What is your experience with abandoning MVVM for UserControl-based WPF architecture?

Question

We built an large application based on Composite Application Library and MVVM using Infragistics controls.

In orde

Answer 1

I tried this and ended up going back to MVVM. You end up with the same event-driven spagetti-coded mess you always ended up with in Windows Forms. If I never have to do another myLabel.Text = this.MyLabelText I will be happy.

Don't get me wrong - MVVM is harder to stick with and you really have to know WPF to pull it off.

You lose a lot by not using it, though, including a lot of the ability to use Expression Blend to style your controls and DataTemplates.