Windows Forms (WinForms) is a UI framework for building Windows desktop applications. It is a .NET wrapper over Windows user interface libraries, such as User32 and GDI+. It also offers controls and other functionality that is unique to Windows Forms.
Windows Forms also provides one of the most productive ways to create desktop applications based on the visual designer provided in Visual Studio. It enables drag-and-drop of visual controls and other similar functionality that make it easy to build desktop applications.
For more information about the designer, please see the Windows Forms Designer Documentation.
This codebase is a fork of the Windows Forms code in the .NET Framework 4.8. In Windows Forms .NET Core 3.0, we've strived to bring the two runtimes to a parity. However since then, we've done a number of changes, including breaking changes, which diverged the two. For more information about breaking changes, see the Porting guide.
It does not contain either:
- The .NET Framework variant of Windows Forms. Issues with .NET Framework, including Windows Forms, should be filed on the Developer Community or Product Support websites. They should not be filed on this repository.
- The Windows Forms Designer implementations. Issues with the Designer can be filed via VS Feedback tool (top right-hand side icon in Visual Studio) or be filed in this repo using the Windows Forms out-of-process designer issue template.
We welcome contributions! Many people all over the world have helped make this project better.
- Contributing explains what kinds of changes we welcome
- Developer Guide explains how to build and test
- Get Up and Running with Windows Forms .NET explains how to get started building Windows Forms applications.
Some of the best ways to contribute are to try things out, file bugs, join in design conversations, and fix issues.
- The contributing guidelines and the more general .NET contributing guide define contributing rules.
- The Developer Guide defines the setup and workflow for working on this repository.
- If you have a question or have found a bug, file an issue.
- Use daily builds if you want to contribute and stay up to date with the team.
Security issues and bugs should be reported privately via email to the Microsoft Security Response Center (MSRC) secure@microsoft.com. You should receive a response within 24 hours. If for some reason you do not, please follow up via email to ensure we received your original message. Further information, including the MSRC PGP key, can be found in the Security TechCenter. Also see info about related Microsoft .NET Core and ASP.NET Core Bug Bounty Program.
This project uses the .NET Foundation Code of Conduct to define expected conduct in our community. Instances of abusive, harassing, or otherwise unacceptable behavior may be reported by contacting a project maintainer at conduct@dotnetfoundation.org.
.NET (including the Windows Forms repository) is licensed under the MIT license.
.NET Windows Forms is a .NET Foundation project.
See the .NET home repository to find other .NET-related projects.