patterns & practices - Smart Client Guidance

What is it?

The Composite UI Application Block is a framework based on .NET 2.0, developed the patterns & practices team to assist anyone building complex UIs using Winforms.

The key design pattern: composability, allows more complex UIs to be assembled from simpler “parts” (SmartParts as called in CAB architecture, “WinParts” in other architectures).

It also implements recurrent patterns extensively used in many well known projects such as: Thompson, Dell Call Center, Mirosoft Customer care Framework among others.

Where to start?

• Download the installers:
  • C#
  • Visual Basic 2005
• Look a the examples included in the installers (BankTeller QuickStart)

Note: If you download the latest version of the Smart Client Software Factory, it now includes the Composite UI Application Block. It can be downloaded from here.

Training available

• Download the Hands-On-Labs:
  • C# Hands-On-Labs
  • VB.NET Hands-On-Labs
• Download the Smart Client Software Factory Hands-On-Labs

The forums for common questions & answers

CAB & SCSF Forums

Other resources

• Composite UI Application Block Introduction Documentation (CAB-SCSF.zip)
• Sample visualizations for CAB
• CAB standalone documentation (CABCHM.ZIP)
• CAB & SCSF in the real world - Raiffeisen Bank whitepaper

Community Experts

• p&p Client Team blogs:
  • Eugenio Pace
  • Mariano Szklanny
  • Matias Woloski
  • Edward Jezierski
  • Peter Provost

• Community members blogs with remarkable posts:
  • Chris Holmes
  • Szymon Koblaczyk
  • John Socha-Leialoha
  • David Platt