Introduction

Have you ever found yourself distracted by the wrong details? That's exactly the struggle I faced following the highly anticipated release of .NET 9 by Microsoft last November. This particular .NET version marks a significant milestone by introducing initial support for Windows 11 theming tailored to WPF, the evergreen Windows Presentation Foundation, a powerful framework that has been revitalized as of early 2024.

My Journey with .NETpad

After dedicating over five months to modernizing the WPF version of my .NETpad application using this newfound theming capability, I’ve chronicled my journey with a series of more than 25 insightful articles. Each piece captures the exhilarating highs and frustrating lows of my experiences, pondering what features were feasible and, perplexingly, what simply wasn't possible—or optimal. My dual objective was clear: to emulate the remarkable evolution of Notepad in the Windows 11 era, while simultaneously rectifying earlier missteps in my application’s design.

Reflections on Development and Support Issues

Despite being an amateur in the development scene, I take immense pride in my work and, to some extent, consider myself a pioneer in a field where comprehensive insights seem scant. I eagerly await the day when a professional developer documents WPF's Windows 11 theming issues more thoroughly and outlines workable solutions. However, for now, I feel somewhat isolated in this venture.

Transformations and Missing Features

Fueled by passion and limited only by my experience, I believe I have made substantial progress. My once humble app has transformed into a noteworthy tool with a sleek new appearance and improved code quality. Yet, I can’t shake my fixation on two major features still missing—features that distinctively mark Notepad's modern interface: the tab-based user interface and the ability to customize the title bar.

The Features We Crave

When it comes to tabs, the need is glaringly obvious. However, implementing this functionality poses numerous challenges. Transitioning from a single document interface to one that can seamlessly manage multiple documents requires extensive coding and rigorous testing. Additionally, I face various user interface hurdles, contemplating how to manage a scenario where users open so many tabs that they can no longer all fit within the application window. This task is compounded by the constraints of WPF, not to mention the existing gaps in my knowledge.

Customizing the title bar presents a similarly complex challenge. For those interested in diving deeper, resources on Microsoft Learn offer valuable insights. In essence, developers leveraging the Windows App SDK—the modern app framework for Windows—can personalize the upper section of their application windows to craft an engaging user experience. However, the intricacies involved can be daunting.

Join Me on This Journey

As I strive to bridge these gaps and bring my vision for .NETpad to life, I invite fellow developers, enthusiasts, and curious minds to engage with this journey. From innovative features to creative customizations, the revitalization of .NETpad promises to redefine user engagement in the Windows environment. Will I succeed in integrating tabs and title bar customization? The adventure continues, and I look forward to sharing more updates along the way! Stay tuned for further developments in this thrilling odyssey of modernization and creativity.