The Importance of Windows Forms

As discussed in Chapter 1, “smart client” applications are becoming more prevalent under .NET. There are certain application scenarios in which a responsive, intelligent UI is preferred over a less capable browser-based UI. This makes Windows Forms an important part of the .NET Framework. Windows Forms can be used both for local applications and applications that are “Internet-enabled” by using Web Services to access and manage data on remote Internet servers.

It’s also more practical in .NET-based systems to support both browser-based and smart-client user interfaces in the same system. Middle-tier components can easily be designed to work with both, so it’s not an “either or” choice - Windows Forms interfaces may be mixed with browser-based Web Forms interfaces.