README.md

The WinFormium Project

Easily buid powerful WinForm applications with HTML, CSS and JavaScript.

WinFormium

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⭐ About

WinFormium is a open source framework on .NET platform for creating user interface of WinForm Applicaitons using HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript. It is based on the Xilium.CefGlue project, which is a .NET wrapper around the Chromium Embedded Framework.

If you are looking for a framework for creating a WinForm application with a modern user interface, WinFormium is a good choice. you can use HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to create a user interface, and use C# to write the business logic of the application.

Please give WinFormium project a star⭐ if you like it.

If this project helps, please consider funding it.

🖥️ Requirements

For Development

• .NET Framework 4.6.2 or higher / .NET 6.0 or higher
• Visual Studio 2019 or higher (VS2022 is recommended)

For Deployment

• Microsoft Windows 7 Service Pack 1 or higher
• .Net Framework 4.6.2 or higher
• .NET 6.0 for Windows 7 and higher.
• .NET 7.0/8.0 for Windows 10 and higher.

This is a Windows Only framework, it can not run on Linux or Mac OS.

The minimum supported Windows is Windows 7 Service Pack 1, and some features (such as DirectComposition Offscreen Rendering) are not supported on Windows 7.

🧰 Getting Started

Create a simple Application

1. Create a WinForm Application by default template.

2. Install WinFormium NuGet Package

Open the NuGet Package Manager to install or use NuGet Package Manager Console, and run the following command to install WinFormium nuget package:

PM> Install-Package WinFormium

Install the dependencies of Chromium Embedded Framework that WinFormium depends on:

PM> Install-Package WinFormium.Runtime

3. A basic WinFormium application requires the following code:

Modify the code in the Program.cs file as follows:

using WinFormium;

class Program
{
    [STAThread]
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        var builder = WinFormiumApp.CreateBuilder();

        builder.UseWinFormiumApp<MyApp>();

        var app = builder.Build();

        app.Run();
    }
}

Create a class implements WinFormiumStartup for configuring the application:

using WinFormium;

class MyAPP : WinFormiumStartup
{
    protected override MainWindowCreationAction? UseMainWindow(MainWindowOptions opts)
    {
        // Configure the main window of this application
        return opts.UseMainFormium<MyWindow>();
    }

    protected override void WinFormiumMain(string[] args)
    {
        // The codes in Main function should be here, this function only runs in Main process. So it can prevent the codes in Main process running in sub-processes.
        ApplicationConfiguration.Initialize();
    }

    protected override void ConfigurationChromiumEmbedded(ChromiumEnvironmentBuiler cef)
    {
        // Configure the Chromium Embedded Framework here
    }

    protected override void ConfigureServices(IServiceCollection services)
    {
        // Configure the services of this application here
    }
}

Create a class implements Formium for configuring the main window of the application:

using WinFormium;
using WinFormium.Forms;

class MyWindow : Formium
{
    public MyWindow()
    {
        Url = "https://www.google.com";
    }

    protected override FormStyle ConfigureWindowStyle(WindowStyleBuilder builder)
    {
        // Configure the style of the window here or leave it blank to use the default style

        var style = builder.UseSystemForm();

        style.TitleBar = false;

        style.DefaultAppTitle = "My first WinFomrim app";

        return style;
    }
}

4. Build and run

📖 Documentation

For more info please see - Documentation or Wiki

🤖 Demos

• Minimal WinFormium App - Introduction to the basic usage of WinFormium.

🔗 Third-Party References & Tools

• CEF - https://bitbucket.org/chromiumembedded/cef
• Xilium.CefGlue - https://gitlab.com/xiliumhq/chromiumembedded/cefglue/
• Vanara.Library - https://github.com/dahall/Vanara/
• Vortice.Windows - https://github.com/amerkoleci/Vortice.Windows
• SkiaSharp - https://github.com/mono/SkiaSharp
• React - https://github.com/facebook/react
• React-Router - https://github.com/remix-run/react-router
• Vite - https://github.com/vitejs/vite

🏆 Inspirations

I was inspired by the following songs and albums when creating this version of WinFormium.

• Strandels - Chance Of Rain
• One Direction - What a Feeling (Made In The A.M.)
• Thomas Rhett - VHS (Center Point Road)
• Sammy Kershaw - She Don't Know She's Beautiful (Haunted Heart)
• Chrissy Steele - Two Bodies (Magnet To Steele)
• Halestorm - I Like It Heavy (Into the Wild Life)
• Joan Jett & The Blackhearts - I Hate Myself for Loving You (Up Your Alley)