The DARK SECRET Behind Microsoft's Frontend Collapse

I began my professional journey in 2006, falling deeply in love with C# and becoming a Microsoft enthusiast. Back then, becoming an MVP was like winning an Oscar in the Microsoft ecosystem - it was my dream.

When I discovered WPF, I was captivated by its animation capabilities, 3D graphics handling, and XAML - which I still consider superior to React in many aspects even in 2024. Microsoft's Expression Blend was revolutionary, offering Figma-like fluidity in UI creation that React's ecosystem still struggles to match.

"I decided to bet everything on becoming a frontend developer using WPF, and then Silverlight came along - if you were a XAML developer, you probably adored it as much as I did."

I invested years of my life in these technologies:

• WPF

• Silverlight

• UWP All practically dead by 2024.

I achieved my goal of becoming a Microsoft MVP for 5 consecutive years. The MVP Summit in Redmond was magnificent - back when being an MVP truly meant excellence in your field.

The Downfall:

• Microsoft abruptly killed Silverlight

• WPF investment decreased dramatically

• UWP emerged with severe limitations

• All focus shifted to Azure (their current golden goose)

Instead of creating a plugin-free Silverlight equivalent to compete with React while maintaining XAML's power, they created Blazor. While Blazor is decent, it's far from React's current capabilities.

Microsoft's frontend technology regression is evident in their confusing array of choices:

• Win32

• Windows Forms

• MAUI (which is problematic)

• WPF (existing like a zombie without significant updates)

• WinUI (limited to native MS apps)

• The confusing Blazor-MAUI combination

Finally, in 2016, I threw in the towel. I haven't used WPF since, and I don't see myself using Blazor or MAUI in the future. Microsoft surrendered the crown to React and other technologies that, ironically, are still primitive compared to what Microsoft had in the 2000s.

Today, I only use ASP.NET Core and Azure from Microsoft's stack - both solid products. But in frontend development, I miss the days of XAML supremacy.