xaml-csharp-development-skill-for-avalonia

WinForms to Avalonia Migration Playbook

Table of Contents

1. Scope
2. Migration Phases
3. Risk-Control Checklist
4. Example Slice Plan
5. C# Equivalent Migration Skeleton
6. Exit Criteria

Scope

This playbook provides a practical sequencing model for migrating production WinForms applications to Avalonia with minimal regression risk.

Migration Phases

1. Baseline and inventory:
   • catalog forms, controls, dialogs, threading hotspots, and owner-draw surfaces.
2. Shell and lifetime:
   • establish Avalonia app startup, desktop lifetime, main window host, and navigation skeleton.
3. Layout and binding:
   • port containers, replace Dock/Anchor, migrate data binding to typed view models.
4. Interaction and services:
   • migrate commands/shortcuts, menus/tray/dialogs/storage, and background workflows.
5. Styling and custom controls:
   • port visual system using resources/styles/templates; move custom rendering where needed.
6. Hardening:
   • validate accessibility, performance, and platform behavior; close parity gaps.

Risk-Control Checklist

• compile with typed bindings (x:DataType) for migrated views.
• keep winforms and avalonia parity test scenarios per feature slice.
• avoid all-at-once migrations of owner-draw + data + platform services.
• keep migration PRs small and reversible.

Example Slice Plan

WinForms baseline (slice candidate):

var toolbar = new FlowLayoutPanel
{
    Dock = DockStyle.Top,
    AutoSize = true
};

var searchBox = new TextBox { Width = 220 };
var exportButton = new Button { Text = "Export" };
var customersGrid = new DataGridView
{
    Dock = DockStyle.Fill,
    AutoGenerateColumns = false
};

exportButton.Click += (_, _) => ExportVisibleCustomers();
searchBox.TextChanged += (_, _) => ApplyFilter(searchBox.Text);

toolbar.Controls.Add(searchBox);
toolbar.Controls.Add(exportButton);

Controls.Add(customersGrid);
Controls.Add(toolbar);

Avalonia XAML target slice:

<Grid xmlns="https://github.com/avaloniaui"
      xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
      xmlns:vm="using:MyApp.ViewModels"
      x:DataType="vm:CustomerSearchViewModel"
      RowDefinitions="Auto,*"
      RowSpacing="8">
  <StackPanel Orientation="Horizontal" Spacing="8">
    <TextBox Watermark="Search" Text="{CompiledBinding Query, Mode=TwoWay}" />
    <Button Content="Export" Command="{CompiledBinding ExportCommand}" />
  </StackPanel>

  <ListBox Grid.Row="1" ItemsSource="{CompiledBinding FilteredCustomers}" />
</Grid>

C# Equivalent Migration Skeleton

public sealed class MigrationSlice
{
    public string Name { get; init; } = string.Empty;
    public bool LayoutPorted { get; set; }
    public bool BindingPorted { get; set; }
    public bool CommandsPorted { get; set; }
    public bool DialogsPorted { get; set; }
    public bool Verified { get; set; }
}

public static bool ReadyForCutover(MigrationSlice slice)
    => slice.LayoutPorted && slice.BindingPorted && slice.CommandsPorted && slice.DialogsPorted && slice.Verified;

Exit Criteria

• parity-critical workflows pass on target platforms.
• no blocking UI-thread regressions under typical workloads.
• startup/lifetime/dialog/menu/tray patterns are fully migrated.
• remaining gaps are documented with mitigation timelines.

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