Windows UI Mockups - How?

[SeymourButts]

Sorry, but I can't find the MS aquivalent for MacOS' "InterfaceBuilder". I need to create an application mockup for an IT course, complete with menus.

P.S. What tools does a windows programmer use for actual programming? I'm coming from MacOS and Apple distributed their programmingtool on their website, but I cant find anything like that on MS' site.

[jakem1]

You could try an Express Edition of Visual Studio:

http://www.microsoft.com/Express/

They're free, cut-down versions of Visual Studio which is Microsoft's main development tool.

[SeymourButts]

  jakem1 said:

You could try an Express Edition of Visual Studio:

http://www.microsoft.com/Express/

They're free, cut-down versions of Visual Studio which is Microsoft's main development tool.

Thanks. I'll hope the Express Edition does it then for my purposes.

[hdood]

For native Windows development, there is no GUI editor. It is all done in code.

If you just want to make a mockup, the easiest way is to download Visual C# 2008 Express and create a Windows Forms Application project. This will let you make a complete GUI just by pointing and clicking without writing a single line of code. It is managed though, which means the machine you intend to run the mockup program on has to have the version of the .NET framework you target it for (top right corner of the new project dialog).

[Brody McKee]

Expression Blend, from Microsoft is great at designing WPF interfaces... but isn't free.

[hdood]

I would steer clear of WPF. It is a hopelessly complex framework and you have little chance of just making a quick mockup with the correct Windows look in it. Go with Forms.

[acnpt]

Im sure you can use visio as well.

[gazebee_]

If you're a student, head over to Microsoft's DreamSpark website where they'll give you a whole host of programming goodies for free.

[BGM]

  hdood said:

I would steer clear of WPF. It is a hopelessly complex framework and you have little chance of just making a quick mockup with the correct Windows look in it. Go with Forms.

haha, keep preaching hdood, i curse wpf every day at work... POS

:)

[Brody McKee]

  BGM said:

haha, keep preaching hdood, i curse wpf every day at work... POS

WPF isn't THAT bad. It's got some issues, mainly the fact that Microsoft designed it to work without using hardware, but if they keep working on it, it'll be extremely useful in the near future. Programmers that aren't all that skilled, like myself, find packages like that much easier to work with than DirectX.

[BGM]

  mrmckeb said:

WPF isn't THAT bad. It's got some issues, mainly the fact that Microsoft designed it to work without using hardware, but if they keep working on it, it'll be extremely useful in the near future. Programmers that aren't all that skilled, like myself, find packages like that much easier to work with than DirectX.

Although I do agree it isn't THAT bad, there is nothing compelling (bar the fancy graphics) me to switch up from windows forms..

The plethora of nested elements to design the UI is difficult to work with / remember

The text rendering is ropey at best (although looks slightly better on Vista and Win7)

The platform is slow on older systems, I don't know if this is related to graphics acceleration

I believe there is plenty of potential, but it is far too immature at the moment.. I look forward to future versions. :)

[Echilon]

For mockups, give http://www.balsamiq.com/ a try.