - Using the Classic WinForms Designer in WinForms Core

The related code (VS project) made by me is already pushed to github:

.netCore-WinForms_Designer

For the WPF project you can use XAML Designer as below:

Workaround to use the designer in WPF Core App

Reference:

dotnet/samples - WPF Hello World sample with linked files

Install vs 2019 Professional/Enterprise version

Firstly, you need to Install vs 2019 Professional/Enterprise version. Then installing .net core 3.0 SDK is needed. Now you can try to create a .net core WPF application,

After setting the relevant project name and storage path, it will pop up:

Check "Use preview SDK" under .NET core in VS options

After setting done, restart vs to take effect.

Use VS build-in template, create WPF Project named "CoreHiWPF" of .net core

Under the created solution, use VS build-in template to create new WPF project "HiWPF" of .net framework type

Now the file structure of the solution is below:

Update Assembly Name of .net core WPF "CoreHiWPF", make Assembly Names of two projects are the same

Right click the project CoreHiWPF, select Properties, then change its Assembly Name to HiWPF.

Then right click the project, click "Edit CoreHiWPF.csproj".

Add code as below:

  
    
      MSBuild:Compile
    
    
  

  
    
      MSBuild:Compile
    
    
  

Ensure .net core WPF project CoreHiWPF is set as start up project

If the .net core WPF project CoreHiWPF is already highlighted, you can ignore then. Or, you need to select project CoreHiWPF, then right click Set As Start up project.

Try XAML Designer

Now close all opened files. Click the file MainWindow.xaml of project HiWPF. Then you can see empty WPF window in XAML designer now.

Modify the file MainWindow.xaml and related .cs if needed

Then, I add two lines to Grid of the file MainWindow.xaml: - One line is a Label which support Wrap - The other line is a Exit button.

Then I added the Click event to Exit button, added the Loaded event to Window.

After finish updating code, press F5 to run, the final UI is below:

The code is also already pushed to github:

.netCore-WPF_Designer .

You can clone it directly to have a look.