ModernFormsNext.Designer 1.8.0

ModernFormsNext

ModernFormsNext is a code-first C# UI framework for .NET 10. It provides a familiar, desktop-style programming model while owning its control tree, layout, input, styling, and SkiaSharp rendering.

What is ModernFormsNext?

ModernFormsNext is inspired by WinForms and Modern.Forms, but it is not a skin over native WinForms controls. Framework controls are lightweight C# objects rendered through the ModernFormsNext pipeline, primarily with SkiaSharp.

It is also not .NET MAUI, WPF, WinUI, Avalonia, Uno, Blazor, Electron, or a XAML framework. ModernFormsNext uses code-first UI and keeps platform-neutral control logic separate from WindowKit backends. The project is developing toward broader platform support, but it should not currently be presented as a finished replacement for WinForms, MAUI, or other established UI frameworks.

Current status

The repository does not currently provide supported macOS or Linux application backends.

Android status

The Android backend can host one real ModernFormsNext control tree in an AndroidSkiaHostView. The repository verifies shared layout and SkiaSharp rendering, logical-pixel density conversion, multi-touch routing, scrolling, basic focus, hardware editing keys, Android IME text input, lifecycle tracking, main-thread dispatching, and manifest-aware permissions.

Android does not yet provide the general Application.Run(Form) path, a complete WindowKit windowing implementation, multiple framework windows, complete accessibility, native dialogs, clipboard, file pickers, drag and drop, or the full platform-service set. See Android platform status for the verified support matrix, requirements, known limitations, and sample commands.

Highlights

• Code-first controls and forms with no XAML.
• Custom SkiaSharp-based rendering, layout, hit testing, input, focus, and styling.
• WinForms-like controls and APIs, including data binding, dialogs, menus, text controls, lists, layout containers, and custom controls.
• Native ModernFormsNext Markdown viewing and editing through MarkdownViewer, DocumentViewer, and MarkdownEditor—not an embedded browser.
• Hierarchical dynamic resources at control, parent, window, and application scope, with live resource references to CLR properties.
• Platform-neutral WindowKit contracts with a mature Windows backend and an experimental Android backend.
• A ModernFormsNext-native form designer, .mfdesign documents, deterministic .Designer.cs generation, conservative reverse parsing, and a Visual Studio extension.
• Project and Visual Studio item templates for a clean Windows starter application.
• Automated framework, designer, resource, Unicode, and Android backend tests plus focused manual samples.

Installation

ModernFormsNext 1.8.0 requires .NET 10. The repository selects SDK 10.0.201 in global.json and allows roll-forward to a later installed .NET 10 feature band.

For an existing Windows application:

dotnet add package ModernFormsNext --version 1.8.0

Install the project template and create an application:

dotnet new install ModernFormsNext.Templates::1.8.0
dotnet new mfn-app -n MyApp
cd MyApp
dotnet run

The package and template commands use the release version and become available after 1.8.0 is published. For source builds or pre-release validation, clone the repository and use project references instead. See installation for package, template, VSIX, and Experimental Instance instructions.

Minimal example

This is the current Windows startup model used by the repository's reference application:

using System.Drawing;
using ModernFormsNext;

internal static class Program
{
    [STAThread]
    private static void Main()
    {
        Application.Run(new MainForm());
    }
}

public sealed class MainForm : Form
{
    public MainForm()
    {
        Text = "Hello ModernFormsNext";
        Size = new Size(800, 600);

        var button = new Button
        {
            Text = "Click me",
            Bounds = new Rectangle(24, 24, 120, 40)
        };

        button.Click += (_, _) => button.Text = "Clicked";
        Controls.Add(button);
    }
}

Android currently uses an explicit activity and shared-surface adapter rather than this Application.Run(Form) entry point. Start from the cross-platform sample when evaluating the Android backend.

Visual Studio Designer

The optional ModernFormsNextDesigner.vsix adds View ModernFormsNext Designer for designable ModernFormsNext forms and a ModernFormsNext Form item template. Version 1.8.0 of the VSIX is the matching extension for the 1.8.0 framework release.

A designable form uses three related files:

MainForm.cs             # user-authored form code
MainForm.Designer.cs    # generated initialization code
MainForm.mfdesign       # designer document and source of truth

The designer remains code-first: it edits .mfdesign and generates C# rather than XAML. New generated form code assigns Size, while reverse parsing continues to accept ClientSize from older generated files. Designer coordinates remain logical at 100%, 125%, 150%, 175%, and 200% display scaling; device conversion is applied at the input and SkiaSharp rendering boundaries.

Download the matching VSIX from the GitHub release assets when published, or build it locally from ModernFormsNext.VisualStudioExtension.Vsix. The manifest supports amd64 Community, Professional, and Enterprise Visual Studio installations from version 17.0 onward without changing the existing extension identity. See installation and designer architecture.

Templates

ModernFormsNext.Templates contains the mfn-app .NET project template. It creates a minimal net10.0-windows application with Program.cs, a partial MainForm, generated designer code, and the companion .mfdesign document.

The Visual Studio extension also ships a ModernFormsNext Form item template for adding another form triplet to an existing project. The default application reference is samples/ModernFormsNext.DemoApp; control experiments belong in ControlGallery rather than in the generated starter experience.

Packages

The 1.8.0 release is composed of these intentionally published NuGet packages:

The experimental Android backend project is currently source-built in this repository and is not declared as a publishable NuGet package.

Documentation

• Getting started
• Installation and Visual Studio Designer
• Changelog
• Android platform status
• Designer architecture
• Dynamic resources
• Markdown viewing and Markdown editing
• Data binding
• Styling
• Platform-specific architecture and platform-specific features
• Framework roadmap
• Release process

Samples

Run ControlGallery on Windows:

dotnet run --project .\samples\ControlGallery\ControlGallery.csproj

Build the repository

Use the .slnx solution; the repository does not rely on a .sln file.

git clone https://github.com/ProGraMajster/ModernFormsNext.git
cd ModernFormsNext
dotnet restore .\ModernFormsNext.slnx
dotnet build .\ModernFormsNext.slnx --configuration Debug --no-restore /p:EnableWindowsTargeting=true
dotnet test .\ModernFormsNext.slnx --configuration Debug --no-restore

Android builds additionally require the .NET Android workload, Android SDK/JDK, and a device or AVD for deployment. The full setup is documented in Android platform status.

Roadmap and versioning

The framework roadmap separates implemented capabilities from future work. Items such as navigation, localization, advanced visualization, and optional feature packages are roadmap work unless the current code and release notes say otherwise.

ModernFormsNext uses semantic versioning. NuGet packages use X.Y.Z; Git release tags use vX.Y.Z. See RELEASING.md for package, assembly, VSIX, validation, and publication rules, and CHANGELOG.md for user-facing changes.

Contributing and reporting issues

Contributions should preserve the code-first architecture, custom rendering model, platform boundaries, public API documentation, and focused test coverage. Use ModernFormsNext.slnx, keep sample roles distinct, and validate Windows behavior before submitting a change. Android changes must describe their tested capability rather than claim general platform parity.

Report bugs and feature requests in the ModernFormsNext issue tracker. Include a minimal reproduction, target framework, OS/version, display scale or Android density, and relevant logs when possible.

License

ModernFormsNext is distributed under the MIT License. Derived and third-party code is documented in third-party-licenses.md.